210 THE MONOMONIAC. 



" No, no," cried his agitated wife, " you are as sane as any here." 



"- Then the divine essence is still in my brain. Sing to the Lord a 

 new made song !'' joyfully shouted Hill, and clapping his hands 

 exultingly together, he sunk back in a swoon. We were not grieved 

 at this temporary suspension of his faculties, as it prevented the 

 excess of happiness from becoming dangerous. The entertainments, 

 as may be supposed, were terminated without the principal per- 

 formers, and Hill was conveyed home to bed before means were 

 taken for his recovery ; proper restoratives were then used, and, on 

 his again coming to himself, congratulations were poured in on all 

 sides ; his late illusions laughed at ; and the vagaries of fancy, with 

 its submission to the magnet of deception, duly discussed, until our 

 patient was fairly ashamed to think himself otherwise than perfectly 

 sane, aud joined in the laugh against his own folly. He was then 

 bled ; a cooling draught administered, and we left him to repose. 



The next morning I accepted the invitation of a friend to visit his 

 shooting-box some miles distant from where I resided, and remained 

 absent for several weeks. On my return I instantly repaired to the 

 house of Mr. Hill, to learn how he was going on, being anxious 

 about the decided success of my scheme. I found him in his library 

 reading a volume of Shak spear e, open at the tragedy of Lear, He 

 knew me immediately, and, shaking hands very heartily, desired I 

 would be seated. 



" Here I am, you see, my dear sir," he said, " as happy as a king, 

 and in the full enjoyment of my reason." 



" I am delighted to hear it," I replied ; " You are, then, perfectly 

 cured ?" 



" O yes; I went to the madhouse on the day you quitted us, and 

 found myself raving at my absense ; but I soon brought myself to my 

 senses, I assure you, for I beat my shoulders till they were black and 

 blue, and called myself all the names I could lay my tongue to for 

 my stupidity. This produced the desired effect, and I came home 

 quietly, without giving way to any more tantrums." 



" And now?" I said, dreading the next sentence- 



" And now I am as you see me ; I am certainly obliged to keep 

 myself a little in subjection for fear of a relapse, though there is small 

 likelihood of such an occurrence. But, come, I must introduce you 

 to myself, I ought to be acquainted with one who took such kind 

 interest in me during the obscuration of my intellects." 



Hill then rose, bowed, and formally introduced me to himself. 

 Poor fellow ! he was as mad as ever; mad for no other reason than 

 because he thought himself in his senses ! 



This harmless and unimportant delusion lasted until the termina- 

 tion of a long life. On all other points the monomaniac was sane ! 



