Cf. supra, p. 601, n. i

GEORGK CRABBE Sq

6lO CRABBE CONTEUR ET MORALISTE

d'une fièvre et d'une faiblesse extrême. Son médecin lui fit une saignée. Ce « traitement extraordinaire » alarma son fils John qui en informa aussitôt George à Pucklechurch ('). Un

I. Voici les deux lettres de John : « Trowbridge, Jan. 28, i832.

My dear Brother the (?Dad) not being quite well, I wanted to scnd

you an account of him. We came home after our week's absence (al Pucklechurch) quite weli and found him so too, but during this Jast week we ail three took severe colds producing perpétuai coughing and which Mr. Cary says are very prévalent. Anna and I soon got prclty well by common medicine, but the Dad (?) not taking aperîenis soon enough had yesterday such a violent pain in ihe head ihat Mr. Cary thought it requisite to bleed him last night : this is so unusual a remedy for the Dad to require that we began to be rather alarmed : that however and more medicine hâve eased the pain and coughing very much and he is this moming much better.

« I shall keep this letter open till Mr. Cary calls... As to my judgi> ment^ — though absolutely frightened last night — I now hope and belicve that the only thing required is judicious reducing, and that that System and nursîng for a week or two will roake him much better than he was before : for of late he bas lived as a person might do who took strong exercise, which of course he bas not faken

« Mr. Cary bas just been hère and gives a good account. Weakness is now almost ail that remains to be dealt with, and Mr. Cary says that is so immaterial that he does not wish the appetile at ail to be urged : reducing was the thing wanted.

(c Though this opinion of bis is so satisfactoiy this morning, you will probably be more comfortable by coming and giving him a look; and if he still continues going on well, we shall enjoy it very much as a

visit » Le lendemain 29, John écrivait : « As I know you would wish

for constant intelligence, I must send a line to say that I do not think the Dad (?) quite so well to-day as yesterday, and if you can corne and pay him a visit, I think you should. The original complainte pain in the head, is much better, but the weakness and fever make him

frequently appear so ill as quite to alarm us The Dad(?) bas just

cnquired whether I had written to you. » (CollecHon Broadley.) — Puisqu'il est ici question de John, disons qu'il quitta Trowbridge en décembre 1882, qu'en novembre i833, il reçut de Mrs. Sophia North (veuve de Dudley) le bénéfice de Little et de Great Glemham, que dès 1887 il eut une grave attaque de paralysie et mourut à cinquantetrois ans, le 2 septembre 1840, à Beccles. Il avait plus de goût pour le dessin que pour la littérature.