LIFE OF MVTTON. 187 



intestines would have been burnt, and he must have 

 perished. His answer was — the answer of a madman 

 — that he zvished to show me hoiu he cojild bear pain. 

 The scene closed with the arrival of the doctor, 

 who applied the usual palliatives, but whose opinion 

 as to the result it was then almost useless to ask for. 



Any man but John Mytton would have tried to 

 have aided the exertions of his doctor to alleviate 

 sufferings which very shortly became severe, but he 

 absolutely added fuel to the fire. The more he 

 smarted, the more he drank ; but like the Spartan 

 boy, he never squeaked. " Can't I bear pain well ? " 

 he would say to me six times in the day, and in truth 

 he did bear it well. But although it sometimes hap- 

 pens that the spirit is willing whilst the flesh is weak, 

 here the flesh was the stronger of the two ; for the 

 mind of the sufferer very soon became affected. I 

 have, however, omitted to mention one act he com- 

 mitted the day after his accident which, if committed 

 by any other man but himself, would have been 

 evidence to have shown that he was already mad. 



" Is not going to dine with you to-day ? " said 



he to me. On my answering in the affirmative, 

 he observed that I mio;ht have asked himself to 

 have met him. " It would cost you your life," 



