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| William Harvey |
At the outbreak of war, members of the RCP were like many in
the country split in their allegiance. The College of Physicians was led by an
elite group of men who wielded significant power. The RCP was not a homogenous
body; its members had differing religious and political opinions.
One of the most famous members of the college was the
Royalist physician William Harvey who was described as "a man of lowest
stature, round-faced; his eyes small, round, very black and full of spirit; his
hair as black as a raven and curling."[1]
Harvey was not only responsible for looking after the King's
medical requirements but made a significant contribution to the development of
medicine by showing how blood circulated the body. He said of his discovery
"I found the task so truly arduous... that I was almost tempted to
think... that the movement of the heart was only to be comprehended by God. For
I could neither rightly perceive at first when the systole and when the
diastole took place because of the rapidity of the movement." [2]
During the civil war, Harvey took no time in declaring his
allegiance to the crown. Many members switched sides during the war which
enabled them to navigate "their way through the conflict, pragmatically
switching sides".
The exhibition has a selection of audio readings
concentrating on different parts of the civil war. One such reading is "a true copy of the high court of justice for the tryal of Charles
published London `1684
According to the exhibition notes, this was "Published
after the restoration to the throne of Charles II; this pro-Royalist work
includes a transcription of Charles I's trial and execution. There is also an
appendix which provides 'An alphabetical catalogue of the members of the
execrable pretended high court of justice'.
One picture used in the exhibition is described as an
"allegorical frontispiece is unambiguous in overall tone. Devil-like
figures have commandeered a carriage, taking the crown and 'three nations'
hostage, leaving liberty in the balance. Sheep and doves are attacked behind
it, and the beheaded King Charles is crushed beneath its wheels. An
accompanying explanatory verse was still deemed necessary, making reference to
'wounded justice' and a 'murder'd monarch'.
In one memorable exchange, the Clerk of the Court read
"Charles Stuart, King of England, you have been accused on behalf of the
people of England, of high treason, and other crimes, the court have determined
that you ought to answer the same. To this, the King replied "I will
answer the same as soon as I know by what authority you do this". Stubborn
to the end the Kings last words on the
scaffold were "I go from a corruptible to an incorruptible crown, where no
disturbances can be."[3]
One of the significant weaknesses of the exhibition is its
failure to go into any detail as regards the significant dissension of many
members towards the monarchy. We get a
small glimpse of this dissension in a quote used in the exhibition '...when
dissolution and idleness had put an end to good manners), some seditious
'tribunes' of the people and ill-conditioned scoundrels ... had defiled all
things ... the Phoenix ... rose at last ...' but fails to explain its meaning.
According to William Birken[4]
there was significant dissension amongst men of medicine. According to him
"In England, medicine has always been something of a refuge for
individuals whose lives have been dislocated by religious and political strife.
This was particularly true in the seventeenth century when changes in Church
and State were occurring at a blinding speed".
Christopher Hill has described the "erratic careers of
some radical clergy and intellectuals who studied and practised medicine in
times of dislocation. A list pulled together from Hill's book would include: John
Pordage, Samuel Pordage, Henry Stubbe, John Webster, John Rogers, Abiezer
Coppe, William Walwyn and Marchamont Nedham. Medicine, as a practical option
for a lost career, or to supplement and subsidize uncertain jobs, can also be
found among Royalists and Anglicans when their lives were similarly disrupted
during the Interregnum".
He continues "among these were the brilliant Vaughan
twins, Thomas, the Hermetic philosopher, and Henry, the metaphysical poet and
clergyman; the poet, Abraham Cowley; and the mercurial Nedham, who was
dislocated both as a Republican and as a royalist. The Anglicans Ralph Bathurst
and Mathew Robinson were forced to abandon their clerical careers temporarily
for medicine, only to return to the Church when times were more propitious".[5]
The exhibition is a rare glimpse into the treasure trove of
material held by the RCP. A lot of this material has rarely been seen in
public.
[1]https://upscgk.com/Online-gk/5843/harvey-stayed-at-the-kings-school-for-five-years-after-which-he-matriculated-at-gonville-and-caius-college-in-cambridge
[2]
William Harvey, On The Motion Of The Heart And Blood In Animals
[3]
] A True copy of the journal of the High Court of Justice for the tryal of K.
Charles I as it was read in the House of Commons and attested under the hand of
Phelps, clerk to that infamous court / taken by J. Nalson Jan. 4, 1683 : Ann
Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan, Digital Library Production Service
[4]
The Dissenting Tradition in English Medicine of the 17th and 18th Century
William Birken Medical History 1995
[5]
The Experience of Defeat-Christopher Hill
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