ALEXANDER CRUDEN. 
397 
in love ; to which, with the vexation of repeated refusals, was added the 
horror of hearing that the object of his affection was with child by 
her own brother. Being a clergyman’s daughter, she was sent out of 
the country. Mr. Cruden never after mentioned her name, but with 
the most tender compassion and the bitterest grief. He was con- 
fined for some time after in an asylum at Aberdeen. Being re- 
leased, he went to London in 1722, as a private tutor ; in which em- 
ployment he also spent some years in the Isle of Man. About 1732, 
he returned to London, and acted as a bookseller, and corrector of 
the press. His shop was under the Royal Exchange. 
One day, a gentleman from Aberdeen called upon him, and ex- 
pressing a wish to serve him, offered to introduce him to a friend, 
who was a merchant near the Exchange. Upon their calling, the 
door was opened by the unfortunate young lady above mentioned, 
who, unknown to Mr. Cruden’s friend, resided here, the merchant 
being her brother. Mr. Cruden started back with strong signs of 
surprise and agony, and, grasping his friend’s hand, exclaimed wildly, 
** Ah, she has still her fine black eyes !” Mr. Cruden neither then, 
nor ever after, entered the house, or courted the owner’s acquaint- 
ance. 
In 1733 he began to compile that important w^ork, which he had 
long meditated, “ A complete Concordance of the Holy Scriptures 
of the Old and New Testament.” If the merit of labour only be allowed, 
it must be acknowledged that he bestowed labour to which no addi- 
tion can be made, accompanied by a perseverance with hardly any 
interval. But he had the additional merit of both forming the plan 
and executing it. The work was dedicated to Queen Caroline, who 
had given him reasons to expect a gratuity on presenting it. But a 
few^ days before its publication, Cruden lost his royal patroness by 
the queen’s death. His affairs were now embarrassed ; his hopes 
were gone ; and in such circumstances, it is not surprising that he 
should have had a return of his mental disorder, which rendered it 
necessary again to confine him. Upon his release, he avenged him- 
self on his keepers, by publishing a pamphlet entitled, The London 
Citizen exceedingly injured, giving an account of his adventures 
during his fever, and his long campaign at Bethnal Green for nine 
weeks and six days,” &c. After this, he lived chiefly by correcting 
the press, particularly of the Greek and Roman classics, which were 
published under his inspection with great accuracy. In this occupa- 
tion he spent several years, with the strictest attention and fidelity 
to the booksellers who employed him, till a third attack of his disor- 
der obliged his friends to confine him once more. When released, 
he published his case, under the whimsical title of “ The Adventures 
of Alexander the Corrector.” This work exhibited a faithful picture 
of a wild mind ; various, whimsical, serious, and jocose. He an- 
nounced in it, that he was commissioned by Heaven to reform the 
manners of the age. He endeavoured to persuade his sister and 
other friends, who had confined him, to submit to be imprisoned in New- 
gate, as a compensation for the injuries they had done him. 
At the general election in 1745, he resolved to stand candidate 
for the city of London, and not only prevailed on Mr. Sheriff Chitty 
