LETTER CCIV. To Mrs. THRAL E. DEAR MADAM, Ashbourne, June 14, 1779. How ow near we all are to extreme danger. We are merry or fad, or bufy or idle, and forget that death is hovering over us. You are a dear lady for writing again. The cafe, as you now describe it, is worse than I conceived it when I read your first letter. It is ftill however not apoplectick, but feems to have something worse than hysterical, a tendency to a palfy, which I hope however is now over. I am glad that you have Heberden, and hope we are all fafer. I am the more alarmed by this violent feizure, as I can impute it to no wrong practices, or intemperance of any kind, and therefore know not how any defence or preservative can be obtained. Mr. Thrale has certainly less exercise than when he followed the foxes, but he is very far from unwieldinefs or inactivity, and further VOL. II. E ftill ftill from any vicious or dangerous excess. I fancy, however, he will do well to ride more. Do, dear Madam, let me know every post how he goes on. Such fudden violence is very dreadful; we know not by what it is lét loose upon us, nor by what its effects are limited. If my coming can either affift or divert, or be useful to any purpose, let me but know. I will foon be with you. Mrs. Kennedy, Queeney's Baucis, ended last week a long life of disease and poverty. She had been married about fifty years. Dr. Taylor is not much amifs, but always complaining. I am, &c. P. S. Direct the next to Lichfield. LETTER CCV. To Mrs. THRAL E. DEAR MADAM, Ashbourne, June 17, 1779. In the pre IT is certain that your first letter did not alarm me in proportion to the danger, for indeed it did not defcribe the danger as it was. I am glad that you have Heberden, and hope his reftoratives and his prefervatives will both be effectual. fervatives dear Mr. Thrale must concur; yet what can he reform? or what can he add to his regularity and temperance? He can only fleep lefs. We will do, however, all we can. I go to Lichfield to-morrow, with intent to haften to Streatham. Both Mrs. Afton and Dr. Taylor have had strokes of the palfy. The Lady was fixtyeight, and at that age has gained ground upon it; the Doctor is, you know, not young, and he is quite well, only fufpicious of every fenfation in the peccant arm. I hope my dear master's cafe is yet flighter, and that as his age is lefs, his recovery will be more perfect. Let him keep his thoughts diverted, and his mind easy. I am, dearest and dearest, Your, &c. LETTER CCVI. To Mrs. THRAL E. DEAR MADAM, WHETHER Lichfield, June 19, 1779. HETHER it was that your description of dear Mr. Thrale's disorder was indiftinct, or that I am not ready at gueffing calamity, I certainly did not know our dangerour danger, for fure I have a part in it, till that danger was abated. I am glad that Dr. Heberden, and that you perceive fo plainly his recovery. He certainly will not be without any warning that I can give him againft pernicious practices. His proportion of fleep, if he slept in the night, was doubtlefs very uncommon; but I do not think that he slept himself into a palfy. But perhaps a lethargick is likewise a paralytical difpofition. We will watch him as well as we can. I have known a man, who had a ftroke like this, die forty years afterward without another. I hope we have now nothing to fear, or no more than is unalterably involved in the life of man. I begin now to let loofe my mind after Queeney and Burney. I hope they are both well. It will not be long before I fhall be among you; and it is a very great degree of pleasure to hope that I fhall be welcome. I am, dear Madam, Your, &c. |