CHARACTERS. 
not have felt when in health, but 
which the ftate of his nerves now 
rendered almoft infupportable. 
Some perfons thought he would do 
any thing to conciliate their good- 
will, and would have had him every 
Moment with them. “ Women 
who drank coffee with George II. 
perfuade themfelves that I ought 
to beat their command, as I fhould 
have been at his.” They would 
have made him their flave; and this 
was a part not adapted for him. 
He knew that it was for the difeafe, 
not the patient, to regulate the 
number and the hours of a phyfici- 
an’s vifits; and he always acted on 
this principle: but the perfons 
whofe caprices he thwarted did not 
‘take pains to make his abode agree- 
able. The health of his wife, 
’ which always determined his own, 
declined rapidly ; while that of his 
children, which had never been 
ftrong, did not become fo. Luck- 
ily, the public confidence foon forc- 
ed him to a continued occupation, 
which is the fureit refource againft 
uneafinefs. His patients in Han- 
over, confultations from all the 
north, and patients who themfelves 
came to confult him, at length dif- 
pelled his melancholy. 
In 1770, he had the misfortune 
of lofing his wife; a deprivation 
which touched him moft fenfibly ; 
and at the fame time hjs own com- 
laint grew worfe. His friend Tif- 
ot advifed him to feek the bett 
chirurgicel affiftance, and perfuaded 
him, in 1771, to go to Berlin and 
put himfelf under the care of the 
celebrated Meckel. He was re- 
ceived into this furgeon’s houfe ; 
and an operation was performed 
which fucceeded. The time of his 
convalefcence ‘was. one of the moft 
agrecable in his life. He madea 
38% 
number of acquaintances among 
diftinguifhed characters at Berlin, 
was prefented to the king, and was 
honoured with particular notice 
from him. His reception on his 
return to Hanover was equally 
pleafing. He now again plunged 
into bufinefs, and again domettie 
and profeffional cares brought orm 
hypochondriacal complaints. In 
1775, by way of vacation, he made 
a journey to Laufanne, where his 
daughter was placed for education, 
and pafied five weeks with M. 
Tiffot. 
M. Zimmerman was unhappy in 
the fate of his children. His ami- 
able daughter, whom he moft ten- 
derly loved, fell into a lingering 
malady foon after fhe had left Lau- 
fanne, which continued five years, 
and then carried her off ;—while 
his fon, who was from infancy 
troubled. with an acrid humour, 
after various viciffitudes of nervous 
affections, fettled in perfeét idiocy ; 
in which ftate he has now remained 
twenty years. To alleviate thefe 
diftreffes, a fecond marriage pro- 
perly occurred to the minds of his 
friends, and they chofe for him 
a moft fuitable companion, in the 
daughter of M. de Berger, king’s 
phyfician at Lunenburg. The 
union took place in 1782, and _ 
proved the greateft charm and fup- 
port of all his remaining life. His 
lady was thirty years younger than 
him, but fhe perfectly accommo- 
dated herfelf to his tafte, and in- 
duced him to cultivate fociety 
abroad and at home more than h¢ 
had hitherto done. About this 
time, he employed himfelf in com- 
pleting his tavourite work on Soll- 
tude ; which, at the diftance of 
thirty years from the publication of 
the firft effay on the fubject, ap- 
peared 
