Four Years in France: or, Narrative of an English Family's Residence there during that Period; Preceded by some Account of the Conversion of the Author to the Catholic FaithBeste, Henry Digby
Religion
Four Years in France: or, Narrative of an English Family's Residence there during that Period; Preceded by some Account of the Conversion of the Author to the Catholic Faith
Beste, Henry Digby
France -- Description and travel
The next morning, Antoine asked Roche on his first visit, "Is M. Kenelm
worse, Sir? M. Guerard seemed much disturbed yesterday." Roche said, "O
no: all is going on well: he is better."
Guerard did not even order Roche's treatment, though contrary to the
malady, to be discontinued; and Roche went on with his barley-water and
calming potion conjointly with Guerard's prescribed medicines. After
visiting four days, Guerard fell ill of the gout and was confined to his
house: it was then agreed that Roche should report to him daily the
state of the patient, and consult with him on the treatment.
My eldest daughter, subsequently to Guerard's first visit, was ill of a
sore throat: had she taken the infection of the typhus, would these
medical men still have persevered in their silence? A good providence
was merciful. She recovered; we were less alarmed, as unaware of the
extent of the danger; and it is not proved that the medical men were
willing to assassinate more than two of the family.
Kenelm appeared to be somewhat benefited by Guerard's medicines; and the
external application of camphor, now prescribed by Roche, mitigated the
delirium, though it did not remove the cause. His brother said one day,
"Let us try how far his mind is free:" and, taking the drawing
before-mentioned of the infant Jesus, which had been framed and hung up
in the first salon, he placed it at the foot of his brother's bed.
Kenelm looked at it for a short time with seeming pleasure, and then
said, "Perhaps that may hereafter do me some little honour." Other
indications he gave, that he thought his end to be near: he said to me,
with a pensive and composed look,--"Monument? what monument shall I
have?" He heard the bell of the church of St. Agricol, and cried, "Why
do they ring that bell? I am not dead yet." On the twenty-fourth of
September he said to his mother, "I dreamed last night that Mr. Roche
took me into a church, and left me there, promising to bring me every
day bread and water. He did so for some time; but one day he failed of
coming, and I died. I thought in my dream that I made a very happy
death: I am certain it is a very easy thing to make a happy death."
This dream evidently tranquillized and spoke peace to his soul: it was a
merciful dispensation, when other means of spiritual comfort were
rendered impossible by the delirium, which however left to his pious
thoughts their direction and energy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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