318 BRITISH PHYSICIANS. eye to himself when he wrote it. " There are some characters," he says, " who are commonly called low-spirited, gloomy, desponding fellows. During an interval of occupation, when the mind is free to range where it pleases, they are con- stantly painting their future lives with a pencil dipped in black. Aware that they possess certain resources of money, knowledge, and patronage, they view their present situation in the same light with the most cheerful of their companions. But the character of the man, the extent of his re- sources, and the usual conduct of the world being given, to find his future lot, he commences his cal- culations with the same assumptions, and differs from them in the conclusion. They deduce suc- cess, he misfortune ; and the consequence is, that he becomes a frequent prey to those sorrowful apprehensions and gloomy emotions which want only strength and permanency to constitute one species of mental disease." At this time Gooch was on the point of marry- ing the woman of his choice, and with a fair pro- spect of success in his profession — still he was not happy. Do " coming events cast their shadows before ?" and had he a presentiment that in less than three years he should see the object of his fondest affections pine away and die ? The lady was not in good health when she married, and though pregnancy suspended the progress of disease, after her confinement she became decidedly consumptive. She lingered for about fifteen months, and died on the 21st of January, 1811. The infant survived its mother about six months, and was buried in the same grave with her.
