open your shirt."

"Do as the doctor bids you," said Leonard, seeing that Blaize hesitated,
"or I apply the cudgel."

"Ah! bless my life! what's this?" cried Hodges, running his hand down
the left side of the porter, and meeting with a large lump. "Can it be a
carbuncle?"

"Yes, it's a terrible carbuncle," replied Blaize; "but don't cauterize
it, doctor."

"Let me look at it," cried Hodges, "and I shall then know how to
proceed."

And as he spoke, he tore open the porter's shirt, and a silver ball,
about as large as a pigeon's egg, fell to the ground. Leonard picked it
up, and found it so hot that he could scarcely hold it.

"Here is the terrible carbuncle," he cried, with a laugh, in which all
the party, except Blaize, joined.

"It's my pomander-box," said the latter. "I filled it with a mixture of
citron-peel, angelica seed, zedoary, yellow saunders, aloes, benzoin,
camphor, and gum-tragacanth, moistened with spirit of roses; and after
placing it on the chafing-dish to heat it, hung it by a string round my
neck, next my dried toad. I suppose, by some means or other, it dropped
through my doublet, and found its way to my side. I felt a dreadful
burning there, and that made me fancy I was attacked by the plague."

"A very satisfactory solution of the mystery," replied the doctor,
laughing; "and you may think yourself well off with the blister which
your box has raised. It will be easier to bear than the cataplasm I
should have given you, had your apprehensions been well founded. As yet,
you are free from infection, young man; but if you persist in this silly
and pernicious practice of quacking yourself, you will infallibly bring
on some fatal disorder--perhaps the plague itself. If your mother has
any regard for you she will put all your medicines out of your reach.
There are few known remedies against this frightful disease; and what
few there are, must be adopted cautiously. My own specific is sack."

"Sack!" exclaimed Blaize, in astonishment. "Henceforth, I will drink
nothing else. I like the remedy amazingly."

"It must be taken in moderation," said the doctor: "otherwise it is as
dangerous as too much physic."

"I have a boddle or doo of de liquor you commend, docdor, in my private
cupboard," observed Josyna. "Will you dasde id?"

"With great pleasure," replied Hodges, "and a drop of it will do your
son no harm."

The wine was accordingly produced, and the doctor pronounced it
excellent, desiring