Shut out from the world, one is as apt at one time, on again entering into it, to be as much oversurprised and delighted with the blessed fire-side scenes where the wise and good man resides, as one is at another time to be equally over-disappointed and revolted with the follies and miseries of the moral insanities which exist unrestrained among men in real life. Nor do I conceive we have more appalling consequences of disobedience to the natural and divine laws of our being, in this place, than can be seen in the world, walking in wantonness in the broad light of the noon-day sun. Insanity is, no doubt, a terrible visitation, but why should we allow a false and unreasonable horror to increase it, and why should we thus sever our sympathy from a disease which more than any other requires it? The medicinal virtues of the fruits of charity are best proved amongst them. Grant that the disease arises from some remote or proximate ill-directed mental states. Why should we have more horror of insanity, than many other consequences of ill-regulated minds.—To me, the foul ward of some large public Hospital, is incomparably more horrible and loathsome.—Such direct consequences of wickedness present the object before us in an aspect that makes it difficult for us to exercise any feelings of commiseration towards them. Not so the insane! but these are views, however, into the consideration of which, I shall not enter in this place; but I mention or rather hint at the diseases of other organs, for the purpose of asserting that the reality and appearance of the miserable state of the insane is not so shocking as people imagine, but that still I allow it is an awful visitation. But while I allow this, it is at the same time the strongest reason why we should be anxious to remove all those false and unreasonable horrors, which can only aggravate the calamity, by giving countenance to the imaginary necessity of having recourse to harsh measures,—one ceases with the other,—it will not only do this, but it will also, I repeat, remove those depressing feelings of degradation which, whenever reason gleams, is death to their hopes, and which often prevents their recovery, brings on relapses, and is the most painful and heartrending feeling they have to contend against in the critical and incipient stage of their convalescence.