DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70300#0179
NICHOLAS HART.
151
more could be seen than three marks on the sun’s disk.—>
Captain Hayes, his officers, and about 200 of the crew,
witnessed the spectacle, both with the naked eye and
through glasses. In superstitious times, such a phenomenon
would have been construed into a providential warning or
ominous token of some unexpected event; in this enlightened
age, however, it may be easily accounted for by the reflec-
tive power of the atmosphere, which is well known to be
wonderful. Most probably the figure represented was some
one ashoie, or on the deck of the Majestic.
Courier, June 13, 1815.
NICHOLAS HART,
THE GREAT SLEEPER.
It is probable, this lethargic gentleman, and prince of im-
postors, had in the first instance been afflicted with a natural
fit of somnolency ; for it is recorded of him, that on the 5th
of August, 1711, he was first seized with a sleeping fit,
from whence his friends could not by any means which they
then tried, awake him. Under this impression, he was re-
moved to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, where various me-
thods were made use of to relieve him, but to no purpose,
and he continued sleeping until the 11th of the same month.
During this time he received no nourishment whatever;
numerous persons from curiosity visited him, at the hospi-
tal, and pitying his situation, uniformly left him some pecu-
niary aid to assist him when he should awake. At the expi-
ration of this fit, finding he had gained a very considerable
sum, even in a great degree more than he could have earned
by his labour, if he had been awake, he soon afterwards
contrived, by the means of narcotic drugs, and other arts, to
drop into a similar slumber, in which he continued for some
days; at the end of which time, on awaking, he found him-
self again possessed of a considerable sum. Feeling the
great and beneficial advantage of sleeping over waking, he
151
more could be seen than three marks on the sun’s disk.—>
Captain Hayes, his officers, and about 200 of the crew,
witnessed the spectacle, both with the naked eye and
through glasses. In superstitious times, such a phenomenon
would have been construed into a providential warning or
ominous token of some unexpected event; in this enlightened
age, however, it may be easily accounted for by the reflec-
tive power of the atmosphere, which is well known to be
wonderful. Most probably the figure represented was some
one ashoie, or on the deck of the Majestic.
Courier, June 13, 1815.
NICHOLAS HART,
THE GREAT SLEEPER.
It is probable, this lethargic gentleman, and prince of im-
postors, had in the first instance been afflicted with a natural
fit of somnolency ; for it is recorded of him, that on the 5th
of August, 1711, he was first seized with a sleeping fit,
from whence his friends could not by any means which they
then tried, awake him. Under this impression, he was re-
moved to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, where various me-
thods were made use of to relieve him, but to no purpose,
and he continued sleeping until the 11th of the same month.
During this time he received no nourishment whatever;
numerous persons from curiosity visited him, at the hospi-
tal, and pitying his situation, uniformly left him some pecu-
niary aid to assist him when he should awake. At the expi-
ration of this fit, finding he had gained a very considerable
sum, even in a great degree more than he could have earned
by his labour, if he had been awake, he soon afterwards
contrived, by the means of narcotic drugs, and other arts, to
drop into a similar slumber, in which he continued for some
days; at the end of which time, on awaking, he found him-
self again possessed of a considerable sum. Feeling the
great and beneficial advantage of sleeping over waking, he