Mr. Cruden greatly injured: an account of a trial between Mr. Alexander Cruden ... and Dr. Munro [and others], defendants ... July 17, 1739, on an action of trespass, assault and imprisonment ... To which is added a surprising account of several other persons who have been most unjustly confined in private madhouses / [Alexander Cruden].

Cruden, Alexander, 1699-1770.

Date:: 1739

Credit: Mr. Cruden greatly injured: an account of a trial between Mr. Alexander Cruden ... and Dr. Munro [and others], defendants ... July 17, 1739, on an action of trespass, assault and imprisonment ... To which is added a surprising account of several other persons who have been most unjustly confined in private madhouses / [Alexander Cruden]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

18/48 (page 12)

$Parents according as the Law of God diredls and commands hini. The Plaintif’s Father has often difcover’d himfelf to be too eafy in his Temper, and might be eafily over-perfuaded and impofed upon by fome Perfons ; and Wightman may be faid to have left Up Stone unturn’d to fcreen himfelf from Juftice. But as to the Plaintif’s uncommon Treatment when a Youth at Aberdeen, he had been greatly provoked and highly affronted by his Relations, and therefore he would not live at that time with them : Upon juft Occafions the Plaintif’s Temper is net t afily to be diverted from what he thinks to be his Duty and is Lent upon ; and he is at Times refolute and firm in his Opinions; and his Refolution raifes in him a Confidence of furmounting ab moil invincible Difficulties, of which his wonderful Efcape from Wright's Madhoufe is not one of the leaft Inftances. The Plain¬ tif’s refolute Behaviour at that time not being thought fuitable to his ordinary meek Temper, fome Perfons precipitantly and from a Spirit of Delufion and Infatuation reported that he was befide himfelf; tho’ he fpoke and behaved very fenfibly ; and many of the Town were furprifed at their unaccountable Management. A Perfons being call'd mad is far from being a Proof that he is really mad: For the Prophet 'was call'd a mad Fellow, who was lent to anoint Jehu King of Ifrael ; and Feftus thought the Apofile Paul was mad. Let us alfo confder that extraordinary hi fane e of our blcjfed Lord, whom his own Relations and the Scribes and P bar fees took to be mad or befide hijnfelf\ 2 Kings ix. 11. Afts xxvi. 24. Mark iii. 21. The Plaintif was in the Year 1720 in a treacherous Manner decoy’d into the publick Prifon at Aberdeen, by the Advice of a conceited Man, and was confin’d there about a Fortnight, which bad Treatment he greatly complain’d of, and he thinks that they who had the chief Hand in it deferved to undergo the fevereft JPnnifhments. He was backward to come out of Prifon, but they prevailed upon him by good Words to come. He hath often reproached his Relations about this Affair,and even that very Day he left Scotland; and he alfo writ about it before the late Trial. He was inclinable for fome time after to purfue them to the ut- moft ; but on fome Chriftian Confiderations, and out of refpeil to his Relations, he was willing to pafs it over. A fhort Time after bis barbarous Treatment a noted and affe&ionate Minifter vifited the PJaintif at Aberdeen: He faid to him, what fhall I do with them, meaning his criminal Relations ? The Minifter anfwer’d with uncommon Concern and Affe&ion : «« Pray, my Dear, dont ie trouble your Head about them, for your God will appear for youy Ci and i?iake it fome time or other to turn to your good A Another Paper produced in Court to prove the Plaintif’s In¬ finity, was a Letter to Mrs. Payne dated at Bethnal-Green May 25, 1738, which was a Love-Letter, and writ very fenfibly and ac¬ curately : There were in it fome rhetorical Figures and Simili¬ tudes, that rather rend red it a proper Letter for the Purpofe, than proved$

Licence and re-use

Contents