The narrative is therefore, if somewhat less valuable as a medical
record, necessarily written in a manner more likely to interest an
unlearned reader.
These letters, from a memorandum attached, appear to have been returned
on the death of the professor, in 1819, to Dr. Hesselius. They are
written, some in English, some in French, but the greater part in
German. I am a faithful, though I am conscious, by no means a graceful
translator, and although here and there, I omit some passages, and
shorten others and disguise names, I have interpolated nothing.
CHAPTER I.
DR. HESSELIUS RELATES HOW HE MET THE REV. MR. JENNINGS.
The Rev. Mr. Jennings is tall and thin. He is middle-aged, and dresses
with a natty, old-fashioned, high-church precision. He is naturally a
little stately, but not at all stiff. His features, without being
handsome, are well formed, and their expression extremely kind, but also
shy.
I met him one evening at Lady Mary Heyduke’s. The modesty and
benevolence of his countenance are extremely prepossessing. We were but
a small party, and he joined agreeably enough in the conversation. He
seems to enjoy listening very much more than contributing to the talk;
but what he says is always to the purpose and well said. He is a great
favourite of Lady Mary’s, who it seems, consults him upon many things,
and thinks him the most happy and blessed person on earth. Little knows
she about him.
The Rev. Mr. Jennings is a bachelor, and has, they say, sixty thousand
pounds in the funds. He is a charitable man. He is most anxious to be
actively employed in his sacred profession, and yet though always
tolerably well elsewhere, when he goes down to his vicarage in
Warwickshire, to engage in the actual duties of his sacred calling his
health soon fails him, and in a very strange way. So says Lady Mary.
There is no doubt that Mr. Jennings’ health does break down in,
generally a sudden and mysterious way, sometimes in the very act of
officiating in his old and pretty church at Kenlis. It may be his heart,
it may be his brain. But so it has happened three or four times, or
oftener, that after proceeding a certain way in the service, he has on a
sudden stopped short, and after a silence, apparently quite unable to
resume, he has fallen into solitary, inaudible prayer, his hands and
eyes uplifted, and then pale as death, and in the agitation of a strange
shame and horror, descended trembling, and got into the vestry-room,
leaving his congregation, without explanation, to themselves. This
occurred when his curate was absent. When he goes down to Kenlis, now,
he always takes care to provide a clergyman to share his duty, and to
supply his place on the instant should he become thus suddenly
incapacitated.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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