On the next occasion of my stated visit, I found my patient had at last fallen into a state of absolute delirium. On a soft arm-chair, situated by his bedside, sat his wife, the picture of despair, wringing her hands, and indulging in the most extravagant demonstrations of grief and affection. The wretched man exhibited the ordinary symptoms of that unnatural excitement of the brain under which he laboured--relapsing at times into silence, then uttering a multiplicity of confused words--jabbering wildly--looking about him with that extraordinary expression of the eye, as if every individual present was viewed as a murderer--then starting up, and, with an overstrained and choking voice, vociferating his frenzied thoughts, and then again relapsing into silence. It is but little we can do for patients in this extreme condition; but the faith his wife reposed in professional powers that had already saved her, suggested supplications and entreaties which I told her she had better direct to a higher Dispensator of hope and relief. The tumultuous thoughts of the raving victim were still at intervals rolling forth; and, all of a sudden, I was startled by a great increase of the intensity and connectedness of his speech. He had struck the chord that sounded most fearfully in his own ears. His attempt to murder the creature who now sat and heard his wild confession, was described by himself in intelligible, though broken sentences:-- "The fortune brought me by Espras," he vociferated, "is loaded by the burden of herself--that glass is not well ground--you are not so ill, my dear Espras, as to require a doctor--I cannot bear the thought of you labouring under that necessity--who can cure you so well as your devoted husband? Take this--fear not--why should love have suspicions? When she is gone, I shall have a wife of whom I may not be ashamed--yet, is she not a stranger in a foreign land? Has she not left her country, her relations, her friends, her gods, for me, whom she has raised to opulence? Cease, cease--I cannot stand these thoughts--there is a strife in this heart between the powers of hell and heaven--when will it terminate, and who shall rule my destiny?"