Nov.] 



CHRONICLE. 



151 



much worse, with a violent fever, 

 uttering some expressions in a 

 state of perturbation, and com- 

 plaining that he was distracted. 

 Dr. Roget immediately called 

 Dr. Marcet, who came instantly, 

 and they sent for Dr. Babingtou 

 to join in a consultation. I asked 

 Dr. Marcet and Dr. Roget if I 

 could go and see my friend, and 

 they desired me not to do it, 

 saying the greatest quiet was 

 necessary for him, and that he 

 was only to have one person to 

 attend him in the room. I went 

 then to Holland-house, at Ken- 

 sington, to see his three youngest 

 children, whom Lord Holland 

 had taken from school to his 

 house, and to make some arrange- 

 ments with respect to them. 

 ^Vhen I returned to Russell- 

 square about half-past three, I 

 found one of the servants in 

 tears, and Dr. Roget in a state 

 approaching to despair. My first 

 feeling was stupor and astonish- 

 ment, for I had never, during the 

 whole month that I had passed 

 with Sir Samuel, and dining most 

 constantly with him and his son 

 — and during the time the ladies 

 were employed in business ( during 

 which time we had intimate 

 conversations) — I never had any 

 apprehension of the act by which 

 he had lost his life. The inti- 

 mate knowledge that I had of 

 his high principles of duty — of 

 his moral and religious fortitude 

 — of his love for his country — 

 and of his — (much affected) — of 

 his parental affection, totally ex- 

 cluded from my mind every sus- 

 picion, or idea, of the catastrophe 

 that has happened. 



Coroner. — I dare say the gen- 

 tlemen are fully impressed with 



the state of Sir Samuel Romilly's 

 mind, from the very clear evi- 

 dence you have given, Sir. In- 

 deed, it is impossible to conceive 

 that a great mind like his could 

 be directed by any thing but the 

 immense weight of affliction which 

 appears to have oppressed him. 

 The circumstance of a mind like 

 his, resting for so great a length 

 of time upon the same melancholy 

 subject, was sufficient, and likely 

 to occasion mental derangement ; 

 and it is likely produced an in- 

 flammation on the brain, whicli 

 led to the deplorable catastro- 

 phe, but we shall hear this from 

 the medical gentlemen. 



Alexander Marcet, of 23, 

 Russell-square, Doctor of Medi- 

 cine, said, he was in habits of 

 intimacy with Sir Samuel Romilly, 

 but did not attend him profes- 

 sionally. On Sunday evening, 

 about half-past nine o'clock, he 

 went to his house to see his 

 nephew, Dr. Roget : Sir Samuel 

 was sitting in the parlour with his 

 family, and witness entered into 

 conversation with him about his 

 health. He complained of an 

 extreme degree of lassitude, par- 

 ticularly about the extremities, 

 where he suffered frequent and 

 severe muscular pains. No atti- 

 tude afforded him any comfort, 

 and he sat in his chair in a state 

 of great agitation. Although he 

 refrained from describing the 

 anguish of his mind, or giving 

 vent to his feelings, it was obvious 

 from his manner, as well as what 

 he uttered, that he despaired of 

 his recovery, in spite of all that 

 was said to inspire him with hope 

 and comfort. Various steps were 

 recommended in order to allay 

 his extreme state of irritation, 



but 



