Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-06-01
rouehing Instance Of n Literateur's In
N'iN sanity.

she had been rescued from his alliance.
Touchins Instance Of a Literateur's In
i'.'' sanity. ~.
We are inclined to think that the most
touching incident of insanity in literary men
is that Of Alexander Cruden. The bearer Of |
this well known name was the son OF an |
Aberdeen magistrate, and was born In lIVl |
he took his degree Of N. A. when he was |
nineteen wears of age; and was preparing Tor
the ministry when he fell passionately ~
love with the daughter OF Kirk minister 9.
Aberdeen. The affection was not returned;
The voune and ardent lover went mad, and
hs yvaa nlsced ia confinement. There calm
came occasionally over his disturbed spirit ct
each return it tarried longer than before: In
his lncId intervals young Cruden turned 10
study, and therein he did not forget, but he
found some compensation for the indiner-
snce ofthe fair girl, whose heart was oil gwen
to guilty love.
In q wear ortwo Alexander was released,
came up to London, gave private iessons,
went to the Isle of Man, was restless tor
4 while, but subsequently returned TO the
| caYital. where he found employment as a cor.
| rertor Of the press His talents, industry and
| integrity procured for him friends OF such
| auaiity that, in l735, he was appointed libra
| fian TO Caroline, wife Of George the Second.
| II was then that he addressed himlelf 70
the completion Of that great work WIN WIN
which his name is still connected "Crudens
Concordance'--in which he did alone, what
Ave hundred years before, Hugo de 81: Marc
| with FIVE hundred monks TO help him had at
tempted in vain.
n must have been proud moment when,
in 1871. Cruden presented the first copy OF
this volume to the Queen, who promised MN
some noble recompense. But Caroline died
ere 1t was rewarded, and Cruden, who hao
1 = II L n On
venture, stricken with terror and disappoint-
ment, again made shipwreck of his reason,
and was conveyed 10 an asylum in Bethnal
Green. In course of time he issued thence
in better but not In perfect state of health
and mind. He published wild pamphlets,
and entered actions which he would ielgn
conduct himself, against those who recently
had him under theircare but gradually ne set-
tied down again-a corrector OF the press,
remarkable for his profound scholarship, MS
unbroken taciturnity, and his unrelieyeo
A singular accident then occurred to him;
he accot1panied friend to house in the
city, the door Of which was accidentally
opened by the early and sole idol OF his heart
Cruden sprang back trembling from head tc
foot; and, leaning on his friend for support
exclaimed AZ he pointed to her, ut is she i
is she |" and then gazing at her added, "And
the same black eyes the same black eyes !
Tho gloom Of the noble lover and profound
scholar settled round him thicker and more
oppressively than ever, till 1853, when he
was again under restraint When he was
once more restored, he suggested to his reia-
tiyes that, as some compensation for what he
had endured, they should among them suffer
as nnct loss Of liberty, in various prisons TO
be chosen by themselves, as he had been
deprived of, unjusly, as he thought, during
his confinement.
His after life has strange mixture Of tht
wild and the sensible. He would work vel
half the night through at correcting proofs O.
the classics, completed new edition OF ms
Concordance" in l776-whicn the klng re-
warded by a present Of f100-and proclaim
ing himself public corrector of morals, de-
uanded to be 30 recognized by an Order IL
Council. and there with to have conferred
| upon him the honor of knighthoodl Ht
wrote and lectured in Latin and English on
, this subject, and iu various parts OF tn'
country. ..,,.
) AS he vent he scrupulously tore from thu
. walls all bills which seemed to him TO be Dan
o gerous to morals and with sponge, ,whicl
y he always carried for that purpose, he et
s faced all inscriptions which he thought unbe
q coming in a pure and Christian land. AS b
h grew older his reason became more dis
8 turbed, and perhaps II was some resemblanc
. to his Aberdeen idol which induced him :
It pay such court to a baronet's daughter as ;
compel the father to take the young lady Oh
foreign travel.
e Poor Cruden Immediately printed copies Q
d PRAYERS, to be publicly used for her safe re
n turn; and when this did occur, the simpl
e swain harmlessly employed himself in cir
o culating printed thanksgivings for that happ,
g event. Soon after this he died-with an al
! fecting touch of madness in the manner
,, his death.-Atheneun,