Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-08-04
A TALE OF HIGH LIFE
Truth Stranger than Fiction!

. IL
A TALE OF HIGH LIFE
Truth Stranger than Fiction!
PART l.
From tie Somerset County England Gazette July 10
For some three years past lady. rather
above middle age, of somewhat portlv figure
and handsome countenance. has occupied
apartments i'm the quiet. comfortable and
pleasant establishment in Taunton known as
Clarke's Hotel. Her appearance, manners
aud habits. so far as the latter were known,
did not cause her to he particularly noticed
as she walked in public; for she was much
like ordinary ladies-plainly and becomingly
dressed, conducted herself with propriety. re-
marked objects that were likely to attract at
tention, and passed without notice those that
were not so. She sometimes did a little
shopping" as ladies generally are fond of
doing, and when she asked for any particular
article she did so in ordinary terms, and
syvPrnd questions in a tional manner, though
at times, perhaps. with haughtiness. In her
country walks she was occasionally accom-
panied by female friend, though generally
in these her only companion was little dog,
for which she always showed great fondness.
Sometimes also she has been seen at public
entertainments though but seldom--and
there her attire been similarly becoming
to that IN which she was met in her walks in
town or country. Ina place like Taunton, a
person of any note does not long reside before
he or she becomes known to many of the in
habitants; and soon after the arrival of the
lady we have been describing she was gene
rally known to be Lady Bulwer Lytton, wife
of the eminent novelist. who now holds the
distinguished position of Colonial Secretary
iii her Majrsty's government.
Persons who are in a state of madness give
indications of their misfortune, both at home
and abroad. They
bend their eyes on vacancy,
And with the incOrporeal air do hold discourse;
their words are loose
As heaps of sand, and scattering wide from
But Lady Lytton, during the three years she
has been in Taunton, never did aught that we
are aware of, (and we have taken pains to as
certain the TRUTH to cause in any one with
whom she had communication the slightest
suspicion that in her case reason had been de-
throned. or that her brain was in any degree
affected with lunacy. Yet this lady has been
taken from the quiet retreat she had chosen
in this fair town of Somerset-perhaps we
might say to which she was driven-and car
ricd to one of those miserable abOdes of the
most hapless of human bcings-.'a mad
house,
The circumstances under which Taunton
has lost one of its inhabitants are so extraor-
binary and so shocking that. as may he sup
posed they have greatly excited the minds of
the people generally. Upon those persons
who were on terms of intimacy with Lady
Lytton (thCy were only few. for she evinced
little inclination to mix in society, and it was
pretty well known that her pecuniary means
were too limited TO allow of her doing SOL
upon her personal friends the first mention of
the fact fell ike IA clap of thunder when the
skies give no sign of an approaching storm.
They could not credit such strange Informal
ton; but when convinced of its veracty their
exclamation has been, Good Heavens Lady
Lytton in IA madhOuse? For what? Who can
have sent her there? She is no more mad
than | am, or any one else" Aud those who
have merely seen her, as she passed them i'll
the streets or oth,r public highways, have
been hardly less startled by the intelligence.
THERE'S on all hands firm belief that this UNI
tort"n"t" lad ~" -~s~ ,'"f""t"---'s -. ILL
sion only to her present lamentable position.
and without reference TO circumstances which
have given both to herself and her husband "a
sad and unenviable notoriety-there is. we
say, firm belief that Lady Lytton is the sub
Ject of Il horrible and appalling injustice and
wrong; that, while perfectly sane, she has
been shut up in a lunatic asylum merely in
order that a woman who has no doubt. been
a constant cause of annoyance to her h sband.
may be prevented forever from giving him
IL.
In ascribing to her the charact r we have Civ
en-, we desire to avoid the Indication of any
opinion as to her conduct towards Sir Edward,
or as to his general treatment of her. We
only state taCt-that people among whom
she has resided during period of three years.
to many of whom she is well and intimately
known, and most OF whom have had frequent
opportunities of seeing her, believe that.
though sent to an asylum for lunatics, her in-
IL
she has been made for some reason or other,
the victim OF an ah ocity which hundred
years ago might have excited no great atten-
ton beyond the circle of the doomed ones
own relatives. but which cannot be overlooked
in the present age without danger to that
liberty of the subject" which has since been
achieved for, and which is the highest boast
and most glorious privilege of, the people of
this country.
In giving to Lady Lytton the character we
have ascribed, and in stating what is the gen.
eral opinion of her in this town, we by no
means wish to have it supposed that we re-
gard her as one of the most amiable and plea
SAINT of women. Her latter literary works
for none of which can be claimed any con-
siderable praise) seem to have been uud rtak-
en in a great measure for the purpose Of
publishing 10 the world her own suiieringS
and of exposing what she conceived To be the
lOul tfcdtncuJ sue received from one VINO !
vowed at the altar to Glove and cherish her:
aud in more than one Instance her writings
evince unkind and uncharitable feelings tow
ards very e>tmable and excellent persons. We
allude to one of her latest pro-
auctions, entitled VERY Successful, - in which
a lady of this town, who is only known to be
resp cted and esteemed, is b Id up to most
undes rived ridicule, Tor no other reason than
that she did not desire to cultivate her lady
ships acquaintance, having probably from the
nature of her daily engagem .nts little time
To give to the maintenance of friendships be-
yond the circle of associates whom she had
already gathered around her. Aud we happen
to now that in several cases her ladyship |
has manifested much haughtiness to persons
who have had occasion TO come in contact |
with her. But such things as these. however
much To be deprecated in all persons. certain
" cannot be regarded as evidences of de-
ranged brain; for If unkind and offensive
personalities in print were so considered. few |
writers would he safe from incarceration in a |
lunatic asylum; and if haughtineSs were held |
to be n proof of lunacy, who is there that
should give the necessary certificate and /
who become "warders!' Displays of i'll temp !
er and malignity-of pride and arrogance
are never very reasonable; they are. in truth, |
verv ridiculous; sLll there is much Yet TO be
learned IL they are 10 be held a. indications
OF madness. We make these remarks To show
that. while under an impression--we will say |
a canviction-that Ia Lady Lyttons transfer
Ia a lunatic asylumn she has been made the |
victim of u shocking outrage and crime; we
are not unacquainted with nor insensible to
her weaknesses aud defects. And we may
here state that our object in alludinp tn her