The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-09-29

ing towards the door. His first movement
was 10 look up at the heavens, and % cry
out in ecstacy, How beautifully During
the whole day he never ceased running up
and down the stairs, always exclaiming,
How beautiful! how delightful In the
evening he returned of bis own accord to
his cell, slept TRANQUILITY on good bed
which had been provided for him in the
meantime, and during the following two
years which he spent al the BicetTe, ne
never again had violent fit; he even made
himself useful, exercising certain suthori-
ty over the other lunatics, governing them
after his fashion, and establishing himself as
kind Of superintendent.
His neighbor in captivity was not less wor-
thy Of pity. He was an old French officer,
who had been in chains for the past thirty
years, having been afflicted with one OF those
terrible religious monomanias Of which VIC
even nova days see such frequent exam
pies. OF weak understanding and lively
imagination, he conceived himself destined
by God for the baptism OF blood-that is to
say, to kill his fellow-creatures, in order to
save them from hell, and TO send them
straight to heaven, there to enjoy the fellci-
ty of the blessed This horrible idea was
the cause of his committing a frightful
crime. He commenced his homicidal mis-
sion by plunging a dagger into the heart Of
his own child. He was declared insane,
confined for life in the Bicetre, and had
been afflicted for years with this revolving
madness. Calmness at length returned,
but without reason; he sat on a stone silent
and immovable, resembling an emaciated
spectre Of remofse. His limbs were still
loaded with the same irons as when first he
was confined, but which he had no longer
strength to lift. They were left on him as
much from habit as from the remembrance
OF his crime. His case was hopeless. DR..
Pinel had him carried TO bed in the mfr.
mary; his legs, however, were so stiff and
contracted, that all attempts to bend them
failed. In this state he lived few months
longer and then died, without being aware
Of his release
The third presented strange contrast.
He was a man in the prime Of life, with
sparkling eyes; his bearing naughty, and
gestures dramatic. In his youth he had
been literary character. He was gentle,
witty, and had brilliant Imagination. He
composed romsnces, full Of love, expressed
in impassioned language. He wrote IN
ceasingly; and in order to devote himself
with greater ardor to his favorite compost
tons, he ended by locking himself up in
his room, often passing the day without
food, and the night without sleep. To CON-
lplete all, sn unfortunate passion added to
his excitement; he fell in love with the
daughter Of one Of his neighbors. She, how.
ever, soon grew tired of the poor author
was inconstant to him, and did not even al
low him the consolation OF a doubt. Dur
ing whole year the anguish Of the poo
dreamer was the more bitter from conceal
nnent. At length, one day he saw the alb
surdity of his despair, and passing from ont
extreme to the other, gave himself up Il
every kind Of excess. His reason fed, anC
taken to the Bicetre in a raging fit, he re-
NAMED confined for twelve years in III,
( dark cell where Pine found him fling
ing about his chains with violence
This mailman was more turbulent thar
dangerous, and, incapable OF understanding
the good intended TO him, it was necessary
to employ force to loosen his irons. Once
he felt himself at liberty, he commenced
running round and round the COURTYARD
until his breath failing, he fell down quit,
exhausted. This excitement continued 70
some weeks, but unaccompanied by VIC
ience, as formerly. The kindness shown
to him by The doctor, and the especial in
terest he took in this invalid. soon restored
him to reason. Unfortunately he was per
mltted to leave the asylum and return t.
the world, then in such state Of agitation
he joined the political factions Of the day
with all the vehemence Of his passions
and was beheaded on the Sth Thermidor.
| Pinel entered the fourth CELL Ii wa.
that Of Chevinge, whose Liberation was one
OF the most memorable events of that day.
Chevinge had been soldier Of the French
Guard, and had only one fault-that Of
drunkenness. But once the wine mounted
into his head, he grew quarrelsome, VIC
lent, and most dangerous, from his prod
gious strength. Frequent excuses caused
his dismissal from his corps, and he soor
sluandered his scanty resources. At length
shame and misery plunged him in despair
and his mind became affected. He imagined
that he had become general, and fought
all who did not acknowledge his rank. II
was at the termination Of a mad scene Of
this kind that he was brought to the Bicetre
in state Of fury. He had been chained
for ten years, and with stronger letters than
his companions, for he had often succeeded
in breaking his chains by the mere force Of
his hands. Once, in particular, when BY
this means he had obtained few moments
liberty, he deied all the keepers together to
force him to return to his cell. and only did
so after compelling them to pass under his
Uplilted leg. This inconceivable act Of
proves he performed on the eight men who
were trying to master him. From hence
forth his strength became a proverb ar the
Bicetre. BY repeatedly visiting him, Pinel
discovered that good dispositions lay hidden
beneath violence Of character, constantly
kept excited by cruel treatment. On one
occasion he promised to ameIiorate his con.
dition, and this promise alone had greatly
tranquilised him. Pnel now ventursd "a
announce TO him; that he should no longer
| be forced 10 wear his chains And %