DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70302#0309
LIFE OF JOHN ELWES, ESQ. 275
it, was however, an insurmountable obstacle. This was
fortunately removed, by an offer from Mr. Partis, gentle-
man of the law, to take him to his ancient seat in Berk-
shire, with his purse perfectly whole. Still there was ano-
ther circumstance not a little distressing; the old gentle-
man had now nearly worn out his last coat, and could
not afford to buy a new one. His son therefore with pious
fraud, requested Mr. Partis to buy him a coat, and make
him a present of it. Thus formerly having had a good
coat, then a bad one, and at last no coat at all, he was
glad to accept one of a neighbour.
On the arrival of the old gentleman, his son and his wife
neglected nothing that was likely to render the country a
sceneof quiet to him. But he carried that within his bosom,
which baffled every effort of the kind. His mind cast
away on the vast and troubled ocean of his property, exten-
ding beyond the bounds of his calculation, amused itself
with fetching and carrying a few guineas, which in that
ocean were indeed but a drop.
The first symptoms of more immediate decay, was his
inability to enjoy his rest at night. He was frequently
heard at midnight, as if struggling with some one in his
chamber, and crying out, “ I will keep my money, I will;
nobody shall rob me of my property !” If any one of the
family entered the room, he would start from his fever of
anxiety, and as if waking from a troubled dream, hurry
into bed again, and seem unconscious' of what had hap-
pened. At other times when perfectly awake, he would
walk to the spot where he had concealed his money to
see if it was safe. In the autumn of 1789, his memory
was gone entirely; his senses sunk rapidly into decay,
and as his mind became unsettled, gusts of the most
violent passion began to usurp the place of his former com-
mand of temper. For six weeks previous to his death,
he would go to rest in his clothes, as perfectly dressed as
N n 2 during
it, was however, an insurmountable obstacle. This was
fortunately removed, by an offer from Mr. Partis, gentle-
man of the law, to take him to his ancient seat in Berk-
shire, with his purse perfectly whole. Still there was ano-
ther circumstance not a little distressing; the old gentle-
man had now nearly worn out his last coat, and could
not afford to buy a new one. His son therefore with pious
fraud, requested Mr. Partis to buy him a coat, and make
him a present of it. Thus formerly having had a good
coat, then a bad one, and at last no coat at all, he was
glad to accept one of a neighbour.
On the arrival of the old gentleman, his son and his wife
neglected nothing that was likely to render the country a
sceneof quiet to him. But he carried that within his bosom,
which baffled every effort of the kind. His mind cast
away on the vast and troubled ocean of his property, exten-
ding beyond the bounds of his calculation, amused itself
with fetching and carrying a few guineas, which in that
ocean were indeed but a drop.
The first symptoms of more immediate decay, was his
inability to enjoy his rest at night. He was frequently
heard at midnight, as if struggling with some one in his
chamber, and crying out, “ I will keep my money, I will;
nobody shall rob me of my property !” If any one of the
family entered the room, he would start from his fever of
anxiety, and as if waking from a troubled dream, hurry
into bed again, and seem unconscious' of what had hap-
pened. At other times when perfectly awake, he would
walk to the spot where he had concealed his money to
see if it was safe. In the autumn of 1789, his memory
was gone entirely; his senses sunk rapidly into decay,
and as his mind became unsettled, gusts of the most
violent passion began to usurp the place of his former com-
mand of temper. For six weeks previous to his death,
he would go to rest in his clothes, as perfectly dressed as
N n 2 during