james otis the pre-revolutionist-第13节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


d　at　the　same　time　his　greatest　misfortune；　that　Otis　permitted　this　political　controversy　to　have　such　an　absorbing　and　despotic　command　of　his　attention　that　melancholy　consequences　gradually　appeared　and　left　little　hope　of　his　final　restoration。　　His　excitable　and　passionate　temperament　allowed　the　fire　to　be　soon　kindled；　and　nourished　the　flame　in　which　his　intellect；　strong　as　it　had　been；　was　ultimately　destroyed。

Otis's　mental　malady　first　appeared　in　a　form　which　was　mistaken　for　mere　eccentricity　of　humor；　and　some　time　elapsed　before　his　oddities　of　fancy　and　conduct　deepened　into　acknowledged　insanity。　　An　incident　which　might　have　aroused　the　suspicions　of　his　friends　occurred　during　the　legislative　session　of　1769；　when　at　the　close　of　a　powerful　and　ingenious　speech　by　Brigadier　Ruggles　in　which　he　had　made　a　deep　impression；　Otis　at　once　arose　and　in　an　impassioned　tone　and　manner　which　struck　awe　upon　all　those　present；　exclaimed；　〃Mr。　Speaker；　the　liberty　of　this　country　is　gone　forever；　and　I'll　go　after　it；〃　and　turning　round　immediately　left　the　House。　　Some　members　stared；　some　laughed；　but　none　seemed　to　suspect　the　true　cause　of　this　odd　behavior。

How；　after　the　encounter　with　Robinson；　this　mental　disease　made　inroads　on　his　fine　powers；　we　best　know　from　John　Adams；　who　on　September　3；　1769；　wrote：　　〃Otis　talks　all；　he　grows　the　most　talkative　man　alive；　no　other　gentleman　in　company　can　find　space　to　put　in　a　word。　　He　grows　narrative　like　an　old　man。〃　　On　September　5th　occurred　the　encounter　with　Robinson；　one　of　the　Commissioners　of　Customs；　at　the　British　Coffee　House；　which　greatly　aggravated　his　mental　disorder。　　From　this　time　on　he　was　a　subject　of　some　perplexity　to　the　Whig　leaders；　though　the　spell　with　which　he　influenced　the　people　was　long　in　breaking。　　On　January　16；　Adams　again　wrote：　　〃Otis　is　in　confusion　yet；　he　loses　himself；　he　rambles　and　wanders　like　a　ship　without　a　helm；　attempted　to　tell　a　story　which　took　up　almost　all　the　evening。　*　*　*　In　one　word；　Otis　will　spoil　the　club。　　He　talks　so　much；　and　takes　up　so　much　of　our　time；　and　fills　it　with　trash；　obsceneness；　profaneness；　nonsense；　and　distraction；　that　we　have　none　left　for　rational　amusements　or　inquiries。　*　*　*　I　fear；　I　tremble；　I　mourn；　for　the　man　and　for　his　country；　many　others　mourn　over　him　with　tears　in　their　eyes。〃

In　connection　with　Otis's　charge　against　Hutchinson　as　to　rapacious　office…seeking　the　following　extract　from　John　Adams's　diary　is　of　curious　interest。　　After　detailing　certain　detractions　of　which　he　had　been　the　victim；　the　diarist　breaks　out　testily：　　〃This　is　the　rant　of　Mr。　Otis　concerning　me。　*　*　*　But　be　it　known　to　Mr。　Otis　I　have　been　in　the　public　cause　as　long　as　he；　though　I　was　never　in　the　General　Court　but　one　year。

I　have　sacrificed　as　much　to　it　as　he。　　I　have　never　got　my　father　chosen　Speaker　and　Counselor　by　it；　my　brother…in…law　chosen　into　the　House　and　chosen　Speaker　by　it；　nor　a　brother…in…law's　brother…in…law　into　the　House　and　Council　by　it；　nor　did　I　ever　turn　about　in　the　House；　and　rant　it　on　the　side　of　the　prerogative　for　a　whole　year；　to　get　a　father　into　a　Probate　office　first　Justice　of　a　Court　of　Common　Pleas；　and　a　brother　into　a　clerk's　office。　　There　is　a　complication　of　malice；　envy；　and　jealousy　in　this　man；　in　the　present　disordered　state　of　his　mind；　which　is　quite　shocking。〃　（Oct。　27；　1772。）

In　this　incapacity　of　Otis；　who　at　last　had　to　seek　confinement；　Samuel　Adams　came　to　the　front　of　the　opposition　to　Hutchinson　as　representing　the　government　policy；　and　in　nothing　did　he　show　more　adroitness　than　in　the　manner　in　which　he　humored　and　exploited　the　colleague；　whom；　though　sick；　the　people　would　not　suffer　to　be　withdrawn；　as　is　shown　by　the　following　resolution：


RESOLUTION　ADOPTED　AT　A　TOWN　MEETING　IN　BOSTON；　MAY　8；　1770。

〃The　Honorable　James　Otis　having；　by　advice　of　his　physician；　retired　into　the　country　for　the　recovery　of　his　health；　Voted；　That　thanks　of　the　town　be　given　to　the　Honorable　James　Otis　for　the　great　and　important　services；　which；　as　a　representative　in　the　General　Assembly　through　a　course　of　years；　he　has　rendered　to　this　town　and　province；　particularly　for　his　undaunted　exertions　in　the　common　cause　of　the　Colonies；　from　the　beginning　of　the　present　glorious　struggle　for　the　rights　of　the　British　consituation。　　At　the　same　time；　the　town　cannot　but　express　their　ardent　wishes　for　the　recovery　of　his　health；　and　the　continuance　of　those　public　services；　that　must　long　be　remembered　with　gratitude；　and　distinguish　his　name　among　the　patriots　of　America。〃

During　short　periods　of　sanity；　or　of　only　partial　aberration；　Otis's　wit　and　humor；　rendered　more　quaint　and　striking　by　the　peculiarities　of　his　mental　condition；　made　him　the　delight　of　a　small　circle　of　friends。　　The　following　anecdote；　admirably　told　by　President　Adams；　presents　in　a　very　graphic　manner　the　peculiarities　of　his　character：

〃Otis　belonged　to　a　club；　who　met　on　evenings；　of　which　club　William　Molineux　was　a　member。　　Molineux　had　a　petition　before　the　legislature；　which　did　not　succeed　to　his　wishes；　and　he　became　for　several　evenings　sour；　and　wearied　the　company　with　his　complaints　of　services；　losses；　sacrifices；　etc。；　and　said；　'That　a　man　who　has　behaved　as　I　have；　should　be　treated　as　I　am；　is　intolerable；'　etc。　　Otis　had　said　nothing；　but　the　company　were　disgusted　and　out　of　patience；　when　Otis　rose　from　his　seat；　and　said；　'Come；　come；　Will；　quit　this　subject；　and　let　us　enjoy　ourselves；　I　also　have　a　list　of　grievances；　will　you　hear　it？'　　The　club　expected　some　fun；　and　all　cried　out；　'Ay！　ay！　let　us　hear　your　list。'

〃'Well；　then；　Will；　in　the　first　place；　I　resigned　the　office　of　the　Advocate…General；　which　I　held　from　the　crown；　that　produced　mehow　much　do　you　think？'　　'A　great　deal；　no　doubt；'　said　Molineux。　'Shall　we　say　two　hundred　sterling　a　year？'　　'Ay；　more　I　believe；'　said　Molineux。　　'Well；　let　it　be　two　hundred；　that　for　ten　years；　is　two　thousand。　　In　the　next　place；　I　have　been　obliged　to　relinquish　the　greatest　part　of　my　business　at　the　bar。　　Will　you　set　that　at　two　hundred　more？'　　'O；　I　believe　it　much　more　than　that。'　　'Well；　let　it　be　two　hundred；　this；　for　ten　years；　is　two　thousand。　　You　allow；　then；　I　have　lost　four　thousand　pounds　sterling？'　'Ay；　and　much　more；　too；'　said　Molineux。

〃'In　the　next　place；　I　have　lost　a　hundred　friends；　among　whom　were　the　men　of　the　first　rank；　fortune；　and　power；　in　the　province。　　At　what　price　will　you　estimate　them？'　　'Dn　them；'　said　Molineux；　'at　nothing：　　you　are　better　without　them　than　with　them。'　　A　loud　laugh。　　'Be　it　so；'　said　Otis。

〃'In　the　next　place；　I　have　made　a　thousand　enemies；　among　whom　are　the　government　of　the　province　and　the　nation。　　What　do　you　think　of　this　item？'　　'That　is　as　it　may　happen；'　said　Molineux。

〃'In　the　next　place；　you　know；　I　love　pleasure；　but　I　have　renounced　all　amusement　for　ten　years。　　What　is　that　worth　to　a　man　of　pleasure？'　　'No　great　matter；'　said　Molineux；　'you　have　made　politics　your　amusement。'　　A　hearty　laugh。

〃'In　the　next　place；　I　have　ruined　as　fine　health；　and　as　good　a　constitution　of　body；　as　nature　ever　gave　to　man。'　　'This　is　melancholy　indeed；'　said　Molineux；　'there　is　nothing　to　be　said　on　that　point。'　

〃'Once　more；'　said　Otis；　holding　his　head　down　before　Molineux；　'look　upon　this　head！'　　（Where　was　a　scar　in　which　a　man　might　bury　his　finger。）　　'What　do　you　think　of　this？　　And；　what　is　worse；　my　friends　think　I　have　a　monstrous　crack　in　my　skull。'

〃This　made　all　the　company　very　grave；　and　look　very　solemn。　　But　Otis；　setting　up　a　laugh；　and　with　a　gay　countenance；　said　to　Molineux；　'Now；　Willy；　my　advice　to　you　is；　to　say　no　more　about　your　grievances；　for　you　and　I　had　better　put　up　our　accounts　of　profit　and　loss　in　our　pockets；　and　say　no　more　about　them；　lest　the　world　should　laugh　at　us。'〃

This　whimsical　dialogue　put　all　the　company；　including　Molineux；　in　a　good　humor；　and　they　passed　the　rest　of　the　evening　very　pleasantly。

One　of　the　few　fragments　in　Otis'　handwriting　now　extant；　is　a　memorandum　made　during　the　two　years　of　transient　sanity　just　preceding　his　tragic　death。　　Returning　one　Sunday　from　public　worship；　he　wrote：　　〃I　have　this　day　attended　divine　service；　and　heard　a　sensible　discourse；　and　thanks　be　to　God；　I　now　enjoy　the　greatest　of　all　blessings；　mens　sana　in　copore　sano〃　（a　sound　mind　in　a　sound　body）。　　But　this　gleam　of　reason　was　as　transient　as　others　that　had　preceded；　and　with　Bowen　we　willingly　draw　a　veil　over　the　sad　record　of　this　most　terrible　misfortune　of　our　hero。　　〃To　be　among　men；　and　yet　not　of　them；　to　preserve　the　outward　form　and　lineaments　of　a　human　being；　while　the　spirit　within　is　wanting；　or　is　transformed　into　a　wreck　of　what　it　has　been；　is　surely　one　of　the　most　impressive　and　affecting　instances　of　the　ills　to　which　mortality　is　exposed。　　It　enforces　with　melancholy　earnestness　the　moral　lesson；　that　the　only　objects　of　the　affections　are　the　character　and　the　intellect；　and　when　these　are　destroyed；　we　look　upon　the　external　shape　and　features　only　as　on　the　tomb　in　which　the　mortal　remains　of　a　friend　repose。　　We　even　long　for　the　closi