Aged thirty-four, admitted 9th of August 1821. This man appeared to
have been originally an ignorant, self-conceited, ambitious country
fellow, full of low cunning; which was sufficiently apparent, even
through the veil of his derangement. The leading traits of his
malady were, a notion that he was to inherit an immense fortune,
and an inveterate itch for reform. He imagined that he was sent to
this institution expressly for the purpose of correcting abuses, and
establishing a new system of management; and, under the influence of
this whim, he became quite busy and inquisitive, found fault with every
thing, complained of every body, and declaimed in his way against every
department. The physicians, the stewards, the keepers, the cook, and
the very gardener were, according to him, all doing wrong, and were
the persons he particularly came to look after. He was very busy in
communicating his purposes amongst such as he met in the gallery and
airing ground; and as he could not write eligibly himself, he employed
an old patient, named Moore, as his secretary. All transactions that
struck his notice were immediately noted down by his dictation, with
his own comments upon them. One of the first results he expected from
his vigilance and activity was, that he should be appointed keeper in
chief. He applied to the physician for the purpose, and assured his
companions that he was immediately to have the charge of a gallery, as
the present keeper there was found unfit. He had an excellent knack at
making mischief, exciting discontent, and promoting quarrels amongst
his simple associates, by telling tales of one to the other, eliciting
resentments, and then reporting what he heard to the others: and thus
he set them together by the ears, proving himself more of a knave than
a simpleton. He was greatly disappointed in finding he was about to
be discharged without the promotion he so confidently expected; and
he wrote a letter to his aunt, stating that as he intended to begin
business for himself, as soon as he should get out, he wanted some part
of the great fortune, which he imagined he was to possess some time
or other, to begin the world with, as he was quite tired of being a
labourer, and knew more of his business than any other man.
The following copy of one of his letters, indited with a piece of burnt
stick on whited-brown paper, will afford a specimen of his epistolary
style.
“DEAR HAUNT:
“Hi hop u wil excus this lettar, has hi ham gon to bee disscharg,
hand wil cum to se u wen hi av mone in my poket--wen I wil av
plessure, i wis u too sen mee for ponds to by a jakhass hand cart to
sel grens too the hopitil, has hi ham promised: hi will pa u bak wen
hi can.
“hi ham,
“loving hant,
“ure lovin
“frend,
“JOHN BOYETT.”