Biographical Sketch of Mr. George Margets. 79 



of his assiduity had so affected his sight, that he was at one 

 time threatened with total bHudness, and obliged to sustain 

 an operation on his eyes in 180J . 



The circumstances that remain to be noticed are of a 

 most distressing and melancholy nature. Mr. Marget* 

 had been all his life, like every other man whose thoiia;ht9 

 are employed on abstract objects, or in the adjustment of 

 equilibria in machinery, remarkable for an impatience of 

 interruption in his pursuits, attended with a violence of 

 choler that often rendered him irksome to himself as weU 

 as to his acquaintance. On the 27th of June 1804 he was 

 seized by the most deplorable malady that can fall upon the 

 human race. The whole of that day he had been unusually 

 passionate and dissatisfied : in the eveninc:, while he was 

 sitting with Mrs, Margets, and two young ladies who then 

 resided with her, he became calmer, and beoan to express 

 a kind of contrition for his extravagance : suddenly an ap- 

 prehension of insanity flashed upon his mind, and he ex- 

 claimed, "■ Good God, is this to end in madness !" and, 

 bursting into tears, continued to weep with his famiiv, 

 whose affliction may be easier imagined than described. 

 His disorder continued to increase, and the lucid intervals 

 to diminish : he was, however, for several days not altoge- 

 ther incapable of business. In this state he forced the fa- 

 mily to go with him to Portsmouth, where they continued 

 about two weeks, in the unhappy situation of seeing the 

 ravages of the disease upon his person. At length he was 

 persuaded to return home to London, where proper attend- 

 ance and advice were immediately procured ; but his case 

 was of such a class that Dr. Willis entertained no hope of 

 his recovery. In the course of a month, so entirely had 

 the disease enveloped his intellects, that he had lost the oc- 

 casional sense of his own distressful condition ; and it was- 

 thought advisable to send him to St. Luke's, where he would 

 be prevented from committing any violent actions. After 

 he had continued in that hospital about four months he 

 began to refuse liis food and medicine, and grew so ill and 

 meagre that it was not expected he could live long, tie 

 was therefore taken home. As he approached the period 

 of life his strength decreased; but his mind assumed a nion; 

 coherent character, and his rea^)n seemed to return. About 

 three days before he died his faculties were restored ; his 

 strength, however, was reduced so low that he could not 

 speak without pain. He died on tlie i'Tih of December 

 1804. J. B. G. 



XVIL Jii- 



