414 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



them with Angular refpefl ; whether it be that 

 Mahomet himfelf was occafionally fubjed: to mental 

 derangement, or whether from a religious opinion 

 they entertain, that as fcon as a madman fets his 

 foot into a houfe, the bleffing of God enters it 

 with him. They delay not a moment to fet food 

 before him, and carefs him in the tendered man- 

 ner. There is not an inflance known of their 

 having injured any one. Our madmen, on the 

 contrary, are mifchievous, becaufe they are mifer- 

 able. As foon as one appears in the (Ireets, the 

 children, themfelves already rendered miferable by 

 their education, and delighted to find a human 

 being, on whom they can vent their malignity 

 with fafety, pelt him with ftones, and take pleafure 

 in working him up into a rage. I mufi; farther 

 obferve, that there are no madmen among favages; 

 and that I could not wifli for a better proof that 

 their political conftitution renders thein more 

 happy than polillied Nations are, as mental de- 

 rangement proceeds only from exceffive chagrin. 



The number of inlane peifons under confine- 

 ment is, with us, enormouily great. There is not 

 a provincial town, of any conhderable magnitude, 

 but what contains an edifice deftined to this ufe. 

 Their treatment in thefe is furely an object of 

 commifcration, and loudly calls for the attention of 

 Government, confidering that if after all they are 



no 



