About this time the old gentlewoman fell ill of an odd sort of a
distemper.**

* Railing against the Church.

** Carelessness in forms and discipline.

It began with a coldness and numbness in her limbs, which by degrees
affected the nerves (I think the physicians call them), seized the
brain, and at last ended in a lethargy. It betrayed itself at first in
a sort of indifference and carelessness in all her actions, coldness to
her best friends, and an aversion to stir or go about the common offices
of life. She, that was the cleanliest creature in the world, never
shrank now if you set a close-stool under her nose. She that would
sometimes rattle off her servants pretty sharply, now if she saw them
drink, or heard them talk profanely, never took any notice of it.
Instead of her usual charities to deserving persons, she threw away her
money upon roaring, swearing bullies and beggars, that went about the
streets.* "What is the matter with the old gentlewoman?" said everybody;
"she never used to do in this manner." At last the distemper grew more
violent, and threw her downright into raving fits, in which she shrieked
out so loud that she disturbed the whole neighbourhood.** In her fits
she called upon one Sir William.*** "Oh! Sir William, thou hast betrayed
me, killed me, stabbed me! See, see! Clum with his bloody knife! Seize
him! seize him! stop him! Behold the fury with her hissing snakes!
Where's my son John? Is he well, is he well? Poor man! I pity him!" And
abundance more of such strange stuff, that nobody could make anything
of.

* Disposing of some preferments to libertine and
unprincipled persons.

** The too violent clamour about the danger of the Church.

*** Sir William, a cant name of Sir Humphry's for Lord
Treasurer Godolphin.

I knew little of the matter; for when I inquired about her health, the
answer was that she was in a good moderate way. Physicians were sent for
in haste. Sir Roger, with great difficulty, brought Ratcliff; Garth came
upon the first message. There were several others called in, but, as
usual upon such occasions, they differed strangely at the consultation.
At last they divided into two parties; one sided with Garth, the other
with Ratcliff.* Dr. Garth said, "This case seems to me to be plainly
hysterical; the old woman is whimsical; it is a common thing for your
old women to be so; I'll pawn my life, blisters, with the steel diet,
will recov