CLASS III. 1.2.4- OF VOLITION. 3 1 3 



cus Antoninus. The maniacal idea is faid in fome lovers to 

 have been weakened by the aftion of other very energetic ideas ; 

 f'uch as have been occafioned by the death of his favourite child, 

 or by the burning of his houfe, or by his being fliip wrecked. In 

 thole cafes the violence of the new idea for a while expends fo 

 much fenforial power as to prevent the exertion of the mania- 

 cal one ; and new catenations fucceed. On this theory the lov* 

 cr's leap, fo celebrated by poets, might effecT: a cure, if the pa- 

 tien't efcaped with life. 



The third ftage of this difeaie I fuppofe is irremediable ; when 

 a lover has previoufly been much encouraged, and at length 

 meets with neglect or difdain ; the maniacal idea is fo painful 

 as not to be for a moment relievable by the exertions of reverie, 

 but is inftantly followed by furious or melancholy infanity ; and 

 fuicide, or revenge, have frequently been the confequence. As 

 wa< lately exemplified in Mr. Hackman, who Ihot Mifs Ray in 

 the lobby of the playhoufe. So the poet defcribes the paffion 

 of Dido, 



-Mommur inultx ? 



At moriamur, ait, lie, lie, juvat ire fub umbras ! 



The fiery of Medsea feems to have been contrived by Ovid> 

 who was a good judge of the fubjecl:, to reprefent the favage 

 madnefs occafioned by ill-requited love. Thus the poet, 



Earth has no rage like love to hatred turn'd, 

 Nor Hell a fury like a woman fcorn'd. 



DRTDIN. 



I I-nce it appears that though fentimental love does not fo 

 frequently arife fpontaneoufly in female bofoms, yet that it is 

 liable to become as violent, when it has been excited by the 

 courtfhip of the other fex, and though, when it is rejected, after 

 courtfhip has produced it, it is not always fucceeded by fuch vi- 

 olent effects as thofc above mentioned ; which may be afcribed 

 to the greater modefty and referve of their education ; yet the 

 difappointed pailion is liable to prey upon their minds even to 

 the hazard of their lives, of which I have witneiTed two inftan- 

 ces, in both which the effecls approached to that occafioned by 

 great grief. See Mceror, Clafs III. i. 2. 10. 



One of thefe ladies, about 30 years of age, was defertedby an 

 Irii~h gentleman, who was foon to have married her ; ihe was 

 fetzed fuddenly with a flupor, which by thole, who were not 

 acquainted with the caufe, was miftaken for a kind of apoplexy ; 

 (he gradually recovered fo as to apply to her ufual habits of life, 



VOL. II. R R and 



