Star. — London, England, 1818-11-04 00:00:00

s, ar“.l went up to ascertain a door of his master was standing outside ; witness l saw Sir Samuel (as he the door, in the act of driv pseared, hcwever, it was to s both his hands and fist ai bleeding profusely. Wit any instrument in his hand. urst open, and Sir Samuel the wash-hand stand, his is blood flowing from him danket were about him : he he made several signs with a sheet of paper, and pen :ering the room, Dr. Roget ceased had cut his throat., ) the fatal act committed with him in the room, but dram in -room, desiring to uring this interval he cut se of razors, in the ordinary were two beds in his room, toget slept. Dr. Roget ex ad cut his throat. Witness he had seen his master do answered in the negative, he had a glimpse of Sir te razor, when he (the Doc ). Sir Samuel appeared to time either at home or Etc seemed to have no en lof his family. Ile did not to-things found in his mas s maid used sometimes to tomilly, he supposed, made ;ter did not ring for him in had understood that his Dnfined to his bed, but be lie cook came into the pan away a waiter with a cup t know that she took them bed-room. The servants sterday in consequence of c death of Lady Ronailly other room when he went nc:se yesterday until he .l-room, from whence he ed ; his going up stairs took When Miss Romilly was Rogi2 she had only to go id Dr. Roget went up im )rised of the desire of Sir tend. Dr. Roget's bed was of Sir Samuel; there were the house, but Dr. Roget it for the first time, in eon of Sir Samuel's illness. he only daughter of Sir years of age. Upon dis t cut hi 4 throat, his`fellow r a surrcon. He remained - ro om to support his MU he floor by the Doctor and e name of James interrupted the Iropedi interfering with the con ren questioning the regularity of The Coroner ordered James to an apology, and promising good main in Court.] to the certificate of Di. e of Dr. Roget, expressed man was in attendance to to of Sir Samuel Romilly r act which put an end to rith deference to the Coro.. ag for Drs. Babington and Ted, able to attend ; and miry to enable the Jury to eceased. that from the great talent it Samuel Rorsully, it was something extraordinary verturn his mind, or that ,ch the Court were investi, re deploring, would newer that Dr. Marcet resided the deceased, and Dr. Ha itood, at no great distance. ders that these two Physi- Ay sent for, and he trusted ; but, whatever might be n that, upon such a solemn, lividual would complain of :ertain the truth. dispatched in search of et. ext witness examined, and he following effect :—My I am of no profession; I ernment Council of Geneva. muel Romilly's family from Samuel's grandfather came revocation of the Edict of intry some years since, and but I returned to Geneva the Republic, and I came i the summer with my best Ily.—(Here the emotion of icting, and excited the sym rhen he had recovered from less resumed.)—.l did not Sir Samuel Romilly in the red, although I frequently for, in consequence of the r, we did not go into the . Here I beg leave to read from Sir Samuel some time L part of my deposition, as it to illastrate the case under " Cowes, September 27, 1818. t intend writing to you till to- Mr. Nash's letter to go without need not say how happy we shall , however, will be one purely of iii rnect with little pleasure in ib h:ts been worse, and certainly, hr :•1 sae: dints as being in some 4t:o be:ter, but for myself I still to :'either let her nor the poor , brt it :cults me a good•deal. yose that I have not quite resolu th:ng, atAl to preserve my health mmunica;u *sins to any one, but I could not suffer you to set cut upset such a looney with out apprising you of the real truth.—l am, my dear Dumont. " With most sincere afreedon, yours, " SAMUEL. ROMILLY." At the time this letters reached town I was at the house of Sir James Mackintosh; I received it tar the Ist of October, and 'I received two or three let ters within a few days afterwards, expressive of my friend's belief that his Lady appeared somewhat bet ter, and illustrative of his wish to tranquillize my solicitude for her recovery. The following is one of the letters alluded to: " Cowes, September es, 1818. " DrAx Dimmer—l cannot, after my letter of yesterday, stiffer this post to go without telling you that 711*: dear Anne is better—not very considerably, but yet she certainly is better.— I know your kindness and affection for us must haye rendered my last letter alarming to you; and therefore I hasten to give you somewhat better news. " Ever, my dear Dumont, most altetionateiy your's, (Signed) m ost ROMILLY." Mr. Dumont continued—l set out for Cowes in consequence of the invitation of Sir Samuel, and on my arrival I had the happiness to find that his Lady was so much better that she was able to spend two or three hours each day among the company at Mr. Nash's house. But still the mind of Sir Samuel was not at ease. He seemed, indeed, to entertain no con fidence of her recovery, and therefore lie appeared to me constantly in the same slate of anxiety. Lady Romilly had at length a severe relapse, and she was for some days in a great state of suffering. During that time nothing could equal the excruciating pain of Sir Samuel, but his fortitude and resignation.— Ile was almost entirely deprived of sleep for about .six weeks; and from that circumstance I began to entertain the greatest apprehension for hisfate. Twice or three times he himself expressed to me his fears of mental derangement. On one occasion he sent for me in the middle of the .night. It might be about two o'clock in the morning, and spoke to me of a dream which he had had that was tall of hor ror. Ile said that the impression was as'strong upon his mind, even after he awoke, as if it hadleen a reality. He asked whether I did not consider that as a proof that his faculties were impaired ? How ever, some conversation about his children generally resumed a certain degree of peace to his mind, and sometimes he entertained me about Isis plans for the education and establishment of his children. Lady Bomilly died at Cowes on Thursday, the 20th of, October last, about eleven o'clock at night. Sir Sa muel was informed of her death next morning by his nephew, Doctor Roget, for whom he always sheaved the same attachment as for one of his own sons. I have omitted to state, that two days before the death of Lady Romilly, and when there was no hopes of her recovery, two of her Ladyship's sisters arrived at Cowes, and Sir Samuel could not sited any tears when he saw them ; but he complained to me of a most tormenting and burning heat in his head. He left Cowes with great reluctance the day after Lady Romilly's death, but he declared that he would be governed entirely by Doctor Roget and his friends. On Friday night we slept at Winchester, on our way to town, being accompanied by Mrs. Davis, who is one of the sisters of Lady Romilly, as well as by Miss Romilly, Mr. William Romilly, the eldest son, and some of Sir Samuel's servants. I travelled in the same chaise with Sir Samuel, and on our arrival at Winchester, he said that he felt himself extremely exhausted.. Doctor Roget slept is the same room with him at Winchester, and Sir Samuel was throughout the night extremely restless, as I understood from the Doctor. On the next morning Sir Samuel shewed marks of agitation, which he tried to subdue. He was continually tearing his gloves or the palms of his hands, or scratching his fingrrs and nose. Some blood came from his nose. When we arrived at an Inn at Mullet's Green, which is two stages from Winchester ' Sir Samuel was so weak that he could proceed no farther; we therefore, slept at that lan. Doctor Roget still slept in th e same room with Sir Samuel. I had proposed to Sir Samuel not to go Russell-square, but to take some other house for the present. He answered that as he was likely to have a long illness, and to be laid up for some time, he preferred.his own house. As he proceeded homeward I observed a more siolent de gree of irritation, with still more tearing of his hands and his nose. In a moment when he was shutting his eyes and wringing his hands, he took the hand of his daughter an placed it in his ; upon which, opening his eyes, he perceived what I had done, and casting upon me the most expressive look of grad tude and tenderness, he embraced his daughter.— When we arrived at Russell-square, he made a great effort to compose himself, and went into his library, where he threw himself upon a sofa, in a state of calm, which appeared to me, who knew him so well, peculiarly frightful. In this situation he was for some moments joining his hands as if in a state of prayer. In a moment after he got up from the sopha, he took my arm, and walked with me about the two rooms. He appeared to me in the state of a man dying from an internal wound. A few hours after his arrival at Russell-square, he expressed a desire to see Dr. Mareet, saying that his nephew. Dr. Roget, suffered too much, and that he would give him the comfort of some medical friend's assistance. He wanted, he told me, particularly to consult Doctor Marcet about a shower bath, which he was inclined! to think likely to relieve the heat of his head. Of this heat he perpetually complained, and what is most astonishing, he declared at the same time that he had no head-ache. But as to what refers imme diately to the nature of his disease, I shall leave that to be described by the medical gentlemen who know the subject so much better than me. After Dr. Marcet had made his visit to Sir Samuel, which was about nine o'clock on Sunday evening, I followed the Doctor to his house, and I saw that he was much alarmed by the state of inflammation in which he found Sir Samuel. Dr. Roget would not quit Sir Samuel, in whose room he slept that night. I slept in a room over that of Sir Samuel, or more correctly speaking, I passed in that room a most uneasy night. About seven o'clock next morning Dr. Kowa came to me in a state of extreme anxiety, telling me that his uncle was much worse, with a violent fever, utter ing some expressions in a strain of great perturba tion, and complaining that he was quite distracted. Dr. Roger called immediately upon Doctor Marcet, who came in an instant to Sir Samuel's house.— They sent for Dr. Babington to join them in a con sultation upon Sir Samuel's case. Of their proceed ings thcse Gentlemen will, no doubt, give you a full and satisfactory account. I asked theta whether I I could tee my friend, Sir Samuel, but they desired / which had t a k en pl a c e inlis situation, more espe• Ime not t o v i s t hi m , observing that the greatest quiet daily from the app ar ent quietude whichihe had ex* was necessary about him, and that one person only perienced - in the -trkht, and the iterspiretion which. should be allowed to attend in his room. I went then to Holland House, Kensingtpn, to see Sir Sa muel's three youngest children (whom Lord Holland had taken home from school), in order to make some arrangements with respect to them. When I return ed to Russell-square, about half after three o'clock, I fourd the servant, Thomas, in tears—l found Dr. Roget in a state approaching to despair. My first feeling was that of astonishment—for I had never had the smallest conception or apprehension of what had taken place. During the whole previous month I had passed with Sir Samuel, dividing almost en tirely with his son the cares of his mind—while the ladies were employed about Lady Romilly—engaged with him in the most intimate and unreserved con versation, I never could have imagined it possible, that his invaluable life would have been. terminated by such means, from the intimate knowledge which I had of his high principles of duty, of his moral and religious fortitude, of his love for his country, of his parental affection— Here a Juror intetruptedthe witness, exclaiming with great emphasis, that every Englishman knew the character and worth of Sir S. Romilly ; but The Coroner observed, that although the witness had minutely stated so many particulars in the con duct of the deceased, it was still competent to him to state his general impression on other parts of that great mans character, which he had so full an op portunity of observing. • 'Mr. Dumont resumed, saying, that he should only add, that the qualities which he had described, and which notoriously characterized the life of Sir Samuel Romilly, totally excluded from his mind any idea of such a melancholy catastrophe as had occasioned the assemblage of that Court. The cordial and generous sensibility which this excellent man manifested throughout the delivery of his evidence, was in the highest degree affecting and impressive. From what we saw of him—from what was evident to every one who heard him, such a man could not fail to be the friend, and he was worthy of the friendship of Sir Samuel Romilly. The Coroner expressed his opinion, that the Jury were impressed with that conviction which univer sally prevailed; that a man of the well-known prin ciples of Sir Samuel Romilly, could not possibly commit the dreadful act which put an end to his life, unless in a state of mental derangement. The exist ence of that derangement was indeed to be concluded from the depositions of the last witness, and it was clear that this derangement was the result of the most pojgnant grief for a beloved and affectionate wife. That grief appeared to him to have produced a brain fever, but upon that point he would refer to the opinion o f: the Physicians. Dr. Marcet was then examined.—He stated that he was called upon to attend Sir Samuel Romilly on Sunday last. He had long been in habits of ac quaintance with Sir Samuel and his family, but he did not before attend them professionally. He was called in on Sunday night, about nine o'clock, at the request of Sir Samuel's nephew, Dr. Roget. Upon going into Sir Samuel's house, he found him in the drawing-room siting with his family. He inquired respecting Sir Samuel's health, and Sir Samuel com plained of an extreme degree of lassitude and restless ness, especially in the lower extremities, in which he felt frequent and severe muscular pains. No attitude appeared to afford him any rest or comfort. He sat on his chair in a state of aloft painful agitation. Al though he refrained in conversation from describing the anguish of his mind, or giving vent to his feelings, it was obvious from his manner, as well as from every expression which dropped from him, that he de spaired of his recovery, in spite of all the attempts that were made to inspire him with hope and comfort. Various steps, which he did not think it necessary to describe, were recommended, with a view to allay his extreme irritation, but he objected to all of them in succession, ultimately insisting upon being allowed to go to bed, without making any attempt to pro duce relief, on the ground that he felt he must have a wretched life, and that if he were to use any me dical prescription, it would only have the effect of taking away all his confidence in 'the powers of me dicine. When witness saw Sir Samuel next morning, in company with Drs. Babington and Roget, he found his situation considerably altered—his skin, which the night before was dry, was bedewed with moisture. He appeared much quieter as to his bodily agitation, but he was extremely concise in his answers, and said nothing which would have justified a more favour able opinion with regard to the state of his mind. On the contrary, all that was related to witness and Dr. Babington, respecting the patient's state during the night, evinced an increased degree of internal agita tion. From Sir Samuel's apparent tranquillity in the former part of the night, Dr. Roger, who slept in his room, was led to suppose that he had enjoyed a few hours sleep ; but Sir Samuel, upon the inquiry being .made, declared thathe had had no sleep whatever. This was the last interview which witness had had with the deceased. had occurred, we 2hould have the satisfaction of find• ing a further improvement when we had the pleas sure of seeing him again in the evening." Witness then left Sir Samuel, and the consultation took place in another room; but the particulars of that consulta tion; or the measures recommended f.ir the patient, it was not usual to describe on these occasions. Coroner—Do you ':oncur with the account given by Dr. Marcet as to the state of Sir Samuel Ro.. milly's mind. Dr. Babingtt.r.—Flt.in that I !laird and saw, I cannot hesitate to say, that I consider Sir Samuel Romilly to have been deranged at the Lime rite me lancholy event took place which you are engaged in investigating. After a short address from the Coroner, the Jury returned the following verdict—" We are unakihscusly of opinion that the decea.ied cut his throat whi/e in a state of utesaai derangement.' The late Lady Rostltty was, previous to her mar.' riage with Si SAMUEL, one of the Scciety of the people called Quakers. She was sister to Mr. GAL: TON who is at this tine an eminent man+ftcturerof arms at Birmingham, and daughter of the once ce lebrated Miss WilKimert, afterwards Mis. Ga wro "the beautiful Quakeress," who was so much admi red in the:early part of the life of his present Ma JZSTY. During the time the .lury were viewing the body of Sir SAMUEL ROM!n tv, in Russell-square, the presa sure of the people in endeavouring to get in was very gteat. Two Gentlemen had their pockets picked, one of his watch and 18s. and another, :%11- Clark, of Goodge-street, of his poCket-book, containing three 1/. notes, and a Lottery Ticket. Yesterday morning the firemen found the remains of the unfortunate child who perished in the contla• gration, lying.in the remains of a burnt feather bed. The body was conveyed to the undertaker's, where the remains of Mr. Bonner, the father, were also taken. Mrs. Bonner is in a fair way of recovery, although much injured, and in a distracted state at `the lcss of her unfortunate husband and child. Free.—Anothere destructive fire broke cut this morning in Wapping, at the White Swan public. house, by which the whole of these premises and a good deal of valuable property were destroyed. No fives, we are happy to learn, have been destroyed ea this occasion.- About ten o'clock on Monday night, as the Ham p. stead stage-coach was lighting up in front, it sud denly drove away from the Blue Posts, in Tottenham- Court-road, at a furious rate, when it speedily came in contact with a light Ckrt, containing a Mrs. Mac donald and her son about elevzn years old. Owing to the concussion, the cart was turned at once upside down, when two of the passengers fell from the roof, and were so dreadfully hurt that they were carried to the hospital. The unfortunate lad was also so severely bruised, that be expired yesterday at an early hour. At an early hour an Friday morning, as the Fors mouth mail coach was on its way to London, it stop ped as usual at Reabourne, when, in consequence of the coachman alighting from his box and incautiously leaving the horses without some person being at their held, they ran. furiously away. :Three Gentlemen were inside passengers. The horses with the coach ran down a seep precipice, the coach was ovexturnedi and the horses fell and rolled over. One of the Gen. tlemen is since dead of the injuries he received. Saturday se'nnight, a melancholy accident occur red in the brewery of Messrs. Al'Lzon and Co. of Sheriff Brae, Leith: one of the men incautiously de. scended into a vat before the usual means had been taken to clear it from the carbonic acid which is always left after the liquor is drawn off. He was in a moment deprived of his senses, and though speedily got out, the vital spark was extinguished. lie has left a widow and four children totally unprovided for. Yesterday, Sir JOSEPH BANKS was fined in the mi tigated penalty of £lO at Marlborough-street Office, his servant being taken in the act of removing.ashes from the house, contrary to the statute. An appeal was entered against the conviction. There is now in the garden of Mr. &DEN, at Folkestone, a moreila cherry tree which blossomed and bore fruit at the usual period, and has again blossomed and bears five small cherries. A carrot was pulled last week in a Gentleman's garden at 'Newington, near - Edinburgh, which rnea• sured in thickness at the top twelve inches. The &Rowing shew the extraordinary mild ness of our climate this year :—.George Goldie, Bridge of Teeth, by Stirling, planted early potatoes in an open garden on the 31st March, and reaped an abun dant crop upon Satutday the 11th July; and about the end of the same month he planted the same ground with old pOtatues, and he has a second crop better than the first. He weighed the produce of bne stalk on the 29th October, and it was ten ounces: it would have been more, but the second crop was late. CORN-EXCHANGE,MARK-LANE,NOVEMBERC-0-11 28 supply of English Wheat continuing very small, and for which there being a tolerable brisk demand, what appeared from Suffolk this morning, was readily dis• posed of at Monday's prices. Having a good arrival of Barley to-day from Suffolk, and but few buyers, sales were heavy at a decline of 2s. per quarter. Oats fully support Monday's prices, although the supply was rather large from Lincolnshire. In Peas and Beans there is no alteration. Btaaanto.—Yesterday, the Fives Court was filled with arra sows, many of whom had not seen Caper, whose benefit took place upon the occasion, and others were anxious to witness the tactics which he exhibited before the Crowned Heads, the Duke of WZLLINGTON and other distinguished persons, at the late scat of Congress. fortio, who beat Johnson, and Puma, who Se matched against Shelton, sheaved nibeli science and manhood ; but Martin wants practice in judging distance, for he is often short or over. It was upon the whole, an equal mat c h, an d b oth received some " ties up" in the wind.—Turner, the formidable opponent to Randal on the Ist of December, sparred with Harry Harmer. Here was science iu real perfection. Turner bad :o encounter length as well as science but he measur e d well with both hulds.L-Cooper and Bitten : The former had been loudly called for, but his fame would probably have saved him at - y trouble, had not Bitton considered that it was his (Cooper's) benefit, and he set-to conditionally. The Jew professes to have science, but years have spoiled his agility. Cooper made a Goff shew of both science and hitting, but perticularly at the body, with his right hand, which, with the velocity of a cannon-ball, sweep. all before it.—Etars (who last won with Hall), and Rids mond, made a scientific set-to, which gained murb applause.— &mains excited much merrinient with Crotrteu, by his am:- get a hit at a man seven such. s higher.—Bucher dosed the sports in a gallant set-to, and Spring thaw(' sArnce and quickness, but Belcher broke in upon him the best. --Curer challenged all the world for 100 no one fancied him. Coroner—" From the mind of the deceased rest ing perpetually upon the death of his wife—from the heat of which he complained in his head, and the great agitation which you witnessed in him, do you not think such circumstances likely to overset his rea son, and that the consequence must be a brain fever ?" Dr. Marcet—" It is impossible to say what conse quences might follow from such causes. I should have deemed the case extremely alarming if such symptoms had appeared in other men, but relying upon the known firmness of Sir Samuel Romilly 's mind, the idea of such a fatal catastrophe as has oc curred never once entered into my contemplation. Dr. Babington deposed, that he attended yester day, between ten and eleven o'clock, at the house of Sir Samuel Romilly, in consequence of an urgent note from his friend, Dr. Marcet. Previous to his going up stairs to the bed-room of Sir Samuel Ro milly, he had an opportunity of learning from his friends, Drs. Marcet and Roget, all that had occur red antecedently to his arrival. His visit to Sir Sa muel was therefore short. He found Sir Samuel in a situation corresponding exactly with the account which his medical friends had given him. He had, therefore, but few questions to put to Sir Samuel, and these that worthy man answered with the most perfect distinctness, although his manner appeared peculiarly thoughtful and reserved. " I," said the witness, " ex pressed my hopes to the patient, that from the change i , 1 i „ i , . i I • • $ • i • • . . V 1 Oa 1 lr, 4.,.. it ' .. . , ... i I , 1 f 4 .. , k ~ . F. -... hir .t tic .nub ; to ' . • . rrd off mu. b him and 11:41 guineas bit ...