dreamed thrice, that he had virtue in his 
hands ; and next morning feeing a man fall 
down as dead with the epilepfy, he ftroak- 
ed, and recovered him inftantly. This 
was his fir patient. He grew fo famous 
that his court was filled with difeafed eve- 
ry morning, which he always fpent in 
their favour. Wherever he went, a great 
throng attended him, moft of whom he 
cured ; but he would never touch any that 
looked vénereal, faying, he took that to 
be a juft. judgment for their fins. All 
diforders were not obedient to his touch, 
but he failed infew. My father, who had 
the Jeaft implicit faith of any man, had a 
violent fever, and Mr. Greatraks turned 
it away in two minutes.. He had, at ano- 
ther time, a terrible ague, which, when 
the fit truck him, Mr. Gzeatraks cured 
in a minute or two, by holding him by the 
wrifts ; and he never had a fit after. Mr. 
Greatraks alfo cured a fifter of mine of 
the king’s evil, by firoaking. 
March 3, 1743. 
Mr. Greatraks was of large ftature, 
and furprifing ftrength. He has very 
often taken a handful of hazlenuts, and 
cracked moft of them with one gripe of 
his hand, and has often divided a fingle 
hazlenut by his thumb and fore-finger. 
He had the largeft, heavieft, and fofteft 
hand (I believe) of any man in his time, 
to which I do attribute the natural reafon 
of his great virtue in his hand above other 
men. Many years ago, I took the fol- 
lowing note out ef a book, intitled «* Ez- 
thufiajm Triumphant,” per Dr. R. Dean of 
C.—‘ I refer all his virtue to his parti- 
eular temper and complexion, and I take 
his fpirits to be a kind of elixir and uni- 
verfal ferment, and that he cures (as Dr. 
Mead expreffes it) by a fanative conta- 
gion.” I remember, Sir Edmundbury 
Godfrey, in his Letters, mentions fome of 
thofe he ftroaked and cured in England, 
and that continued perfectly well. It isa 
pity thofe letters, £o the number of 104, 
are not in fome body’s hands that would 
oblige the world by publifhing them: 
they contain many remarkable things, and 
the beft and trueft Secret Hiftory of King 
Charies the Second’s Reign. 
March 10, 1744. 
hen Mr. Greatraks came to my fa- 
ther’s, the court was crowded with pa- 
tients, whom he attended ali the forenoon. 
Many were perfectly cured, without any 
return of their diforder, and mof received 
benefit; but, in my time, his virtue was 
much abated ; but I have heard my two 
eideht fifters, who were women grown, 
and my eide! brother, and my father and 
From the Port-folio of a Adan of Letiers. 
{ May 1, 
mother, and many other honeft people, that 
would {peak nothing but truth, often fay, 
that they have many times feen him ftroak 
a violent pain from the fhoulder to the el- 
bow, and fo to the wrift, and thence to 
the top of the thumb, and, by: holding it 
ftrongly for fome time, it has evaporated. 
There are many wonderful relations. of 
this kind, which, though affuredly true, 
have fo much the air of romance, that I 
have no pleafure in relating them. Mr. 
Greatraks married to his fecond wife the 
widow Rotheram, near Camolin, in the 
county of Wexford, and died, I believe, in 
the year 1685. 
Memorandum of a Prefaze of the happy 
State of the Ghurch under a Prince of 
Orange. 
Mem.—I heard both Dr, Gilbert Peele, 
(now principal of Edinburgh Colledge) 
and Mr. Archibald Hamilton (an ancient 
Prefbyter. Min*- in the north of Ireland) 
relate the following paflage in the time of 
King Charles the Second’s reign, viz.— 
That in the year 1650 there was a meet-~ 
ing or fynod of Prefbyter minifters in the 
North of Ireland; among whom one an- 
cient Minifter fact, feemingly drowly, 
while the reft were debating fome matters 
before them. Upon which, being afked 
if he were taking a nap; he replied, no; 
his foul had been ravifhed with the pro- 
{pet of the happy days the Church of 
God, in thefe kingdoms, fhould enjoy un- 
der a Prince of Orange. 
That this paflage was by the st Rev® . 
perfons related to mee fome time before 
King Charles the 2*° death, I do freely 
attelt. 
7 Funes 1699. J. Boyse. 
My Lord Granard (I have been af- 
fured by thofe who reaped the benefit 
thereof) did, by King Charles the 2°’* 
order, diftribute 600]. per annum to the 
Prefbyter® minifters in the north of Ire- 
land towards their fubfitence, under the 
notion of fecret fervice. 
In confideration whereof, and of their- - 
early efpoufing King William’s intereft 
in the Revolution, he has out of his royal 
bounty given them a grant of 1200). per 
annum, J. 5.. 
SIR JULIUS CAESAR. 
Extracted from one of the Volumes, intitled 
‘* A fhort Memorial -and Chronicle of 
Things paft, concerning my Father, My- 
felf, my Wives, and Children.” 
** Late fupping I forbear 5 ; 
Wine and women I forfwear 5 
My 
ee 
