erience, had found out wonderful
secrets, and infallible remedies."

[Bishop Burnet confirms this account.--"Being under an unlucky
accident, which obliged him to keep out of the way, he disguised
himself so, that his nearest friends could not have known him, and
set up in Tower Street for an Italian mountebank, where he practised
physic for some weeks, not without success. In his latter years he
read books of history more. He took pleasure to disguise himself as
a porter, or as a beggar; sometimes to follow some mean amours,
which, for the variety of them, he affected. At other times, merely
for diversion, he would go about in odd shapes; in which he acted
his part so naturally, that even those who were in the secret, and
saw him in these shapes, could perceive nothing by which he might be
discovered."--Burnet's Life of Rochester, ed. 1774, p. 14.]

His secrets consisted in knowing what was past, and foretelling what was
to come, by the assistance of astrology: and the virtue of his remedies
principally consisted in giving present relief to unfortunate young
women in all manner of diseases, and all kinds of accidents incident to
the fair sex, either from too unbounded charity to their neighbours, or
too great indulgence to themselves.

His first practice being confined to his neighbourhood, was not very
considerable; but his reputation soon extending to the other end of the
town, there presently flocked to him the women attending on the court,
next, the chamber-maids of ladies of quality, who, upon the wonders
they related concerning the German doctor, were soon followed by some of
their mistresses.

Among all the compositions of a ludicrous and satirical kind, there
never existed any that could be compared to those of Lord Rochester,
either for humour, fire, or wit; but, of all his works, the most
ingenious and entertaining is that which contains a detail of the
intrigues and adventures in which he was engaged while he professed
medicine and astrology in the suburbs of London.

The fair Jennings was very near getting a place in this collection; but
the adventure that prevented her from it, did not, however, conceal from
the public her intention of paying a visit to the German doctor.

The first chamber-maids that consulted him were only those of the maids
of honour; who had numberless questions to ask, and not a few doubts
to be resolved, both upon their own and their mistress