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In
pursuance
of
this
resolve
,
he
took
up
his
residence
in
the
Puritan
town
as
Roger
Chillingworth
,
without
other
introduction
than
the
learning
and
intelligence
of
which
he
possessed
more
than
a
common
measure
.
As
his
studies
,
at
a
previous
period
of
his
life
,
had
made
him
extensively
acquainted
with
the
medical
science
of
the
day
,
it
was
as
a
physician
that
he
presented
himself
and
as
such
was
cordially
received
.
Skilful
men
,
of
the
medical
and
chirurgical
profession
,
were
of
rare
occurrence
in
the
colony
.
They
seldom
,
it
would
appear
,
partook
of
the
religious
zeal
that
brought
other
emigrants
across
the
Atlantic
.
In
their
researches
into
the
human
frame
,
it
may
be
that
the
higher
and
more
subtle
faculties
of
such
men
were
materialised
,
and
that
they
lost
the
spiritual
view
of
existence
amid
the
intricacies
of
that
wondrous
mechanism
,
which
seemed
to
involve
art
enough
to
comprise
all
of
life
within
itself
.
At
all
events
,
the
health
of
the
good
town
of
Boston
,
so
far
as
medicine
had
aught
to
do
with
it
,
had
hitherto
lain
in
the
guardianship
of
an
aged
deacon
and
apothecary
,
whose
piety
and
godly
deportment
were
stronger
testimonials
in
his
favour
than
any
that
he
could
have
produced
in
the
shape
of
a
diploma
.
The
only
surgeon
was
one
who
combined
the
occasional
exercise
of
that
noble
art
with
the
daily
and
habitual
flourish
of
a
razor
.
To
such
a
professional
body
Roger
Chillingworth
was
a
brilliant
acquisition
.
He
soon
manifested
his
familiarity
with
the
ponderous
and
imposing
machinery
of
antique
physic
;
in
which
every
remedy
contained
a
multitude
of
far-fetched
and
heterogeneous
ingredients
,
as
elaborately
compounded
as
if
the
proposed
result
had
been
the
Elixir
of
Life
.
In
his
Indian
captivity
,
moreover
,
he
had
gained
much
knowledge
of
the
properties
of
native
herbs
and
roots
;
nor
did
he
conceal
from
his
patients
that
these
simple
medicines
,
Nature
's
boon
to
the
untutored
savage
,
had
quite
as
large
a
share
of
his
own
confidence
as
the
European
Pharmacopoeia
,
which
so
many
learned
doctors
had
spent
centuries
in
elaborating
.
This
learned
stranger
was
exemplary
as
regarded
at
least
the
outward
forms
of
a
religious
life
;
and
early
after
his
arrival
,
had
chosen
for
his
spiritual
guide
the
Reverend
Mr.
Dimmesdale
.
The
young
divine
,
whose
scholar-like
renown
still
lived
in
Oxford
,
was
considered
by
his
more
fervent
admirers
as
little
less
than
a
heavenly
ordained
apostle
,
destined
,
should
he
live
and
labour
for
the
ordinary
term
of
life
,
to
do
as
great
deeds
,
for
the
now
feeble
New
England
Church
,
as
the
early
Fathers
had
achieved
for
the
infancy
of
the
Christian
faith
.
About
this
period
,
however
,
the
health
of
Mr.
Dimmesdale
had
evidently
begun
to
fail
.
By
those
best
acquainted
with
his
habits
,
the
paleness
of
the
young
minister
's
cheek
was
accounted
for
by
his
too
earnest
devotion
to
study
,
his
scrupulous
fulfilment
of
parochial
duty
,
and
more
than
all
,
to
the
fasts
and
vigils
of
which
he
made
a
frequent
practice
,
in
order
to
keep
the
grossness
of
this
earthly
state
from
clogging
and
obscuring
his
spiritual
lamp
.
Some
declared
,
that
if
Mr.
Dimmesdale
were
really
going
to
die
,
it
was
cause
enough
that
the
world
was
not
worthy
to
be
any
longer
trodden
by
his
feet
.
He
himself
,
on
the
other
hand
,
with
characteristic
humility
,
avowed
his
belief
that
if
Providence
should
see
fit
to
remove
him
,
it
would
be
because
of
his
own
unworthiness
to
perform
its
humblest
mission
here
on
earth
.
With
all
this
difference
of
opinion
as
to
the
cause
of
his
decline
,
there
could
be
no
question
of
the
fact
.
His
form
grew
emaciated
;
his
voice
,
though
still
rich
and
sweet
,
had
a
certain
melancholy
prophecy
of
decay
in
it
;
he
was
often
observed
,
on
any
slight
alarm
or
other
sudden
accident
,
to
put
his
hand
over
his
heart
with
first
a
flush
and
then
a
paleness
,
indicative
of
pain
.
Such
was
the
young
clergyman
's
condition
,
and
so
imminent
the
prospect
that
his
dawning
light
would
be
extinguished
,
all
untimely
,
when
Roger
Chillingworth
made
his
advent
to
the
town
.
His
first
entry
on
the
scene
,
few
people
could
tell
whence
,
dropping
down
as
it
were
out
of
the
sky
or
starting
from
the
nether
earth
,
had
an
aspect
of
mystery
,
which
was
easily
heightened
to
the
miraculous
.
He
was
now
known
to
be
a
man
of
skill
;
it
was
observed
that
he
gathered
herbs
and
the
blossoms
of
wild-flowers
,
and
dug
up
roots
and
plucked
off
twigs
from
the
forest-trees
like
one
acquainted
with
hidden
virtues
in
what
was
valueless
to
common
eyes
.
He
was
heard
to
speak
of
Sir
Kenelm
Digby
and
other
famous
men
--
whose
scientific
attainments
were
esteemed
hardly
less
than
supernatural
--
as
having
been
his
correspondents
or
associates
.
Why
,
with
such
rank
in
the
learned
world
,
had
he
come
hither
?
What
,
could
he
,
whose
sphere
was
in
great
cities
,
be
seeking
in
the
wilderness
?
In
answer
to
this
query
,
a
rumour
gained
ground
--
and
however
absurd
,
was
entertained
by
some
very
sensible
people
--
that
Heaven
had
wrought
an
absolute
miracle
,
by
transporting
an
eminent
Doctor
of
Physic
from
a
German
university
bodily
through
the
air
and
setting
him
down
at
the
door
of
Mr.
Dimmesdale
's
study
!
Individuals
of
wiser
faith
,
indeed
,
who
knew
that
Heaven
promotes
its
purposes
without
aiming
at
the
stage-effect
of
what
is
called
miraculous
interposition
,
were
inclined
to
see
a
providential
hand
in
Roger
Chillingworth
's
so
opportune
arrival
.
This
idea
was
countenanced
by
the
strong
interest
which
the
physician
ever
manifested
in
the
young
clergyman
;
he
attached
himself
to
him
as
a
parishioner
,
and
sought
to
win
a
friendly
regard
and
confidence
from
his
naturally
reserved
sensibility
.
He
expressed
great
alarm
at
his
pastor
's
state
of
health
,
but
was
anxious
to
attempt
the
cure
,
and
,
if
early
undertaken
,
seemed
not
despondent
of
a
favourable
result
.
The
elders
,
the
deacons
,
the
motherly
dames
,
and
the
young
and
fair
maidens
of
Mr.
Dimmesdale
's
flock
,
were
alike
importunate
that
he
should
make
trial
of
the
physician
's
frankly
offered
skill
.
Mr.
Dimmesdale
gently
repelled
their
entreaties
.
"
I
need
no
medicine
,
"
said
he
.
But
how
could
the
young
minister
say
so
,
when
,
with
every
successive
Sabbath
,
his
cheek
was
paler
and
thinner
,
and
his
voice
more
tremulous
than
before
--
when
it
had
now
become
a
constant
habit
,
rather
than
a
casual
gesture
,
to
press
his
hand
over
his
heart
?
Was
he
weary
of
his
labours
?
Did
he
wish
to
die
?
These
questions
were
solemnly
propounded
to
Mr.
Dimmesdale
by
the
elder
ministers
of
Boston
,
and
the
deacons
of
his
church
,
who
,
to
use
their
own
phrase
,
"
dealt
with
him
,
"
on
the
sin
of
rejecting
the
aid
which
Providence
so
manifestly
held
out
.
He
listened
in
silence
,
and
finally
promised
to
confer
with
the
physician
.
