Page:Illustrations of Madness.djvu/38

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illustrations of madness.
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if possible, still more learned out of it, uniting many rare talents, and distinguished by extrinsic acquisitions,

“Grammaticus, Rhetor, Geometres, Pictor, Aliptes
“Augur, Schœnobates, Medicus, Magus—”

Conceding so much, it should follow, that if Mr. Matthews were mad, Messrs. Birkbeck and Co. ought to have discovered it ; but the admission of such an inference would be destructive of their veracity : for had they found him to be a madman, it is to be hoped they never would stiffly and point blank have sworn him to be in his senses. How they could fail to detect his insanity is inexplicable, as his disorder was evident to all who saw and conversed with him ; even his fellow-students[1] derided the absurdity of his doctrine :—however, it should be recollected that these gentlemen

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  1. Is any student tearing his straw in piece-meal, swearing and blaspheming, biting his grate, foaming at the mouth, &c.—Vide Tale of a Tub, page 178, edit. 1704.