The Press.
London, England, 1854-09-09 00:00:00

SEPTEMBER

No bodily anguish or physical debility could diminish
his habitual kindness and consideration for others. He
would often at this time, though so weak that he could
scarcely stand without support rise from his seat to place
the cover over his sister's harp when her playing was at an
en 1. Numerous other illustrations of the same tender re
gaud for those around him might be cited in this place.
He knew that his end was rapidly approaching, and,
although the great chaage which was fast coming upon
biro was never absent from his own mind, he seemed un-
willing to do or to suffer anything that would bring the sad
truth painfully to the minds of others. He wished, there-
fore, that everything should go ou in his household as
though his place were not soon to be empty. As a proof
of this, it may be mentioned that he directed numerous
large cases of books to be unpacked, and had bookshelves
run up to the very attic windows, as though he had years
of life before him. He would converse cheerfully ou all
passing topics, public and private; and his keen sense of
b Amour was unclouded to the last.
He seldom or never spoke of his sufferings, and when
others alluded to them he would generally say something
about the many blessings he had enjoyed. " Thank you,
he would reply, in acknowledgment of such expressions of
sympathy ; but I have much to be thankful for. Hitherto,
up to this event, I have enjoyed the blessings of unin-
terrupted health." The strongest expression with refer-
ence to his sad state which he was known to utter was upon
one occasion when some one said to him, " 1 hope your
lordship has enjoyed your drive ; " and he answered sadly,
" Enjoyment is now no word fur me."
But it is right to know that he had a support
from on high to sustain him. He derived his
moral fortitude from the only source that can
assuage the agonies to which flesh is heir:—
This child of seven years read God's blessed word to the
dying statesman, and he received the glad tidings of salva-
tion as a little child. He was a man naturally of a
reserved disposition. He was not wont to talk much of
things that lay very near to his heart. And he was pre-
eminently of a nature so sincere and honest that he
shrunk from anything that might appear like an ostenta-
tion of religious feeling, the reality of which, in his self-
questioning humility, he might have sometimes permitted
himself to doubt. Of his habitual reverence and his
gratitude to the giver of all good gifts incidental proof has
already been afforded. He lived in a continual state of
thankfulness, which even the agonies of his latter days
could not quench or diminish. But it is not thus that the
faith of Charles Metcalfe is to be described He had an
abiding sense of the efficacy of the atonement. He rested
all his hopes on the blood of the Lamb. They who were
most about his person during the closing scenes of his
life saw his spirit depart without a doubt of his acceptance.
The power of searching the Scriptures for himself had
long been denied to him. But sisterly affection bad
supplied the want which his failing organs of sight had
entailed upon him ; and every day it had been Mrs.
Smythe's privilege to read to him those passages of the
Gospel which contain the blessed assurance of forgive-
ness through Christ. He listened to them hopefully ;
assented reverently to their truth ; and in the midst of
all his great trials derived from them unspeakable consola-
tion.

In presence of such a character, dying as a
Christian, we feel that words are cold ; and
even the epitaph written by Mr. Macaulay
records with tameness as we think the per-
sonal trials so sweetly undergone by the Chris-
tian statesman. It is the only specimen of
Mr. Macaulay's lapidary style with which we
are acquainted, and we therefore extract it:—

NEAR THIS STONE IS LAID
CHARLES THEOPHILtrs, tirAL and last LORD METCALFE,
a statesman tried in many high posts and difficult
conjunctures,
and found equal to all.
The three greatest dependencies of the British Crown
were successively entrusted to his care.
In India his fortitude, his wisdom, his probity, and his

moderation
are held in honourable remembrance
by men of many races, languages, and religions.
In Jamaica, still convulsed by a social revolution,
he calmed the evil passions
which long suffering had engendered in one class
and long domination in another.
In Canada, not yet recovered from the calamities of civil war,
he reconciled contending factions
to each other and to the mother country.
Public esteem was the just reward of his public virtne,.
but those only who enjoyed the privilege of his frietdship
could appreciate the whole worth of his gentle and
noble nature.
Costly monuments in Asiatic and American cities
attest the gratitude of nations which he ruled ;
This tablet records the sorrow and the pride
with which his memory is cherished by private affection.
He was born the 31/th day of January, 1755.
He died the sth day of September, 1840.

The Life and Adrenturet of a Clever Woman. sit down to it! To be sure, the dear delightful man has ---
upon this sofa the lady of the house was deposited.
no more voice than a raven, and no nursery rhymes that
By Mrs. Trollope. London : Hurst and
ever were composed could equal the silliness of his (Roi- " You will remain within call," said the lady's husband to
Blackett. Jima), ) extempore couplets. But what matters it? if his servant. Whereupon the man left the room, and the
ied air were left alone.
THE title of this work might suggest to some people are resolved to be delighted they will be delighted— marr p
nothing can prevent it. I wish I could remember an entire
persons that Mrs. Trollope had written herln the recent dearth of readable fictions
leastsong, but I cannot. A conpletbr .00r two, however, I may at
own memoirs but, though our readers would
doubtless like to know the "adventures" of a save from immediate o tvi n— this novel may be recommended to those who
like being amused without being fastidious in
very " clever woman" like the humorous and "Mrs. Browning in her shawl,
Which she wears at every ban their taste or exorbitant in requiring origin-
sarcastic authoress, we have to announce that (Thunders of applause 1) silty of mind.
•

Letteentian Lectures on Insanity. By Forbes
Winslow, M.D. London : Churchill.
THE subject of insanity is one of great import-
ance to all civilised communities, and in the
three lectures contained in this volume
(delivered before the Medical Society by Dr.
Winslow in his year of election as Lettsomian
Professor) the author has given us, though in
a mere outline, new and original observations
upon its development and treatment As the
lectures are distinguished by clear exposition
of principles, thorough practical knowledge of
details, extensive experience, a wide range of
illustration, and vigorous argumentation, it
may be received not only as an excellent con-
tribution to medical science, but to our
general literature.
In the first lecture, upon the " Psychological
Education of the Physician," Dr. Winslow
insists upon the necessity of a profound know-
ledge of mental philosophy to the physician
generally, and especially to those occupied in
the treatment of mental alienation:—
The physician is daily called upon, in the exercise of his
profession,to witness the powerful effect of mental emotion
upon the material fabric. He recognises the fact, although
he may be unable to explain its rationale. He perceives
that moral causes induce disease, destroy life, retard re-
covery, and often interfere with the most potent remedial
means exhibited for the alleviation and cure of bodily
disease and suffering. Although such influences are ad-
mitted to play an important part either for good or for evil, I
do not conceive that, as physicians, we have sufficient
appreciation of their great importance.
How is it possible for us to influence the minds of ~thers
if we have no accurate knowledge of the constitution and
operation of our own understandings? As well might the
physician administer for the relief of an acute malady a
material agent of whose properties and modes operandi he
is avowedly ignorant.
To the physician occupied in the ini-
vestigation of deranged conditions of mind j
some knowledge of mental philosophy is
indispensable. And yet, hitherto, with few
exceptions, the case of the insane has been
given over to men not only grossly ignorant of
the constitution of the mind, but unacquainted
with the first principles of medical science :
It is only in recent times (remarks Dr. Winslow) that
it has been considered necessary to ascertain whether
Parties desiring to undertake the case and treatment of the
insane have any other qualification to recommend them to
the office than the possession of a house of certain dimen-
sions and a sufficient amount of capital to enable them to
carry into effect the mere commercial speculation.
This reasoning carries conviction with it,
for it is obvious that men who are to under-
take the care and cure of mental diseases
should be well acquainted with the nature of
the organ they have to treat.
In the second lecture, upon the " Medical
Treatment of Insanity," Dr. Winslow supports
the theory that " all insanity whatever is the
" consequence of organic disease of the brain,
" either palpable or concealed," and rejects
the spiritual theory, which attributes such
an affliction to Divine wrath or malignant
influence or some such analogous views :
Considering the subject practically (remarks Dr. Wins-
low), let us for a moment ask ourselves the question, what
have been the consequences of the general belief in the
spiritual and functional character of this disease? The
lamentable effect has undoubtedly been to discourage and
discountenance the use of remedial measures ; and the
effect upon the public mind has, alas! been to create the
false impn.ssion that mental affections were not curable
maladies, and that it was not in the power of the phy-
sician by means of medicine to administer to their relief.
The error of treatment hitherto has been a
vain effort to discover one uniform method of
management or specific mode of procedure,
adapted to all eases. But of the general
curability of insanity, except in cases of severe
injury to the head, or hereditary diathesis,
Dr. Winslow asserts " that, if brought within
" the sphere of medical treatment in the earlier
" stages, insanity is as easily curable, as any
" other form of bodily disease for the treat-
" ment of which we apply the resources of our
" art."
While insisting on the importance of medical
treatment, Dr. Winslow hints that the
atrocities of the greatest monsters in the
world's history may be probably referred to
cerebral derangement :
We do not possess data to enable us to judge satisfac-
torily of the mental or physical state of a Nero, a Caligula,
or a Tiberius, who, as Tacitus informs us, was designated
by his tutor, at the age of twenty, as " a compound of mud
and blood ;" but it. is not charitable to suppose they were
physically and morally diseased, and of unsound mind, the
insanity manifesting itself in conduct, and not in ideas.
Again, can we advance anything, as psychologists, in pal-