The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume V. eBook

Theodore Watts-Dunton
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 370 pages of information about The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume V..

The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume V. eBook

Theodore Watts-Dunton
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 370 pages of information about The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume V..
Ireland, to a degree of devotion, that in the most superstitious country, scarce any idol ever obtained.  Libations to his health were poured out as frequent as to the immortal memory of King William.  His effigies was painted in every street in Dublin.  Acclamations and vows for his prosperity attended his footsteps wherever he passed.  He was consulted in all points relating to domestic policy in general, and to the trade of Ireland in particular; but he was more immediately looked upon as the legislator of the Weavers, who frequently came in a body, consisting of 40 or 50 chiefs of their trade, to receive his advice in settling the rates of their manufactures, and the wages of their journeymen.  He received their address with less majesty than sternness, and ranging his subjects in a circle round his parlour, spoke as copiously, and with as little difficulty and hesitation, to the several points in which they supplicated his assistance, as if trade had been the only study and employment of his life.  When elections were depending for the city of Dublin, many Corporations refused to declare themselves, ’till they had consulted his sentiments and inclinations, which were punctually followed with equal chearfulness and submission.

In this state of power, and popular admiration, he remained ’till he lost his senses; a loss which he seemed to foresee, and prophetically lamented to many of his friends.  The total deprivation of his senses came upon him by degrees.  In the year 1736 he was seized with a violent fit of giddiness; he was at that time writing a satirical poem, called The Legion Club; but he found the effects of his giddiness so dreadful, that he left the poem unfinished, and never afterwards attempted a composition, either in verse or prose.  However, his conversation still remained the same, lively and severe, but his memory gradually grew worse and worse, and as that decreased, he grew every day more fretful and impatient.  In the year 1741, his friends found his passions so violent and ungovernable, his memory so decayed, and his reason so depraved, that they took the utmost precautions to keep all strangers from approaching him; for, ’till then, he had not appeared totally incapable of conversation.  But early in the year 1742, the small remains of his understanding became entirely confused, and the violence of his rage increased absolutely to a degree of madness.  In this miserable state he seemed to be appointed the first inhabitant of his own Hospital; especially as from an outrageous lunatic, he sunk afterwards to a quiet speechless ideot; and dragged out the remainder of his life in that helpless situation.  He died towards the latter end of October 1745.  The manner of his death was easy, without the least pang, or convulsion; even the rattling of his throat was scarce sufficient to give an alarm to his attendants, ’till within some very little time before he expired.  A man in possession of his reason would have wished for

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The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume V. from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.