From Coggershall, Essex, aged forty, admitted 21st March 1822. This
man had been here before, in April 1818, and was discharged well; but
became disordered again, it is supposed, from continual inebriety. He
was only mischievous, so far as tearing his clothes, and generally
wore a number of ornaments about his person, such as pieces of his
handkerchief tied about his legs and hat, and of coloured fragments
of the rugs, swung from a button-hole of his coat, from which was
suspended a piece of old hat, leather, or a button or two, &c. He was
continually complaining of his confinement, and for ever proclaiming
gross charges against his brother and friends, of robbing him of his
farms, estates, houses, lands, gold, silver, brass, furniture, bills
of exchange, leases, annuities, cows, horses, sheep, cats, dogs, his
intended wife, children, &c. &c. He always had some alleged cause of
complaint, and was never deficient in the names of things he had been
robbed of: but nothing appeared to hurt him so much as traducing and
scandalizing his character, by representing him as a madman. Of his
disorder no man could be more unconscious: he would justify every
action of his life by an argument as fallacious as possible; his excuse
for tearing his clothes was, because he ought to have better; and
wearing a collection of strings and fantastical rags about him was,
because he ought to have honours and distinctions instead; but they
were mere substitutes. He was extremely noisy by day and night, a very
strong man, did no mischief, was by no means dangerous, but abusive
to excess when crossed or vexed, which a very little was sufficient
to do. He had been a married man and had a large family, who were
entirely supported by his brother, a respectable farmer. He lost his
wife, and he now again felt a second tender emotion towards matrimony:
he complained of being imprisoned when he was about being made the
happiest of mankind; and frequently said he would not take a million
of money to compromise this scandalous and unjust affair. He, however,
became less noisy, more calm and rational; and continuing to improve,
was enlarged, on leave, 5th December 1822.