The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-08-02

como to such ability of utterance by speak
| ing at the time of night which was nearest
to that in which he used to speak in his
sleep. First, he began, as soon as ho was
out of his first sleep, to speak some dis
course concerning physic, and found in
himself such ripeness Of invention, and so
perfect and ready delivery, that he was
astonished at himself, and practised this
fashion of speaking after midnight some
four or five times, in physic; which, when
he found to make so great an alteration of
his speech, and ability to discourse, he ro-
solved to try if the same effect would fol-
low if divinity were the chosen subject, as
no had ever tho strongest desire for that
branch Of learning. Sc he took text, and
prepared himself to preach from it three
or four days before he put it in practice;
and, when sufficiently prepared, would sit
up in bed, after his first sleep, and deliver
what appeared to him a very excellent ser
mon. This course was pursued by Hay
dock several times without the least inten-
ton of being overheard; but by chance
one night some one lying in the chamber
next to his own was awake, and heard all
he said. 1t was accordingly reported over
the college the morning after that Mr..
Haydock had preached very loarnedly in
his sleep. Haydock was weak or wicked
enough to humor the deception, and had
practised it for about year and a half
every other night-preaohing in Latin in
Oxford and in English in the country.
Haydock's petition to the king for for
giveness is still preserved amongst the
state papers, and is a curious testimony to
the vanity and weakness of the man. 1t
is much too long to reproduce here, SO
very few extracts must suffice us:
He says:-I do here, in the naked SIM
plicity Of a most thankful and penitent
soul, ingsniously confess and acknowledge
that this use of my nocturnal discourse,
seeming to DO deep and sound sleep,
when indeed was waking, and had more
perfect sense of that conceived and spake
that when by day attempted the same,
was from the beginning voluntary thing,
done with knowledge, upon discovery in |
myself of greater ability, and freedom
of memory, invention, and speech, in that
mild, quiet, and silent repose of the night
than in the daytime l found" And
again he says:-"When company approach
ed, we'll perceived, though, indeed, no
ordinary voice could interrupt my strong
nor the glmmering light
of the candle held at mine eyes, which l
always kept Shut even in the dark, and
could never mediate to purpose when
they were open" Haydock adds that he
never had any sinister plot. purpose, or
drift to the disturbance of the peaceable
estate, Church, or Commonwealth and
that he had not offended maliciously, but
Of human infirmity.
King James was too well satisfied with
what he was pleased to consider his own
lcuteness in unmasking the deception, to
bear malice against the author of it, and
readily pardoned tho offender. We have
little more to chronicle concerning him.
1t is needless to say that lIaydock discon-
tinued the practices which made him so
notorious. lie withdrew once more to
Salisbury, and achieved reputation there
Is very able physician. He afterwards
came to London, died, and was buried
here, shortly before the outbreak of tho
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