Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-03-24

h.. hired an ananuensis, who, of course. was duly
apprised of the sort of persoa he lad 10 deai WIN;
and after a painfully ludicrous scene, ne attempt
ed to bea, down the mans terms from guinea
and a half week TO hmf.a-Crowa-he engaged
hin; FIR ybrfe pu;aeqs, he said. ana insisted on
his taking his station at the side OF the bed. IN
order that he might take down every worl tha'
wa. inferred. N tod him he was gong to'
dictate romance j won! have required IN
truth. the open of a ready writer to Keep pace
with poor Vi is ultelaaca; Tor ne fd'eu Ul' d
prodsious rate, IN 4 s;ralH. IL heeo na'u'y NC
said, Of uncvnnccted absurd!Hes Rea''N VI was
inconceiyable nonsense, rha'eodica' Faht''es III
the Maturn style, full OF vaults. sepa'c hres'
spectres, devils. maglc-with mere aAa tie'e
thought of real poetry. 1t wa. piteous 10 Peruse
~ His amanuensis found it impossible to keep
up with him, and. therefore. prob ell Gy mint
fran one Of us. and. instead q wr,-,g;. mer ely
moved his pen rapidly over The papef, 'crawing
all sorts of ragged lines and figures 10 resemble
writipu, NJ never ask al him 70 read II
over. nor requested to see It himself od'' alter
about fifty pares were done. dictated il'e-pagc-
pitched on pubiishers-settled toe price and mum
! Der of yolImes--four!-and then exclaimed
ell!--thank God--thdi's offmy mud AZ iAsi
He never mentioned il afterwards; ard las ofother
committed the uoisOie to the flames about week
after.
M-had not, however, vet done with his
amapuensis--but put his services IN requisites! III
quite another capacity--that OF reader. Milton
was the book he selected--and actually they
went through very nearly nine books OF 1t
NJ perpetually interrup;ing him with com,
ments, sometimes saving surprisingly absurh'and
occasionally very fine, lurci0lr things. All THIS
formed ii truly touching Illustration OF that beau
tiful, often quoted sentiment 81 Horace
20 20 ,vrnc' IS, imbus ccns seg''n cd rrm
Tesla .Eu " Ep,st Lib / Up , 90 ~,
As there was no prospect Of MS speedily recov-
erng the use OF his reasoning faculties, he was
removed to private asylum. where attended
him regularly for more IMAM six moaths. lie was
reduced to state of dwelling ldiotcy; complete
fatulty Lameutabie! heart-rending. Oh, how de-
porab!c to sec ID man of superior intelect-"ne
whose services are really wanted IN society-the
prey oil madness.
DIR. johnson was well known to express pc
culiar horror Of insanity. "Oh, God! atiliet
nv body with what fortunes thou wilest, but
snare mn reasoni'' Where is he that does not
Join him in utte,ing such prayer:
1t would be beside my purpose here to enter
into abstract specu'a.Ions OF purely professional
details conc erning INSANITY; but one or two brief
and simple remarks, the fruits of much experience
and consideration. may perhaps be paIdoned me-
Its still rerata q,testio in our profession, "hct-
er the ignorant or The highly cultivated. are most
frequently the subjects of insanity. 1t we are
disposed 10 listen 10 generally shiewd and IN
telisent writer, DR.. Munro, in his "Ph''oso-
pby of Human nature we are to understand,
that children and people of weak minds. are
never subject to madness; for" adds tl:e Doctor
show can he despair, who cannot think =,
Though the logic here is somewhat loose and
eaky, am disposed to agree with the DOCTOR III
the main; and ground my acquiescence, hrst on
the truth of Locks distinction, laid down IN his
great work Tbook ii. c. ii. IL and Is where he
mentions the difference between idiots and
madmen" aud thus states the SUM OF his observa-
tions
I'm short, herein seems to lie the difference
between idiots and madmen, that madmen put
wrong ideas together, and do make wrong propo-
sitions, bat argue and reason ri ht from them;
but idiots make very few or n" propositions anu
reason scarcely at all"
Secondly. on the confederation afforded 10 it
by nv own experience. have generally found
that the persons who are most distinguished for
their powers of thought and reasoning, when OF
sound mind, continue to xevcse that power bat
incorrectly, and be distinguished by their exercise
of that power-when of uns0und mInd-theIr I'M
Outstanding retaining, even after such shock,
and revolution of its faculties, the bent and b.
as impressed upon it beforehand sand have found
further, that it has been chiefly those OF such
character-i C. thinkers-that have fallen into
madness; and that it Is the perpetual stra'"Ips
and taxing of their strong intellects. at the eX-
pense of their bodies, that has brought them into
such a calamity. Suppose, therefore. We say,
liz short, that madness is The fate of strong minds
or, at least Of minds many degrees removed from
weak: and idiotcy of weak, imbeci minds. This
suppositon, however. involves sorry sort ct CON-
piment TO the fair SEX for is notorious that the
annual majority of those received into the luna
tic asyiums. are females! have found lmaglna,
tive, fancitul people, the most liable to attacks OF
insanity; and have had under my care four such
instances, or at least very nearly resembling the
one am now relating, in which insanity has en-.
sued from sudden fright And 1t is easily account
edfor The imagination--he predominant faculty
lis Immediately appealed to-and eminent'y
lively and tenacious OF impressions. cxerts It's 81
perior and more practised powers. at the expense
of the judgement reason. which 1t trahpleS