Class III. 1.2.4. OF VOLITION. 3 1 3 



tus Antoninus. The maniacal idea is faid in fome lovers to 

 have been weakened by the action of other very energetic ideas ^ 

 ilich as have been occafioned by the death of his favourite child, 

 or by the burning of his houfe, or by his being fhipwrecked. In 

 thofe cafes the violence of the new idea for a while expends fo 

 much fenforial power as to prevent the exertion of the mania- 

 cal one ; and new catenations fucceed. On this theory the lov= 

 er's leap, fo celebrated by poets, might effect a cure, if the pa- 

 tient efcaped with life. 



The third ftage of this difeafe I fuppofe is irremediable ; when 

 a lover has previouily been much encouraged, and at length 

 meets with neglect or difdain 5 the maniacal idea is fo painful 

 as not to be for a moment relievable by the exertions of reverie, 

 but is inftantly followed by furious or melancholy infanity 5 and 

 fuicide, or revenge, have frequently been the confequence. As 

 was lately exemplified in Mr. Hack man, who ihot Mifs Ray in 

 the lobby of the playhoufe. So the poet defcribes the paflion 

 of Dido, 



— ; — »m Moriamur inultse ? — 



At moriamur, ait, — fie, fie, juvat ire fub umbras ! 



The ftory of Medsea feems to have been contrived by Ovid, 

 who was a good judge of the fubje£t, to reprefent the favage 

 madnefs occafioned by ill-requited love. Thus the poet, 



Earth has no rage like love to hatred turn'd, 

 Nor Hell a fury like a woman fcorn'd, 



Dryden. 



Hence it appears that though fentimental love does not fo 

 Frequently arife fnontaneoufly in female bofoms, yet that it is 

 liable to become as violent, when it has been excited by the 

 court (hip of the other fex, and though, when it is rejected, after 

 courtlhip has produced it:, it is not always fucceeded by fuch vi- 

 olent effects as thofe above mentioned s which may be afcribed 

 to the greater modeftv and referve of their education ; yet the 

 difappointed paflion is liable to prey upon their minds even to 

 the hazard of their lives, of which I have witneffed two inftan- 

 ces, in both which the effects approached to that occafioned by 

 great grief, See Moc-ror, Oafs III. 1.2. 10. 



One of thefe ladies, about 30 years of age, was delertedby an 

 Iriih gentleman, who was foon to have manried her ; the was 

 ieized fuddenly with a ftupor, which by thofe, who were not 

 acquainted with the caufe, was miitaken for a kind of apoplexy $• 

 (he gradually recovered fo as to apply to her ufual habits of life, 



Vol. II. R r and 



