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Article ON PRESENCE OF MIND. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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On Presence Of Mind.
of his character , than any other that is recorded of him : his active and ready genius , in a perilous moment , saved himself , and the religion he preached , from destruction . Both ancient and modern history afford us many examples , from which to judge of men , whose names rank high on the roll of glory . The cool reply of the Athenian to his fellow-citizens , who were eager for his destruction" Strikebut bear me ! " saved his country
, , from civil discord and foreign invasion , and immortalized his own name . I have been led into these reflections b y two uncommon instances of presence of mind , which I have latel y met with ; the one , in a polished European ; the other , in an untutored savage . They are both so extraordinary , and I presume so little known , that I must
beg you will give them a place in your valuable miscellany : " Dr . C , who for many years was the Munro of Paris , and had deservedly obtained great reputation for his treatment of maniacs , one day paid a professional visit to a private mad-house . A certain Nobleman , then confined there , followed him up to the garrett , where his patient lay ; and when arrived at the last landing , insisted on
his jumping over the bannisters from thence to the bottom of the house . To jump was certain death , as the house was six stories high ; and resistance was altogether vain : for the madman was six feet two inches high , and strong in proportion , while the doctor was a very little , deformed man , of about four feet six . His presence of mind , howeversaved him . " I could , says he , jump with the greatest ease
, from hence to the bottom ; but that would he nothing wonderful . If you will permit me to ' descend the stairs , I will jump from the bottom to this place . " In this the maniac willingly acquiesced ; and by that means the doctor preserved his life . "
" A Hottentot , who lived in the service of a Dutch merchant at the Cape of Good Hope , had been sent by his master with a letter to one of the colonists , who lived at a distance up the country . On his return , about midway between the place he had been to and Cape Town , he found he was followed by a lion . Now it is a singular fact in the natural history of this animal , that he never attacks his preywhile it is day-light . But he has been frequently known to
, follow persons , at the distance of a few hundred yards , for many hours , while it was light , and to attack and destroy them , as night came on . When the Hottentot lirst discovered his danger , it was within a short time of sun-set ; he knew , therefore , that he could neither return to the colonist , or arrive at the Cape Town before dark . In this perilous situation , with a famished lion gazing on him ,
and growling with satisfaction at the prospect of a good repast , he had recourse to an expedient , which might do honour to a more enlig hted being . In passing the chain of mountains , which are not far from Cape Town , he took of his clothes , consisting merely of a thin jacket , trowsers , and a cap , and stuck them on a walking stick , so as to appear like something human . He then let himself a few yards down the edge of a precipice , and set the stick with his clothes on
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On Presence Of Mind.
of his character , than any other that is recorded of him : his active and ready genius , in a perilous moment , saved himself , and the religion he preached , from destruction . Both ancient and modern history afford us many examples , from which to judge of men , whose names rank high on the roll of glory . The cool reply of the Athenian to his fellow-citizens , who were eager for his destruction" Strikebut bear me ! " saved his country
, , from civil discord and foreign invasion , and immortalized his own name . I have been led into these reflections b y two uncommon instances of presence of mind , which I have latel y met with ; the one , in a polished European ; the other , in an untutored savage . They are both so extraordinary , and I presume so little known , that I must
beg you will give them a place in your valuable miscellany : " Dr . C , who for many years was the Munro of Paris , and had deservedly obtained great reputation for his treatment of maniacs , one day paid a professional visit to a private mad-house . A certain Nobleman , then confined there , followed him up to the garrett , where his patient lay ; and when arrived at the last landing , insisted on
his jumping over the bannisters from thence to the bottom of the house . To jump was certain death , as the house was six stories high ; and resistance was altogether vain : for the madman was six feet two inches high , and strong in proportion , while the doctor was a very little , deformed man , of about four feet six . His presence of mind , howeversaved him . " I could , says he , jump with the greatest ease
, from hence to the bottom ; but that would he nothing wonderful . If you will permit me to ' descend the stairs , I will jump from the bottom to this place . " In this the maniac willingly acquiesced ; and by that means the doctor preserved his life . "
" A Hottentot , who lived in the service of a Dutch merchant at the Cape of Good Hope , had been sent by his master with a letter to one of the colonists , who lived at a distance up the country . On his return , about midway between the place he had been to and Cape Town , he found he was followed by a lion . Now it is a singular fact in the natural history of this animal , that he never attacks his preywhile it is day-light . But he has been frequently known to
, follow persons , at the distance of a few hundred yards , for many hours , while it was light , and to attack and destroy them , as night came on . When the Hottentot lirst discovered his danger , it was within a short time of sun-set ; he knew , therefore , that he could neither return to the colonist , or arrive at the Cape Town before dark . In this perilous situation , with a famished lion gazing on him ,
and growling with satisfaction at the prospect of a good repast , he had recourse to an expedient , which might do honour to a more enlig hted being . In passing the chain of mountains , which are not far from Cape Town , he took of his clothes , consisting merely of a thin jacket , trowsers , and a cap , and stuck them on a walking stick , so as to appear like something human . He then let himself a few yards down the edge of a precipice , and set the stick with his clothes on