hood. But being cited into the bishop's court at Lif more, and not producing a licence for practising, he was prohibited from laying his hands on any perfon for the future, but ftill continued to do fo till January, 1665-6, when he came to England at the request of the earl of Orrery, in order to cure the lady of the lord viscount Conway, of Ragley in Warwickshire, of a continual violent head-ach. He ftaid at Ragley about a month, but failed in his endeavours to relieve this lady, notwithstanding he is faid to have performed feveral miraculous cures in those parts, and at Worcester, and was fent for to Whitehall by his majefty's orders; and is likewife faid to have wrought many remarkable cures here in the prefence of feveral eminent and fkilful perfons. A declaration of his cures at Warwickshire, was published by Mr. Stubbe (who was witnefs) at Oxford, in 4to. in which the author maintained "that Mr. Greatrakes was poffeffed of a peculiar temperament, as his body was compofed of fome particular ferments, the effluvia whereof being introduced, fometimes by a light, sometimes by a violent friction, reftore the temperament of the debilita. ted parts, re-invigorate the blood, and diffipate all heterogeneous ferments out of the bodies of the deceafed, by the eyes, nose, mouth, hands, and feet." This publication was a "Letter, addreffed to the Hon. Robert Boyle, Efq." who, in a private letter to the author, expreffed his difpleasure at being thus publicly addressed on fuch a fubject, particularly as Mr. Stubbe endeavoured to show that Mr. Greatrakes's gift was miraculous. Mr. Glanville alfo imputed his cures to a fanative quality inherent in his conftitution; and others (perhaps with greater probability) to the force of imagination in his patients. Mr. Boyle, having feen Mr. Greatrakes's performances in April, 1666, acknowledged his remarkable cures. This extraordinary man afforded much matter for the prefs, and OLD MATTHEWS the DULWICH HERMIT Who lived in a Care 23 Years & was Murelerd, 28. Dec. 1802. HISTORY OF OLD MATTHEWS. 359 and various pamphlets were published pro and con.; particularly one in 4to., and supposed to have been written by Mr. David Lloyd, reader, of the Charter-house, under the title of "Wonders no Miracles, or Mr. Valentine Greatrakes's Gift of Healing examined, upon Occafion of a fad Effect of his Stroking, March the 7th 1665, at one Mr. Creffell's houfe, in Charter-house-yard, in a Letter to a Rev. Divine, living near that place." This attack obliged Mr. Greatrakes to vindicate himself; and accordingly he published a lift of his "Strange Cures." It is a truth that this man's reputation rofe to a prodigious height, but latterly declined almoft as faft, for the expectations of the multitude that reforted to him were. not always answered. Authentic Particulars of OLD MATTHEWS, the DULWICH HERMIT, OF MAN of the WOOD. THIS wonderful old man, named Samuel Matthews, was a native of South-Wales, and has been for a great many years the fubject of much curiofity to thofe who have visited Norwood and its vicinities. His eccentricities procured him the title of the "Man of the Wood." About the year 1772, he fixed his refidence at Dulwich, and was employed as a gardener by the gentlemen in that hamlet. At this time his wife, of whom he was particularly fond, was living, and his daughter (fince married to a tradefman of refpectability in the city of London) being with him, he enjoyed, though in an humble fphere, true domeftic happiness. On the death of his wife (about the year 1775,) "his doors became hateful to his fight," and he formed the desperate refolution of quitting a habitation now dreary and melan choly in his opinion, and fecluding himself from all fociety. Thus determined, he folicited and obtained permission of the Mafter and Wardens of Dulwich College, (who are lords lords of the manor and waste) to dig a cave, and erect over it a hut, on that part of the manor abutting in the rear on College Wood, and in front of Sydenham Common. This dwelling, which was the child of his own fancy, was far diftant from any other, and which he made himself and covered with fern, underwood, furze, &c. the produce of the Common. In this Cave, or Hermitage, he lived about 23 years, his daily employment being to work in the gardens of the gentry, as jobbing gardener, by whom, from his fimplicity of manners, he was much liked. He al ways returned to his cave to fleep, and on Sundays would entertain those numerous vifitors whom curiosity had led to fee him. During the fine weather in fummer time, many parties have been made to fee this Wild Man of the Wood, which was his familiar appellation: but so far from being wild, he always behaved with fo much gentlenefs and civility, as to excite their astonishment, always inviting his company to partake of his fmall beer and porter, which he always had ready in bottles; and those who choosed partook of meat, bread and cheese, &c. for which he never made any regular charge, always leaving it to the generofity of his kind visitors; obferving, they must be very dry and hungry coming fo far to fee the Old Man, for which courtesy he was generally well rewarded. He was very often annoyed by mifchievous fellows and boys, who would frequently take from him his provifions, &c. afterwards throw ftones at him, and delight in injuring his habitation; but this ill treatment did not cause him to abandon his favourite spot. About five or fix years ago, having been at Dulwich, where he had changed half a guinea, he was followed to his cave by fome ruffian gypfies, who beat him fo feverely that they broke his arm, and leaving him for dead, took all the money he had about him, which was no more than 12s. It was doubtlefs fuppofed by this vaga bondizing |