Radcliffe Library
Preserved but no longer current.
A library at Oxford, founded with a bequest of £40,000 left for the purpose by Dr. John Radcliffe (1650-1714), and origin- ally intended for a medical library. Dr. Rad- cliffe was a ^ prominent London physician, famous for his candour. When summoned to Queen Anne he told her that there was nothing the matter with her but "vapours," and he refused to attend her on her deathbed.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Radcliffe Library” mean?
A library at Oxford, founded with a bequest of £40,000 left for the purpose by Dr. John Radcliffe (1650-1714), and origin- ally intended for a medical library. Dr. Rad- cliffe was a ^ prominent London physician, famous for his candour. When summoned to Queen Anne he told her that there was nothing the matter with her but "vapours," and he refused to attend her on her deathbed.
Is “Radcliffe Library” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.