Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-12-03
The Lunatic.

/ ing consciousness of the fallibility of human
| Judgment than the cautious and deliberate
! procedure required in ascertainng mental dis
ease, and surendering supposed lunatic to
the custody of his kindred A remarkable in
stance OF this kind fell under my own observa
ton. was on my way to visit an uncle resi-
dent on the coast of Cornwall, and believed my
self very near my journeys end, when the stage
coach driver admitted stranger to fill q seat
which had been vacated. The other three pas
| sengers were busily engaged in a discussion on
lawful and unlawful dues, and referring occa-
sionally to pamphlet printed in 1852, on oc
easion OF the battle awarded in the preceding
year IN the court of chivalry, on an appeal Of
treason by Lord Rea against Mr.. Ramsey.
Then followed an attempt to trace the writ of
| appeal and wager of battle from the practice of
Turkey, and its prevalence in England till the
third year of Henry VII. But our new com
panion, whose dress was very little superior to
disbanded seaman, suddenly joined the con-
/ versation.
| Gentlemen" he began, in stern voice,
modern philosophers never read, therefore
they are always making discoveries. Did Black
stone see any barbarity in this mode of satisfy
ing justice or did the archbishop Of Toledo dis
dain to witness such combat in the most re-
| hgious court of Europe n
This remarkable combination of authorities
made one of the party SMILE though his pro-
tessional petulance was stirred by the implied
comparison between our English oracle and an
old Spanish bigot. To waive any further dis
putes on the wisdom or antiquity Of trial by
single combat, he began to describe the dresses
worn on such occasions in our third Henry's
days.
SIR interposed our legislator in blue
jacket, the pike, dagger, long sword, and short
sword, which you speak of were appointed only
for Rea and Ramsay. In Henry's time, such
combatants fought with weapons of small length,
with heads, hands, and feet bare; or with ebon
slaves or batons, having hard sand bags fast
ened at the ends. And each might have four
cornered shield without any iron, and frock
OF red cloth reaching to the elbow and knee.
But the appellants head was ever covered, and
| the defendants rdyed or shaven thus
As he spoke, the describer suddenly raised
his hat, and discovered head of most extraor-
binary character. 1t reminded us of those fine
busts found among the ruins caused by vol.
cano, seorched and bruised, but not deprived
of their noble symmetry and expression. His
skin was darkened as if burning lava had pass
ed over it, except on the upper part of his head,
which appeared to have been lately shaven and
was now bordered by fringe of the same crisp
black hair which formed the thick curl of his
/ IL.
and Beccaria were wholly forgotten while we
looked on this formidable countenance, and OBJ
served that it's possessor had also strong staff,
not unlike the baton of the champions he had
been describing. Not another wordwas hazard
ed; and, when the mailcoach stopped, mount
ed the horse provided for me with great readi-
ness, to escape from the sight Of our unknown
companion. l shall be pardoned, ! believe, if
confess that, during my ride through the soil
tary lane which led to my uncle's old manor
house, ! cast several suspicious chances at the
shadows which few shaggy elms threw over
my path. The first kind salutations of hos
pitable relative were hardly finished, when his
porter came to announce stranger who de-
sired instant admission on the most urgent
| business. 1t was late, the manor-house was
lonely, and situated near a coast noted for des-
perate pirates and contraband adventures.
But my good old uncle, who held that office,
the like of which,, as has been merrily said,
| is known to no other land" was too proud Of
his authority, and too conscious that he held it
with pure hands, to entertain any fears. Yet
he allowed me to accompany him to what he
called his justice-room, where, with much sur
prise, and some apprehension, saw the dark
man. He looked at me first as if recognising
my features and endeavering to examine their
import; then addressing my uncle with more
courtesy than his rude apparel promised, he re-
quested private audience. A glance of intel
ligence which we had time to exchange, in
duced my old kinsman to support me, when
mysteriously closing the door, and advancing
so near as to make me regret that my travel.
ing pistols were out of my reach, he announced.
in low and singularly solemn tone, that he
came to lay capital charge against two sea.
men of his Majestys ship, the .
"Of felony or murder 2" said my uncle, and
| prepared pen and paper to fulfil my assumed
Office Of his clerk.
"Of completing one, and conspiring to COM
NIT the other" replied the informer in the
same low tone, with mixed expression of fear
and horror in his countenance.
Thejustice required him to relate particulars,
and they seemed distinctly told.
| lie stated that the boatswain, and another
person belonging to an English ship of war,
had conveyed him in their boat, after dining
with their captain and his officers, to an OBJ
scure cove on the coast, near Naples, where he
had been imprisoned several days, and at last
released-or, to speak more properly, aban-
doned-without money, and almost without
clothes, on desolate spot, from whence he was
conveyed, in delirious fever, by his valet.
This last particular deserved inquiry. How
did his valet discover his masters situation,
and what induced him to visit a part of the Nea.
politan coast so desolate and undistinguished
in search of him.
| Our informer answered, that the man him
self might be questioned on that subject.
To my remark that only the fact of robbery
could be substantiated, as murder did not APP
pear to have been designed, he replied
Both were committed, but not within the
letter Of our laws"
Being urged to explain this ambiguous sen.
tence, he remained several minutes in a silence
which implied such deep and melancholy recol.
lection, that neither our curiosity nor our sus.
picions embroidered us to interrupt it. NV
honest uncle spoke first.
"Child," he said, laying his hand on the
young mans shoulder with kindness which
almost always created the confidence il ex.
pressed, "there is something in this business
more than you have communicated, or less
than you imagine. If these men proposed an
outrage against your life, why did they leave
fhn runr ,,.xE. III.