Aged twenty-seven, admitted 5th of April 1821. This poor fellow
had been a menial servant, sometimes occupied as a coachman, and
at others as a labourer about a farm-yard. He became religiously
affected: turning from the ways of sin, the flesh, and the labour of
industry, he was initiated in the spirit and became a methodist. He
was here remarkable for his taciturnity, “because in much discourse
there was sin;” but whenever he broke silence it was always on some
religious topic, and every occurrence of the day excited him to some
quotation from the Holy Scripture. He seemed much read in the Old
and New Testaments and Common Prayer-Book; John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s
Progress, and other spiritualized allegories; books of hymns, psalms,
and meditations; Baxter’s Shove, Call to the Elect, &c., and perfectly
knew the road to heaven; but the evil spirit constantly opposed his
progress, and drove him back. His struggles with the wicked one
were very great, and he hoped that, ere long, he should conquer and
be called. Sometimes his fellow-patients who were recovering would
ridicule his sanctity, and call him a _Pan-tyler_: but he would on
those occasions stoutly disclaim methodism, and profess himself a
staunch church of England man. No monk could evince a stronger
propensity to self-mortification; and, amongst other contrivances for
self-punishment, he used to prick pinholes in his face and hands until
they were smeared with blood; and he frequently tied a handkerchief
round his neck so tight, that it nearly choaked him.
He was ever bewailing his former blindness in the spirit, and the
aberrations of his past life; but hoped, by self-mortification, prayer,
and good works, that he might still be saved. He acknowledged, with
great penitence, his having once stolen some hams, in company with
accomplices: but he received no part of the profit, though he shared
the blame; and this he hoped would extenuate the offence. He was always
prompt in scriptural quotations, and applied them on all occasions,
whether reading, eating, drinking, washing, or however otherwise
employed.
He remained here until the expiration of twelve months, and was then
taken to a private mad-house at Bethnal Green, on the 30th of April
1822, where he still remains.