dined, and we
were very merry, I being willing to be so upon this news. After dinner
we took coach and to my brother's, where contrary to my expectation he
continues as bad or worse, talking idle, and now not at all knowing any
of us as before. Here we staid a great while, I going up and down the
house looking after things. In the evening Dr. Wiverley came again,
and I sent for Mr. Powell (the Doctor and I having first by ourselves
searched my brother again at his privities, where he was as clear as
ever he was born, and in the Doctor's opinion had been ever so), and we
three alone discoursed the business, where the coxcomb did give us his
simple reasons for what he had said, which the Doctor fully confuted,
and left the fellow only saying that he should cease to report any such
thing, and that what he had said was the best of his judgment from my
brother's words and a ulcer, as he supposed, in his mouth. I threatened
him that I would have satisfaction if I heard any more such discourse,
and so good night to them two, giving the Doctor a piece for his fee,
but the other nothing. I to my brother again, where Madam Turner and her
company, and Mrs. Croxton, my wife, and Mrs. Holding. About 8 o'clock my
brother began to fetch his spittle with more pain, and to speak as much
but not so distinctly, till at last the phlegm getting the mastery of
him, and he beginning as we thought to rattle, I had no mind to see
him die, as we thought he presently would, and so withdrew and led Mrs.
Turner home, but before I came back, which was in half a quarter of an
hour, my brother was dead. I went up and found the nurse holding his
eyes shut, and he poor wretch lying with his chops fallen, a most sad
sight, and that which put me into a present very great transport of
grief and cries, and indeed it was a most sad sight to see the poor
wretch lie now still and dead, and pale like a stone. I staid till he
was almost cold, while Mrs. Croxton, Holden, and the rest did strip and
lay him out, they observing his corpse, as they told me afterwards, to
be as clear as any they ever saw, and so this was the end of my poor
brother, continuing talking idle and his lips working even to his last
that his phlegm hindered his breathing, and at last his breath broke out
bringing a flood of phlegm and stuff out with it, and so he died. This
evening he talked among other talk a great deal of French very plain
and good, as, among others: 'quand un homme boit qu
|