CHARACTERS. 
f letters, and at lencth tooka ftep 
which we leave his friends to juf- 
tify,—that of addreffing to the Em- 
eror Leopold a memoir, painting 
n the ftrongeit colouring the per- 
nicious’ maxims of the feet, and 
fuggefting the means of fuppreff- 
ing it; means which we underftand 
to have depended on the decifive 
interference of civil authofity. 
Leopold, who was well inclined to 
fuch meafures, received his memoir 
very gracivufly, and fent him a let- 
ter and {plendid prefent in return: 
but his death, foon afterward, de- 
hi the caufe of its moft power- 
ul protector. M. Zimmerman, 
however, in conjunétion with M. 
Hoffman of Vienna, who ‘had in- 
ftituted a periodical work on the 
old principles, did not relax in their 
veal. They attacked and were at- 
tacked in turn; and Zimmerman, 
tnfortunately, embroiled himfelf 
with the courts of law by a paper 
ublifhed in Hoffman’s journal, 
intitled “‘ The Baron de Knigge un- 
maiked as an illuminate, democrat, 
and feducer of the people.’’ As this 
charge was in part founded on a 
work not openly avowed by the’ 
Baron, a procefs was inftituted 
againft Zimmerman as a libeller, 
and he was unable to exculpate 
himfelf. This ftate of warfare may 
well be imagined to be extremely 
unfriendly to an irritable fyftem of 
nerves; and the agitation of the 
Doétor’s mind was farther increafed 
by his perfonal fearson the approach 
of the French towards the eleétor- 
ate of Hanover,in 1794. The idea 
of becéming a poor emigrant per- 
petually haunted him; nor could 
the negotiation that fecured the 
country reftore him to tranquillity. 
From the month of November 
383 
he had loft fldep, appetite, ftrength, 
and flefh. This ftate of decline. 
continually advanced. . In January 
he ftill paid fome vifits in his car- 
riage, but often fainted at the top 
of the ftaircafe. Writing a recipe 
was 2 labour to him; he complain-. 
ed fometimes of confufion in his 
head, and at length quitied all bufi- 
nefs. This was at firft deemed an 
hypochondriac fancy, but it was 
foon perceived that a fettled me- 
lancholy did not permit him long 
to follow the train of his ideas. 
That happened to him which has 
Banpeled! to fo many men of ge~ 
nius: one ftrong idea obtained the 
afcendancy over all the reft, and 
fubdued the foul, which was unable’ 
to remove it out of fight. Preferv~ 
ing ail his prefence of mind, and 
the clearnefs of his conceptions om 
all other objects, but no longer 
chufing to occupy himfelf with 
them, incapable of ‘all labour, and 
not giving even his advice without 
difficulty, he continually faw the 
enemy plundering his houfe, as 
Paichal always faw a globe of fire 
at his fide; Bonnet, an honeft man 
robbing him; and Spinello, the De- 
vil ftlanding oppofite to’ him.» He 
ufed fome remedies, and took a 
journey; butalltono purpofe. He 
re-entered his houfe with the fame 
idea with which he had quitted it;' 
perfuaded himfelf that he faw it 
pillaged; and fancied that he was: 
entirely ruined. ; 
This notion impreffed him fo; 
ftrongly, that his abftinence from 
food at laft was partly attributed to 
his fear of poverty. He was worm 
away to a fkeleton, became decre~ 
pid, and at fixty-fix died of old 
age. He expired Odober 7th, 
19952 : 
Anecdotes 
