The mock doctor : or, the dumb lady cur'd. A comedy. Done from Moliére [by H. Fielding] ... With the musick prefix'd to each song. As it is acted at the Theatre-Royal, Drury-Lane / By His Majesty's servants.

Henry Fielding

Date:: 1771

Credit: The mock doctor : or, the dumb lady cur'd. A comedy. Done from Moliére [by H. Fielding] ... With the musick prefix'd to each song. As it is acted at the Theatre-Royal, Drury-Lane / By His Majesty's servants. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$Dorc. Dodlor who ? James. Dodfor-Dodlor —--what’s his Name ? Dorc. Hey ! what, has the Fellow a mind to banter me ? Harry. Is there no Phyfician hereabouts famous for curing Dumbnefs ? Dorc. I fancy you have no need of fuch a Phyfician, Mr. Im¬ pertinence. Harry. Don’t miftake us, good Woman, we don’t mean to banter you, we are fent by our Matter, whofe Daughter has loft her Speech, for a certain Phyfician who lives hereabouts ; we have loft our Direction, and ’tis as much as our Lives are worth to return without him. Dorc. There is one Dodtor Lazy lives juft by, but he has left offpradtiftng. You would not get him a Mile, to fave the Lives of a thoufand Patients. James. Diredt us but to him ; we’ll bring him with us one way or other, I warrant you. Harry. Ay, ay, we’ll have him with us, tho’ we carry him on our Backs. Dorc. Ha ! Heaven has infpir’d me with one of the moft ad¬ mirable Inventions to be reveng’d on my Hangdog! [AJtde.] I afliire you, if you can get him with you, he’ll do your young Lady’s Bufinefs for her; he’s reckon’d one of the beftPhyficians in the World, efpecially for Dumbnefs. Harry. Pray tell us where he lives. Dorc. You’ll never be able to get him out of his own Houfe* but if you watch hereabouts, you’ll certainly meet w’ith him^ for he very often amufes himfelf here with cutting Wood. Harry. A Phyfician cut Wood. James. I fuppofe he amufes himfelf in fearching after Herbs you mean. Dorc. No, he’s one of the moft extraordinary Men in the W^orld : He goes dreft like a common Clown; for there is no- thing he fo much dreads, as to be known for a Phyfician. James. All your great Men have fome ftrange Oddities about ’em Dorc. Why he will fufter himfelf to be beat, before he will o\vn himfelf to be a Phyfician — and I’ll give you my Word, you’ll$