“Ah, the poor child! My Lord, we do wrong to keep our guests standing. Quick, some of you! Take them away. Give them food and wine and baths. Comfort the little girl. Give her lollipops, give her dolls, give her physics, give her all you can think of–possets and comfits and caraways and lullabies and toys. Don’t cry, little girl, or you won’t be good for anything when the feast comes.”

From C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair, chapter 8: “The House of Harfang”

A great thought for a child who has been out in the cold: “Give her physics.” However, C.S. Lewis’s grasp of English was obviously better than mine. I didn’t know this, but the word Lewis uses here is the plural of “physic” not “physics.” A physic is:

1 a: the art or practice of healing disease b: the practice or profession of medicine2: a medicinal agent or preparation (from the Merriam-Webster dictionary).

I still like to think that the giants in The Silver Chair knew that somehow a good dose of Newton and Einstein would be good for Jill and her companions.

Grace and Peace