Passages from the diary of a late physician / by Samuel Warren, author of 'Ten thousand a-year'.

  • Samuel Warren
Date:
[1890]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Passages from the diary of a late physician / by Samuel Warren, author of 'Ten thousand a-year'. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    inti on his knees. I watched liim fnjin beliinJ the iloor, and saw tliat he was ■weeping bitteily. Poor Sir Henry I Presently one of liis lirotlier captives api)roaclied liini, ninnint! fi'om aiiotlier part of the groiuiils, and slapping him on the bacli, shouted, 'I am tlie Lord of the Isles 1' ' I can't play billiards with your ma- jesty to-day,' replied Sir Henry. ' Embrace me, tlien !' said the luna- tic ; and they were locked in one an- other's arms. 'Youaie in tears!' ex- claimed the stranger, himself begin- ning to cry ; but in a moment or two he started off, putting his hand to his mouth, and bellowing, ' Yoicks— Yoicks ! Stole away !' The baronet relapsed into his former mood, and continued in a similar [los- tnre for several minutes, wlien he wip- ed away his tears, and commenced walking round the green, his arms fold- ed as before, and talking to himself with vehemence. I conld catch only a few words, as he hurried past me. ' It will never be believed 1—What could have been my inducement?—When will it be tried ?—saw all the while through his di.sgnise !—My secretary—if acquit- ted—released— discovery—ennobled'—■ were fragments of his iucolierences. I could nol, help thinking of the contrast he afforded to the animated figure he liad jiresented to the beholder from the gallery of the House of Commons—the busy eager throngs of the clubs—and as the man of fashion and literature ! On regaining herroonj, I found Lady Anne had been relieved by a Hood of tears. She continued weeping, and ut- tering incoherences for some time, nor could the entreaties of those around her assuage her grief. When her pa- roxysm had abated, she expressed a deleriniiiation not to be removed from the house in which her unfortunate husband resided ! She was regardless of our warnings. She retpiested iMrs. Y to iulorm lier whether their house was fully occnjiied ; and on re- ceiving a hesitating answer in the nega- tive, engaged apartments occupying the left wing of the buihling, careless at what expense. The result was, that, linding her inliexible on this jioint, the arrangeiuents were entered upon, and that night she, with her sister and maiil, slept under the same roof with her un- conscious husband. Every measure was taken to keep her out of Sir Henry's way. Nearly a month passed without her having been in Sir Henry's com|iany, or seeing him, for iiuue than a moment I or two ; and her health and spirits ap- peared to improve. At length the | baronet was inloiined that sue had long been a resident in Somcrlleld House, at which he expressed no sur- ]irise, and consented to her being in- vited to take tea in his apartmejit. He was shy and silent during the interview, and seemed under constraint till his guests had taken leave of hira. Gra- dually he grew reconcileii to their visits, which he occasionally returned —always accompaidcd by his 'secre- tary'—and took jileasure in hearing the sisters play on the piano. He compo.s- ed verses, which they iiretended to set to music; he brought them Hoivers, and receiveil various lu'cseuts in return. For hours he would sit with them read- ing, and hearing read, novels and news- jiapers—and grew humanised again. He treated Lady Anne with civility, but towards her sister Julia he behaved as if he were courting her! They soon prevailed njion him to discard the pea- cock's feather he wore, always on Sun- days—accepting a drooping ostrich feather, which in its turn, he was in- duced to lay aside, as well as to assume more l>elitting clothing. Tliey could not dislodge from his crazed imagina- tion the idea that he was contined in prison, awaiting his trial for the mur- der of his wife, and high treason. How can I do justice to the virtues of his wife, or suHiciently extol her un- wearying self-devotion to the welfare of her afflicted husband ! Her only joy was to minister to his comfort, at what- ever cost of feeling, or health, at all hours ; to bear with his incongruous whims, perversities, and provocations; to affect delight when Ac was delighted ; to comfort him under all his imaginary grievances. ' Her thoughts, when ab- sent fi'om him, were absorbed in devis- ing schemes for his occupation. She would listen to no entreaties for cessa- tion from her labours ; no inducements could withdraw lier for a moment from the scene of her husband's degradation. Eulogy would but obscure the honour that is woman's due 1 All was unavailing ; the sufferer ex- hibited no symptom of mental con- valescence ; his delusions became more obstinate than ever. He seemed to be unconscious of Lady Anne's being his loij'e; he treated her, and spoke of her, as an amiable companion, and made • her his ccmlidante. He communicated to her a story about his attachment to a girl he liail seen about the premi.ses, and aslicd her opinion in what way he could most successfully make her an oiler ! He addressed her, one morning, as Queen, receiving her with the most ob- sequious obeisances. He persisted In