most strenuous exertions when he was incapable of the slightest.
This struggle between his mental and physical powers, was not,
however, of long duration. In July he was seized with an attack
that threatened his life, and which he thus described in a letter
to Mr. Maddock:

"Last Saturday morning I rose early, and got up some rather
abstruse problems in mechanics for my tutor, spent an hour with
him, between eight and nine got my breakfast, and read the Greek
History (at breakfast) till ten, then sat down to decipher some
logarithm tables. I think I had not done any thing at them, when
I lost myself. At a quarter past eleven my laundress found me
bleeding in four different places in my face and head, and
insensible. I got up and staggered about the room, and she, being
frightened, ran away, and told my gyp to fetch a surgeon. Before
he came I was sallying out with my flannel gown on, and my
academical gown over it; he made me put on my coat, and then I
went to Mr. Farish's: he opened a vein, and my recollection
returned. My own idea was, that I had fallen out of bed, and so I
told Mr. Farish at first; but I afterwards remembered that I had
been to Mr. Fiske, and breakfasted. Mr. Catton has insisted on my
consulting Sir Isaac Pennington, and the consequence is, that I
am to go through a course of blistering, &c. which, after the
bleeding, will leave me weak enough.

"I am, however, very well, except as regards the doctors, and
yesterday I drove into the country to Saffron Walden, in a gig.
My tongue is in a bad condition, from a bite which I gave it
either in my fall, or in the moments of convulsion. My nose has
also come badly off. I believe I fell against my reading desk.