A letter to the Committee of the Rev. Paul Saumarez, a ward of the High Court of Chancery / [Richard Saumarez].

  • Saumarez, Richard, Vice-Admiral, 1791-1866.
Date:
1839
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter to the Committee of the Rev. Paul Saumarez, a ward of the High Court of Chancery / [Richard Saumarez]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    arrested on the appearance of any one, or on the slightest in¬ terruption. A few days ago, when I called on my brother, he was thus declaiming; hut upon our entering he left off, in¬ vited us to take tea, and during the whole evening preserved his usual mild and gentlemanly deportment. The expressions of indignation against certain high charac¬ ters, adduced as evidences of insanity, are less proofs than has been supposed; because he was told, when in the asylum, that they had seized his property, and made him legally a lunatic in consequence of his hating addressed them, as Ministers, for his liberty; nor can it be expected that an impression thus inculcated for years can be obliterated in a day. Tor the first several months since his release, DrW.’s kind attempts to introduce him into company were attended by the necessity of removing him out of it. Now, he invariably conducts himself with propriety in company—I have been to parties of 200 persons with him this season.^ Then,'he could not be trusted with money; now he has half-a-guinea a week pocket-money, which he expends with great caution. He can safely be confided with sums to pay his tradesmen’s bills. He has a greater control over his appetite than he had, and is now often observed reading the Pravers, and has been seen praying in private. Notwithstanding all these favourable circumstances, still much remains to be done;—his mind has been much dis¬ turbed; he will often answer only in monosyllables; nor do I conceive it will recover its natural healthy state until he be¬ comes a free agent to the extent of his capacities, which are now as it wrere under a shade which I hope may ere long be happily removed. The fact of his writing letters to the Bishops and others having connexion with his interests, shows that the loss of his property and rights afflict him, though he may not talk much to those by whom he is surrounded on these subjects; and it becomes a question for consideration, whether it is right for him to be told that the parties are not at home, and to be
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