GOODALL, Charles.

London: Printed by M. Flesher, for Walter Kettilby,… .1684

4to, pp. (xii), 288, (52), 305–472, (11) index. Imprimatur leaf before the title, title within ruled border, separate title-page to the Historical Account, text partly in black letter. Nineteenth century calf, sides with blind roll-tooled border, later endpapers. Imprimatur leaf restored in blank areas, minor stain in fore-edge margin of first few leaves. Signature of George Becke, 1857, on blank recto of imprimatur leaf, woodcut allegorical bookplate on verso of title.

FIRST EDITION. “From 1681 a private committee of the college worked behind the scenes to reorder its affairs (minutes of this are in the Sloane collection); from at least 1684 Goodall participated fully in the committee. Goodall published The Royal College of Physicians of London Founded and Established by Law… (1684), which angrily attacked those of a ‘mechanical’ rather than academic medical education, who, he said, had been engaged in the ‘late rebellion’ and never acknowledged the duty they owed to God and their king. It was a persuasive book: though documents were cited selectively, they were quoted fully and accurately… In April 1688 the private committee pulled strings to get a version of Goodall’s book presented personally to the king; the long version was even cited in a legal opinion as evidence for the college’s powers, and much of the crown’s legal and political support for the college under James II’s reign was based on Goodall’s portrayal of this institution… He made many efforts to restore discipline within the college, and helped to shape the controversial plan to institute the college dispensary” (ODNB). Wing G1091.

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