narrow flagged yard； in which no human being was； and if there had；
from such a being no human feeling could have been extracted。
Sickening with unspeakable horror； he sunk rather than sat down
beside the miserable window； and 〃wished for day。〃
。 。 。 。 。
At midnight he started from a doze； half a swoon； half a sleep；
which probably the hardness of his seat； and of the deal table on
which he leaned； had not contributed to prolong。
He was in complete darkness； the horror of his situation struck him
at once； and for a moment he was indeed almost qualified for an
inmate of that dreadful mansion。 He felt his way to the door；
shook it with desperate strength； and uttered the most frightful
cries； mixed with expostulations and commands。 His cries were in a
moment echoed by a hundred voices。 In maniacs there is a peculiar
malignity； accompanied by an extraordinary acuteness of some of the
senses； particularly in distinguishing the voice of a stranger。
The cries that he heard on every side seemed like a wild and
infernal yell of joy； that their mansion of misery had obtained
another tenant。
He paused； exhausted；a quick and thundering step was heard in the
passage。 The door was opened； and a man of savage appearance stood
at the entrance；two more were seen indistinctly in the passage。
〃Release me； villain！〃〃Stop； my fine fellow； what's all this
noise for？〃 〃Where am I？〃 〃Where you ought to be。〃 〃Will you
dare to detain me？〃〃Yes； and a little more than that；〃 answered
the ruffian； applying a loaded horsewhip to his back and shoulders；
till the patient soon fell to the ground convulsed with rage and
pain。 〃Now you see you are where you ought to be；〃 repeated the
ruffian； brandishing the horsewhip over him； 〃and now take the
advice of a friend； and make no more noise。 The lads are ready for
you with the darbies； and they'll clink them on in the crack of
this whip； unless you prefer another touch of it first。〃 They then
were advancing into the room as he spoke； with fetters in their
hands （strait waistcoats being then little known or used）； and
showed； by their frightful countenances and gestures； no
unwillingness to apply them。 Their harsh rattle on the stone
pavement made Stanton's blood run cold； the effect； however； was
useful。 He had the presence of mind to acknowledge his （supposed）
miserable condition； to supplicate the forbearance of the ruthless
keeper； and promise complete submission to his orders。 This
pacified the ruffian； and he retired。
Stanton collected all his resolution to encounter the horrible
night； he saw all that was before him； and summoned himself to meet
it。 After much agitated deliberation； he conceived it best to
continue the same appearance of submission and tranquillity； hoping
that thus he might in time either propitiate the wretches in whose
hands he was； or； by his apparent inoffensiveness； procure such
opportunities of indulgence； as might perhaps ultimately facilitate
his escape。 He therefore determined to conduct himself with the
utmost tranquillity； and never to let his voice be heard in the
house； and he laid down several other resolutions with a degree of
prudence which he already shuddered to think might be the cunning
of incipient madness； or the beginning result of the horrid habits
of the place。
These resolutions were put to desperate trial that very night。
Just next to Stanton's apartment were lodged two most uncongenial
neighbors。 One of them was a puritanical weaver； who had been
driven mad by a single sermon from the celebrated Hugh Peters； and
was sent to the madhouse as full of election and reprobation as he
could hold；and fuller。 He regularly repeated over the five
points while daylight lasted； and imagined himself preaching in a
conventicle with distinguished success； toward twilight his visions
were more gloomy； and at midnight his blasphemies became horrible。
In the opposite cell was lodged a loyalist tailor； who had been
ruined by giving credit to the cavaliers and their ladies；（for at
this time； and much later； down to the reign of Anne； tailors were
employed by females even to make and fit on their stays）；who had
run mad with drink and loyalty on the burning of the Rump； and ever
since had made the cells of the madhouse echo with fragments of the
ill…fated Colonel Lovelace's song； scraps from Cowley's 〃Cutter of
Coleman street；〃 and some curious specimens from Mrs。 Aphra Behn's
plays； where the cavaliers are denominated the heroicks； and Lady
Lambert and Lady Desborough represented as going to meeting； their
large Bibles carried before them by their pages； and falling in
love with two banished cavaliers by the way。 The voice in which he
shrieked out such words was powerfully horrible； but it was like
the moan of an infant compared to the voice which took up and
reechoed the cry； in a tone that made the building shake。 It was
the voice of a maniac； who had lost her husband； children；
subsistence； and finally her reason； in the dreadful fire of
London。 The cry of fire never failed to operate with terrible
punctuality on her associations。 She had been in a disturbed
sleep； and now started from it as suddenly as on that dreadful
night。 It was Saturday night too； and she was always observed to
be particularly violent on that night；it was the terrible weekly
festival of insanity with her。 She was awake； and busy in a moment
escaping from the flames； and she dramatized the whole scene with
such hideous fidelity； that Stanton's resolution was far more in
danger from her than from the battle between his neighbors
Testimony and Hothead。 She began exclaiming she was suffocated by
the smoke； then she sprung from her bed； calling for a light； and
appeared to be struck by the sudden glare that burst through her
casement。〃The last day；〃 she shrieked； 〃The last day！ The very
heavens are on fire！〃〃That will not come till the Man of Sin be
first destroyed；〃 cried the weaver； 〃thou ravest of light and fire；
and yet thou art in utter darkness。I pity thee； poor mad soul； I
pity thee！〃 The maniac never heeded him； she appeared to be
scrambling up a staircase to her children's room。 She exclaimed
she was scorched； singed； suffocated； her courage appeared to fail；
and she retreated。 〃But my children are there！〃 she cried in a
voice of unspeakable agony； as she seemed to make another effort；
〃here I amhere I am come to save you。Oh God！ They are all
blazing！Take this armno； not that； it is scorched and disabled
well； any armtake hold of my clothesno； they are blazing too！
Well； take me all on fire as I am！And their hair； how it
hisses！Water； one drop of water for my youngesthe is but an
infantfor my youngest； and let me burn！〃 She paused in horrid
silence； to watch the fall of a blazing rafter that was about to
shatter the staircase on which she stood。〃The roof has fallen on
my head！〃 she exclaimed。 〃The earth is weak； and all the
inhabitants thereof；〃 chanted the weaver； 〃I bear up the pillars of
it。〃
The maniac marked the destruction of the spot where she thought she
stood by one desperate bound； accompanied by a wild shriek； and
then calmly gazed on her infants as they rolled over the scorching
fragments； and sunk into the abyss of fire below。 〃There they go；
onetwothreeall！〃 and her voice sunk into low mutterings； and
her convulsions into faint； cold shudderings； like the sobbings of
a spent storm； as she imagined herself to 〃stand in safety and
despair；〃 amid the thousand houseless wretches assembled in the
suburbs of London on the dreadful nights after the fire； without
food； roof； or raiment； all gazing on the burning ruins of their
dwellings and their property。 She seemed to listen to their
complaints； and even repeated some of them very affectingly； but
invariably answered them with the same words； 〃But I have lost all
my childrenall！〃 It was remarkable； that when this sufferer
began to rave； all the others became silent。 The cry of nature
hushed every other cry；she was the only patient in the house who
was not mad from politics； religion； ebriety； or some perverted
passion； and terrifying as the outbreak of her frenzy always was；
Stanton used to await it as a kind of relief from the dissonant；
melancholy； and ludicrous ravings of the others。
But the utmost efforts of his resolution began to sink under the
continued horrors of the place。 The impression on his senses began
to defy the power of reason to resist them。 He could not shut out
these frightful cries nightly repeated； nor the frightful sound of
the whip employed to still them。 Hope began to fail him； as he
observed； that the submissive tranquillity （which he had imagined；
by obtaining increased indulgence； might contribute to his escape；
or perhaps convince the keeper of his sanity） was interpreted by
the callous ruffian； who was acquainted only with the varieties of
MADNESS； as a more refined species of that cunning which he was
well accustomed to watch and baffle。
On his first discovery of his situation； he had determined to take
the utmost care of his health and intellect that the place allowed；
as the sole basis of his hope of deliverance。 But as that hope
declined； he neglected the means of realizing it。 He had at first
risen early； walked incessantly about his cell； and availed himself
of every opportunity of being in the open air。 He took the
strictest care of his person in point of cleanliness； and with or
without appetite； regularly forced down his miserable meals； and
all these efforts were even pleasant； as long as hope prompted
them。 But now he began to relax them all。 He passed half the day
in his wretched bed； in which he frequently took his meals；
declined shaving or changing his linen； and； when the sun shone
into his cell； he turned from it on his straw with a sigh of
heartbroken despondency。 Formerly； when the air breathed through
his grating； he used to say； 〃Blessed air of heaven； I shall
breathe you once more in freedom！Reserve all your freshness for
that delicious evening when I shall inhale you； and be as free as
you myself。〃 Now when he felt it； he sighed and said nothing。 The
tw