sagacity," said the other; "and I must beg you will be so good
as to signify your opinion in your own handwriting." The doctor
immediately complied with her request, and expressed himself upon
a slip of paper to this purpose:--

"These are to certify whom it may concern, that I firmly
believe, and it is my unalterable opinion, that who soever
letteth an infant perish, by sousing it in cold water, even
though the said water should not be so cold as ice, is in
effect guilty of the murder of the said infant, as witness
my hand,
"Comfit Colocynth."


Having obtained this certificate, for which the physician was
handsomely acknowledged, she returned, exalting, and hoping, with
such authority, to overthrow all opposition. Accordingly, next
morning, when her nephew was about to undergo his diurnal baptism,
she produced the commission, whereby she conceived herself empowered
to overrule such inhuman proceedings, but she was disappointed in
her expectation, confident as it was; not that Mrs. Pickle pretended
to differ in opinion from Dr. Colocynth, "for whose character
and sentiments," said she, "I have such veneration, that I shall
carefully observe the caution implied in this very certificate, by
which, far from condemning my method of practice, he only asserts
that killing is murder; an asseveration, the truth of which, it is
to be hoped, I shall never dispute."

Mrs. Grizzle, who, sooth to say, had rather too superficially
considered the clause by which she thought herself authorized,