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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    length the incessant attentions of her rohitives, were rewarded by seeing an imiirovement. Tlie presence of lier boy engaged her attention. «lie wonid liave him Ijiing beside her on tlie bed for hours ; slie spoke little to him, butlier eye was fixed on liis features ; and wlien she was asleep, lier lingers would wreatlie tlieniselves amongst his curls. About Sir Heni'y slie made no inquiry ; and when slie did, we put the best face on matters. But the direful occasion of all this calamity must not be overloolted. Tlie contest respecting the title and estates of Sir Henry went on as rapidly as the case would permit. The new claimant had been a slave-driver, or factotum on a planter's estate in a West India is- land ; and it was whispered that a rich Jew had been persuaded into such con- fidence in the man's prospects, as to advance him on his personal security, the supplies necessary to prosecute his claims with ett'ect. There were many matters of conse- quence that no one could throw light on but the baronet; and his solicitor had, in the hope of Sir Henry's reco- very, succeeded in interposing innu- merable obstacles, with the view, as well of wearing out his opponents, as aflbrding every chance for the restora- tion of his client's sanity. It was un- derstood in the family, that the solici- tor's ex]iectations of success in the lawsuit were far from sanguine : not that he believed the new claimant to be the bonafide heir to the title, but he was in the hands of those who would ransack the world for evidence—and, when it was wanting, maka it. Every source of delay was at Uuigth closed up; the case was comp'«ted and set down for trial. Considerable expecta- tion was excited in the public mind ; occasional paragraphs hinted the pro- bability of such and such disclosures; and it was rumoured that considerable bets were depending on the issue. I visited Sir Henry twice a-week. He became calm as before the occasion of his last dreadful outbreak; and his health was complete. New delusions took possession of him. He wrote 'The Pedigree, a Tale of Real Life,' which consisted of a rambling account of his lawsuit. It was occasioned by his hap- pening to cast his eye on the following paragraph in his ndwspaper, which had been overlooked by the person who had been engaged to read over tlie paper beforehand, and preventany such allu- sion meeting the eye of the sufl'erer :— ' Sir llrnrii Ilarleigh, i?a;-<.—This un- fnrtunate gentleman eontiuues still in- disposed. We uuderstund that little hope is entertained of his reooveiy. The result of the approaching trial of ' Doe on the demise of Higgs v. Harleigh,' will signify but little to the person in- terested.' From the moment of his reading these lines, he fell into melanclioly, which was relieved by the task with which he had occupied himself, of re- cording his misfortunes. 1 remember calling upon him one morning about this time, and finding him pacing his chamber in a melan- choly mood. Be welcomed me with cordiality; and dismissing his attend- ant, said, ' Doctor, did you ever hear me speak in Parliament?* I told him I had not. 'Then you shall hear me now ; and tell me what sort of an advocate you think I should have made—for I have thoughts of turning my attention to the bar. I'll sujipose myself address- ing the jury on my own case—and you must represent the jury. Now !' He mounted a cliair and table, and commenced. Shall I be believed when I declare that I listened on that occa- sion, for an hour, to an orator t He spoke in the third person ; and stated in a most feeling manner, his birth, education, fortune, family, marriage— his Parliamentary career—his happi- ness, prosperity, and jiride. Then ha represented the contemptuous indiffer- ence with which he treated the first communications concerning the attack meditated on his title and property, as well as the consternation with which he discovered the formidable character of the claim set up against him. He begged me—the jury—to put myself in his place ; to fancy his feelings ; and proceeded to draw a masterly sketch of the facts of the case. He drew a lively picture of the secret misery he had en- dured—his agony lest his wife should hear of the disastrousintelligence—the horrid apprehension of liis adversary's triumph—the prospect of his own de- gradation—his svife—his child's beg- gary—till he brought tears into my eyes. But at this point of his history he mentioned his discovery of the mode of turning tallow into wax, and dashed oH'into an extravagant enumeration of the advantages of the speculation ! Then, before me, stood confessed —the MADMAN—frantic in his gestures, haran- guing me on the immense wealth that would reward the projector ; and, had I not risen to go, he would have conti- nued in the same strain for the re- mainder of the day 1 1 had purpo.sed calling that evening on Lady Anne— but I gave up the idea. The image of her insane husband would be too fresh