LIFE OF MYTTON. 197 



nail-knife, by which a wound to his person could be 

 given ? Such, however, was the case ; and it is 

 scarcely necessary to observe, that the man was from 

 that hour forbidden to come near his person, and soon 

 afterwards was discharged. 



The effects of education on first-rate talent shine 

 forth when little expected, as was the case with 

 Mr. Mytton, even when his mental aberrations were 

 nearly at their height. 



In one of his paroxysms he talked eight-and-forty 

 hours without ceasing, and, as it may be supposed 

 under such violent excitement, a recollection of last 

 year's clouds would not be more difficult than a 

 record of the unconnected jargon which he at that 

 time uttered. But in his calmer moments, when he 

 saw me by his bed-side, he would quote Greek 

 and Latin authors with surprising readiness, and 

 when he found he was incorrect, would pause until 

 he recovered the text. In several of these quota- 

 tions it was beyond doubt apparent that the bereave- 

 ment of his family and the desolation at Halston 

 were present to his mind ; for in some particular 

 instances I could not be mistaken. In giving that 

 beautiful passage from Sophocles, wherein CEdipus 



