Thirdly, He hath told others, that I am no graduate phyfician, and that he had feen me upon a mountebank ftage in Moorfields, when he had lodgings in the college there.

Fourthly, Knowing that I had much practice in the city, he reported at the Royal Exchange, Cuftomhouse, and other places adjacent, that I was a foreign fpy, employed by the French King to convey him into France; that I bound him hand and foot; and that, if his friend had not burst from his confinement to his relief, he had been at this hour in the Bastile. All which feveral affertions of his are so very exfo travagant, as well as inconfiftent, that I appeal to all mankind, whether this perfon be not out of his fenfes. I fhall not decline giving and producing further proofs of this truth in open court, if he drives the matter fo far. In the mean time I heartily forgive him, and pray that the Lord may reftore him to the full enjoyment of his understanding: fo wifheth, as becometh a Chriftian,

From my houfe in Snow-hill,

July the 30th, 1713.

ROBERT NORRIS, M. D.

God fave the Queen.

A full and true ACCOUNT of a horrid and barbarous REVENGE BY POISON, on the body of MR. EDMUND CURLL, bookfeller.

With a faithful copy of his Laft Will and Teftament.

HISTORY

ISTORY furnisheth us with examples of many fatirical authors who have fallen facrifices to revenge, but not of any bookfellers, that I know of, except the unfortunate fubject of the following paper; I mean Mr. Edmund Curll, at the Bible and Dial in Fleet-ftreet, who was yesterday poisoned by Mr. Pope, after having lived many years an inftance of the mild temper of the British nation.

Every body knows, that the faid Mr. Edmund Curll, on Monday the 26th inflant, published a fatirical piece, intitled, Court-poems, in the preface whereof they were attributed to a lady of quality, Mr. Pope, or Gay; by which indifcreet method, though he had escaped one revenge, there were still two behind in referve.

Now, on the Wednesday enfuing, between the hours of ten and eleven, Mr. Lintot, a neighbouring bookfeller, defired a conference with Mr. Curll, about settling a title-page, inviting him at the fame time to take a whet together. Mr. Pope, who is not the only instance how perfons of bright parts may be carried away by the inftigation of the devil, found means to convey himself into the fame room, under pretence of bufinefs with Mr. Lintot, who, it seems, is the printer of his Homer. This gentleman, with

a feeming coolnefs, reprimanded Mr. Curll for wrongfully afcribing to him the aforefaid poems: he excufed himself by declaring, that one of his authors (Mr. Oldmixon by name) gave the copies to the prefs, and wrote the preface. Upon this Mr. Pope, being to all appearance reconciled, very civilly drank a glass of fack to Mr. Carll, which he as civilly pledged; and though the liquor, in colour and tafte, differed not from common fack, yet was it plain, by the pangs this unhappy ftationer felt foon after, that fome poisonous drug had been fecretly infused therein.

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About eleven a-clock he went home, where his wife obferving his colour changed, said, «Are not fick, my dear?" He replied, Bloody fick;" and incontinently fell a vomiting and ftraining in an uncommon and unnatural manner, the contents of his vomiting being as green as grafs. His wife had been just reading a book of her husband's printing concerning Jane Wenham, the famous witch of Hertford, and her mind mifgave her, that he was bewitched; but he foon let her know, that he fulpected poison, and recounted to her, between the intervals of his yawnings and retchings, every circumftance of his interview with Mr. Pope.

Mr. Lintot in the mean time coming in, was extremely affrighted at the fudden alteration he obferved in him: Brother Curll, fays he, I fear you have got the vomiting diftemper; which, I have heard, kills in half an hour. This comes from your not following my advice, to drink old hock in a morning, as I do, and abftain from fack." Mr. Curll replied in a moving tone, Your author's fack, I

fear,

hock?

fear, has done my bufinefs." «Z-ds, fays Mr. Lintot, my author! Why did not you drink old Notwithstanding which rough remonfrance, he did in the moft friendly manner prefs him to take warm water; but Mr. Curll did with great obftinacy refufe it; which made Mr. Lintot infer, that he chofe to die, as thinking to recover greater damages.

All this time the fymptoms increafed violently, with accute pains in the lower belly. Brother Lintot, says he, I perceive my laft hour approaching; do me the friendly office to call my partner, Mr. Pemberton, that we may fettle our worldly affairs." Mr. Lintot, like a kind neighbour, was haftening out of the room, while Mr. Curll raved aloud in this manner, If. furvive this, I will be revenged on Tonfon; it was he firft detected me as the printer of thefe poems, and I will reprint thefe very poems in his name.' His wife admonished him not to think of revenge, but to take care of his flock and his foul and in the fame inftant Mr. Lintot, whose goodness can never be enough applauded, returned with Mr. Pemberton. After fome tears jointly fhed by these humane bookfellers, Mr. Curll being, as he faid, in his perfect fenfes, though in great bodily pain, immediately proceeded to make a verbal will, Mrs. Curll, having firft put on his night-cap, in the following manner:

GENTLEMEN, in the first place, I do fincerely pray forgiveness for thofe indirect methods I have purfued in inventing new titles to old books, putting authors names to things they never faw, publishing private quarrels for public entertainment; all which VOL. VI.

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