THE
JOUENAL OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE AND
MENTAL PATHOLOGY. Art. I.?CHARLES By J. M.
LEVER, M.B.,
WINN, M.D.,
LL.D.
&C.
fame of Cliarles Lever had so completely eclipsed reputation, that it was not until the publication of his entertaining biography by Dr. Fitzpatrick that we became aware of the noble traits he exhibited as a physician during the fifteen years that he practised as a medical man in Ireland and Brussels. A passing tribute is therefore due to the memory of one whom we are proud to number as one of our profession. If he did not distinguish himself by any great discovery in The
literary
his medical
*
medicine
or
the collateral sciences, he appears
as a
high-minded
physician, who held honourable and exalted notions of his vocation, and should be held up as a bright example to those who are about to adopt the profession of medicine; for in the present day there are too many who look upon it as a moneymaking trade, rather than a noble calling. In our reference to
incidents in the life of Lever we shall confine ourselves chiefly to the medical aspects of his genius and character. From Dr. Fitzpatrick we learn that, after making one voyage as surgeon in an emigrant ship, Lever was sent, in 1832, when the cholera was raging in Ireland, with twenty other young medical men, by the Board of Health, to Kilrush, to assist the local practitioners in the treatment of the epidemic. Lever here showed himself to be a thoroughly practical psychological physician ;f for, by his cheerfulness and courageous example, he
* The Life of Charles Lever, by W. J. Fitzpatrick, LL.D., M.E.I.A. Chapman and Hall, 193 Piccadilly, London. 1879. + The supremacy of the mind over the body, and its influence in disease as ?well as in health, is a fact which has been fully acknowledged by the wisest physicians in all ages, and one that is not likely to be discredited by Professor Huxley's recent materialistic attempt (in his address to the boys of
PART II.
v
'"6.
VOL. Y.
NEW SERIES.
University N
166
CHARLES
LEVER, M.B.,
LL.D.
a liope and confidence that were invaluable, and often efficacious when every kind of drug had been found useless. The inhabitants generally were wretchedly poor, and naturally dreadfully depressed at witnessing the fearful inroads that death was making amongst them. It was then that Lever's buoyant spirit acted like a charm. He was never cast down, yet always ready to attend to the calls of the sick poor. In speaking of his services at Kilrush Fitzpatrick observes :? " Lever made so good a name for himself in treating the epidemic which ravaged Ireland, that he was offered the post of chief physician to a cholera hospital in the west, but he preferred a permanent appointment, if such a thing should turn
inspired
up."
importance of attention to the psychological aspect of was strongly insisted upon by the late Dr. Forbes Winslow, in a pamphlet which lie published in 1849, entitled The Cholera considered Psychologically. In it he observes: It is a well-established fact that persons may be exposed for a length of time to the influence of the most virulent contagion with impunity, so long as the mind remains in a fearless, tranquil, and unanxious condition; but if mental depression ensues, the contagion seizes hold of the constitution, and disease The cholera
"
manifests itself."
It was fortunate for Lever's mental and bodily health, and for that of his patients too, that he was able during the hours of relaxation to enjoy the pleasures of society and indulge in harmless practical jokes. Strange to say, these not only but praiseworthy recreations, brought down upon justifiable, him the censure of solemn blockheads and canting Stigginses. With reference to this happy trait in Lever's character Dr. observes :? Fitzpatrick " Dickens played practical jokes from love of fun, Lever, when jaded by work, resorted to them as a relaxation. The small persecution to which he was subjected by those who condemned his general abandon and enjoyment of passing pleasures, was clearly in his (Lever's) mind when reviewing Physic and Physicians* ' Nothing is too severe, nothing too illiberal, to be said of the doctor, when, the hours of a painful and laborious day passed, should he either unbend in the lighter amusements of the world, or avail himself of the recreations which to overworked minds are almost a necessity of existence. No, no; we can
College) to exalt the importance of the stomach and lungs. We do not desire to ignore it, but if the cultivation of these organs bo the chief object of academic instruction, and if prizes for the best stomach and lungs are thrown open to all comers, it must follow that our ape-relative?a full-grown gorilla fresh from his African home?would distance all competitors. * By the lato Dr. Forbes Winslow.
CHARLES LEVER,
1G7
M.B., LL.D.
forgive the man who has listened to our narrative of gouty suffering or dyspeptic ill-temper, if he be seen the same evening enjoying himself at the opera, or the next morning breathing the free air of the hunting-field.' It has been said never
that the life of a country doctor is one either of stagnation or overwork, but Lever took care to avoid both Scylla and Charybdis. One of his successors in office told Major D. (from whose ' manuscript we quote) that when he went to Derry, some years later, he found the whole country still full of stories and anecdotes of the wild young doctor who himself performed in Coleraine .the feat of jumping over a cart and horse, which he attributes to O'Malley at Lisbon. He is also described as riding backward and forward through the entire night between the bed of some child that was dangerously ill, and a ball given by the officers of a regiment then at Coleraine, and that, too, in his evening dress.' If Lever had studied appearances, and looked solemn while his heart was glad, his purse would have become more fat from fees Some persons have poohLever's skill as a poohed physician, but unfairly. Dr. Lytton who in dispensary duty at Portstewart, him succeeded Mclntyre, writes: 'Dr. Barr, the oldest medical practitioner now in Coleraine, tells me he knew him well, and he speaks in the highest terms of his medical skill. There is scarcely a resident in Portstewart now who existed in Lever's time. Many years ago I knew several of his friends there, and my impression, from their description, is that he was universally esteemed, and that for his attainments and disposition his society was greatly
sought.'"
profession at Gottingen as well as at advantage of attending the lectures of Blumenbacli. Fitzpatrick gives the account of his first interview with that celebrity in his own words. After ascending the steps of the professor's house, and knocking at a door, with Lever studied his and had the
Dublin,
"
Herein" inscribed on it, Lever says : " A voice of thunder answered my small knock. I entered, and beheld a small venerable-looking old man, with white hair flowing in careless profusion upon his neck and shoulders. His head, almost preternaturally large, was surmounted by a green velvet cap placed a little on one side. He was grotesquely enveloped in a fur cloak with large sleeves, and altogether presented the most extraordinary figure I had ever seen. I was again roused by the sound of his voice, interrogating me in no less than six successive languages (ere I found my tongue) as to my name, country, &c. &c. I immediately presented my letters and present, with which he seemed highly pleased, and informed me that his ' guter freund,' Lord Talbot, always brought him Irish N
2
168
CIIAELES LEVER, M.B., LL.D.
snuff; and then welcoming me to Gottingen, he seized my hands, pressed me down upon a seat, and began talking con-
cerning my travels, plans, probable stay at the University, &c. I now felt myself relieved from the awe with which I had at first awaited the interview, and looked around with a mingled feeling of admiration and surprise at the odd melange of curiosities ia natural history, skulls, drawings, models, and even toys, which filled the cabinet. But, indeed, the worthy professor was by far the greatest lion of the collection." Lever remarked that the newest English publications reposed on his table, and even some from Dublin. " On standing up to take my leave, I asked him whether the Gall and Spurzheim theories were to compose part of my university-creed course of study; to which he answered, ' No; but if you will wait to October, we are to have a new system broached;' and then chuckling at this hit at the fondness of his countrymen for speculating, he pressed me soon to revisit him and see his collection ; and thus ended my interview with the great Blumenbach." Previous to Lever's going to Brussels in 1833 he had been appointed to the dispensary at Portstewart, having before graduated as B.A. andM.B. at Trinity College, Dublin. Whilst at Brussels he had the patronage of the British Legation, and his professional services were greatly valued by the leading inDr. Fitzpatrick mentions the habitants. following curious incident in his practice :? " A stud-groom of the King of Holland had been under his care for ague. He got well, and on his return to the Hague thought proper to visit his former doctor?the king's physician to show himself, and to extol Lever's merits. The Dutch M.D. was amazed at what he considered a small miracle, and hearing that the wonderful man who worked it was an author, sent off an express to Bruxelles for Lever's works. They sent him Harry Lorrequer and Charles O^Malley, and the luckless leech nearly lost his senses at the shock, besides being made the laughing-stock of all Holland, where the whole story was known, from the king downwards." At Brussels his society was greatly courted, and his hospitable house was frequented by many distinguished guests: amongst them were Sir Hamilton Seymour, the British Minister, Archbishop Whately, and the present Pope. Though he had a considerable medical practice, it was not lucrative, and a great part of his income was even then derived from his writings. Harry Lorrequer, which appeared in the Dublin University Magazine, was a great success, and Lever found himself so popular as an author that he resolved to abandon the profession and devote himself entirely to literature. He con-
CHARLES LEVER, M.B., LL.D.
169
sequently quitted Brussels, returned to Dublin, and became the editor of the University Magazine. Although there can be no doubt that the novel-reading public were great gainers by this step, Lever expressed, shortly before his death, his misgivings as to whether it had promoted his own happiness. He said: " Having given up the profession for which I believe I had some aptitude, to follow the precarious life of a writer, I suppose I am only admitting what many others under like circumstances might declare, that I had my moments, and more than mere moments, of doubt and misgiving that I had made the wiser choice; and bating the intense pleasure an occasional success has afforded, I have been led to think that the career I had abandoned would have been more rewarding, more safe from reverses, and less exposed to those variations of public taste which are the terrors of all who live in the world's favour." Long after he gave up practice, Lever continued to take a In 1872 the Lancet, warm interest in the medical profession. " in a notice of his death, made the following remarks: It is his able for liitn but a short time ago that we had to thank and eloquent vindication of the physician's claims to honours reserved too frequently for merit merely civic or political in its tenour. So that, while mingling with that of the general public our tribute of regret at the loss of so bright a literary one for we shall add another and a more poignant
benefactor,
the premature extinction of a true friend to our profession, an ornament to it in his early years, and its vindicator to the
last."
his editorship of the Dublin University Magazine, journal attained an extensive circulation, mainly due to his original contributions which flowed incessantly from the Scattered fertile imagination and facile pen. throughout miscellaneous articles in the journal we find passages of profound and serious thought. Though no anchorite, it is his jovial easy to perceive, too, through the atmosphere of mirth, glimpses of the highest medico-psychological aspirations; and, like the generality of our brightest geniuses, he had no sympathy with heartless infidelity or cold-blooded materialism. We quote the following passages in confirmation of what we the the
During
have stated :?" The medical
man
is
more
than any other met
by facts, whose tendency is directly the opposite [to atheism]. The recognition of the Creator in His works is to him the daily study of his life. Those powerful arguments which natural theology, as it is called, possesses, are to him more available, for the experience of his profession teems with them; and even where with the unmedical world the evidences of truth end,
170
CHARLES
LEVER, M.B.,
LL.D.
a new chapter is opened. To the evidence of design alone his belief is not limited ; he is called upon by the study of his art to recognise a still higher attribute?the Providence of There is scarcely an accident of our lives, however God. slight, scarcely a malady which flesh is heir to, so trivial, that would not, in its consequences, involve our very existence itself, were there not inherent in our bodies some antagonism to disease and death, by which our preservation is accomplished." These remarks were penned in 1839, when he was comparatively a young man, and show that it was not merely when he was broken down by trouble and disease, as his warmly attached friend and amanuensis, Mr. Stephen Pearce, supposed, that he had times of graver thought. Canon Hayman bears a similar " Poor Lever; none sooner than himself would testimony. admit his foibles and failings. Let us hope and believe, with his kind amanuensis, that sorrow brought him higher and better things; and I myself possess knowledge, hidden from Pearce, that under that wild levity, sober and sacred thoughts were not unfrequently concealed." To Mr. Pearce we are indebted for the following graphic notice of his genius and virtues:?" It was all dash and go up to the highest pitch possible, with, I think, not much thought of the future; though in purity of morals he was certainly sans
to him
.
.
.
reproche."
We have dwelt thus much
character, because in
a
recent
on the moral aspects of Lever's review of his "life the writer has
all his failings in the strongest light, and his and redeeming qualities. noble unnoticed passed In estimating his character, it must never be lost sight of that he was intensely Irish, and his merits, as well as his shortcomings, were eminently Celtic, and must be judged accordingly. Although he frequently showed carelessness of his own interests, he never stooped to literary charlatanism; and though his society was courted in the most brilliant circles, yet?unlike the generality of convivial wits?he continued to be the idol of his home circle, and was a devoted husband and father. Lever was much gratified at receiving from the University of Dublin the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws at the time of his last visit to that city. This induced him to resume the title of Doctor, which he had for many years abandoned. He attributed much of his knowledge of human nature to the peculiar advantages which a physician enjoys in the daily intercourse with his patients. He observes : "The life of a physician has nothing so cheering, so full of hearty encouragement, as the occasional friendships to which it opens the way. The doctor attains to a degree of intimacy, and stands on a footing of
ungenerously placed
CHARLES
LL.D.
LEVER, M.B.,
171
confidence so entirely exceptional, that if personal qualities lend aid to the parties, his intercourse becomes friendship. "Whether therefore, my old career gave me any assistance in new roads whether it imparted to me any habits of investigation as applicable to the full, to morals as to matter or not, it certainly imparted to me the happy accident of standing on good terms with? I was going to say my patients?and perhaps no better word could be found for one who has heard me so long, trusted me so much, given me so large a share of his favour, and come to look upon me with such friendship. He, who to-day is the confidant of his king, and to-morrow leans over the sick bed of the starving tenant of a garret, must needs see life in various aspects; and it would be to deny him powers that his very position demands, not to confess that, to him more of the romance of life is presented than to any other man/' There can be no question that Lever had many of the attributes of genius. He had great powers of observation, and possessed that peculiar faculty conspicuous in great geniuses? that of vividly seeing as if in a picture the scenes which he described. Dickens not only saw the scenes he described, but also heard distinctly the words uttered by his imaginary characters, and his account of this fact led the late Gr. H. Lewes to suppose that these vivid conceptions were the Forster, in his Life of product of insane hallucinations! the fallacy of this notion. Dickens, has effectually exposed before him withcame said his that ?>yron poetical images out as if they were objective, when his effort of own, any they were really subjective. Sterne also, in Tristram Shandy, very drolly alludes to the same sort of faculty, which he calls " catching ideas. He says: I look up, catching the idea, sometimes even before it half reaches me. I believe in my conscience I intercept many a thought which Heaven intended for another man." The earlier works of Lever, like Marryat's, will ever delight those who are in the heyday of youth, and the perusal of his stories has doubtless been the means of leading many .
military
.
.
ardent youth to become a dashing dragoon, just as Marryat's novels have added many a gallant lad to the navy. It is, however, on Lever's later works, when his style became serious and philosophic, that his literary fame will chiefly depend. t)r. Fitzpatrick's Biography of Lever abounds in racy anecdotes, and descriptions of the originals from which he drew his will furnish a pleasant recreation in and its an
sea
characters,
perusal
"Hours of Idleness."
JOUENAL OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE AND
MENTAL PATHOLOGY. Art. I.?CHARLES By J. M.
LEVER, M.B.,
WINN, M.D.,
LL.D.
&C.
fame of Cliarles Lever had so completely eclipsed reputation, that it was not until the publication of his entertaining biography by Dr. Fitzpatrick that we became aware of the noble traits he exhibited as a physician during the fifteen years that he practised as a medical man in Ireland and Brussels. A passing tribute is therefore due to the memory of one whom we are proud to number as one of our profession. If he did not distinguish himself by any great discovery in The
literary
his medical
*
medicine
or
the collateral sciences, he appears
as a
high-minded
physician, who held honourable and exalted notions of his vocation, and should be held up as a bright example to those who are about to adopt the profession of medicine; for in the present day there are too many who look upon it as a moneymaking trade, rather than a noble calling. In our reference to
incidents in the life of Lever we shall confine ourselves chiefly to the medical aspects of his genius and character. From Dr. Fitzpatrick we learn that, after making one voyage as surgeon in an emigrant ship, Lever was sent, in 1832, when the cholera was raging in Ireland, with twenty other young medical men, by the Board of Health, to Kilrush, to assist the local practitioners in the treatment of the epidemic. Lever here showed himself to be a thoroughly practical psychological physician ;f for, by his cheerfulness and courageous example, he
* The Life of Charles Lever, by W. J. Fitzpatrick, LL.D., M.E.I.A. Chapman and Hall, 193 Piccadilly, London. 1879. + The supremacy of the mind over the body, and its influence in disease as ?well as in health, is a fact which has been fully acknowledged by the wisest physicians in all ages, and one that is not likely to be discredited by Professor Huxley's recent materialistic attempt (in his address to the boys of
PART II.
v
'"6.
VOL. Y.
NEW SERIES.
University N
166
CHARLES
LEVER, M.B.,
LL.D.
a liope and confidence that were invaluable, and often efficacious when every kind of drug had been found useless. The inhabitants generally were wretchedly poor, and naturally dreadfully depressed at witnessing the fearful inroads that death was making amongst them. It was then that Lever's buoyant spirit acted like a charm. He was never cast down, yet always ready to attend to the calls of the sick poor. In speaking of his services at Kilrush Fitzpatrick observes :? " Lever made so good a name for himself in treating the epidemic which ravaged Ireland, that he was offered the post of chief physician to a cholera hospital in the west, but he preferred a permanent appointment, if such a thing should turn
inspired
up."
importance of attention to the psychological aspect of was strongly insisted upon by the late Dr. Forbes Winslow, in a pamphlet which lie published in 1849, entitled The Cholera considered Psychologically. In it he observes: It is a well-established fact that persons may be exposed for a length of time to the influence of the most virulent contagion with impunity, so long as the mind remains in a fearless, tranquil, and unanxious condition; but if mental depression ensues, the contagion seizes hold of the constitution, and disease The cholera
"
manifests itself."
It was fortunate for Lever's mental and bodily health, and for that of his patients too, that he was able during the hours of relaxation to enjoy the pleasures of society and indulge in harmless practical jokes. Strange to say, these not only but praiseworthy recreations, brought down upon justifiable, him the censure of solemn blockheads and canting Stigginses. With reference to this happy trait in Lever's character Dr. observes :? Fitzpatrick " Dickens played practical jokes from love of fun, Lever, when jaded by work, resorted to them as a relaxation. The small persecution to which he was subjected by those who condemned his general abandon and enjoyment of passing pleasures, was clearly in his (Lever's) mind when reviewing Physic and Physicians* ' Nothing is too severe, nothing too illiberal, to be said of the doctor, when, the hours of a painful and laborious day passed, should he either unbend in the lighter amusements of the world, or avail himself of the recreations which to overworked minds are almost a necessity of existence. No, no; we can
College) to exalt the importance of the stomach and lungs. We do not desire to ignore it, but if the cultivation of these organs bo the chief object of academic instruction, and if prizes for the best stomach and lungs are thrown open to all comers, it must follow that our ape-relative?a full-grown gorilla fresh from his African home?would distance all competitors. * By the lato Dr. Forbes Winslow.
CHARLES LEVER,
1G7
M.B., LL.D.
forgive the man who has listened to our narrative of gouty suffering or dyspeptic ill-temper, if he be seen the same evening enjoying himself at the opera, or the next morning breathing the free air of the hunting-field.' It has been said never
that the life of a country doctor is one either of stagnation or overwork, but Lever took care to avoid both Scylla and Charybdis. One of his successors in office told Major D. (from whose ' manuscript we quote) that when he went to Derry, some years later, he found the whole country still full of stories and anecdotes of the wild young doctor who himself performed in Coleraine .the feat of jumping over a cart and horse, which he attributes to O'Malley at Lisbon. He is also described as riding backward and forward through the entire night between the bed of some child that was dangerously ill, and a ball given by the officers of a regiment then at Coleraine, and that, too, in his evening dress.' If Lever had studied appearances, and looked solemn while his heart was glad, his purse would have become more fat from fees Some persons have poohLever's skill as a poohed physician, but unfairly. Dr. Lytton who in dispensary duty at Portstewart, him succeeded Mclntyre, writes: 'Dr. Barr, the oldest medical practitioner now in Coleraine, tells me he knew him well, and he speaks in the highest terms of his medical skill. There is scarcely a resident in Portstewart now who existed in Lever's time. Many years ago I knew several of his friends there, and my impression, from their description, is that he was universally esteemed, and that for his attainments and disposition his society was greatly
sought.'"
profession at Gottingen as well as at advantage of attending the lectures of Blumenbacli. Fitzpatrick gives the account of his first interview with that celebrity in his own words. After ascending the steps of the professor's house, and knocking at a door, with Lever studied his and had the
Dublin,
"
Herein" inscribed on it, Lever says : " A voice of thunder answered my small knock. I entered, and beheld a small venerable-looking old man, with white hair flowing in careless profusion upon his neck and shoulders. His head, almost preternaturally large, was surmounted by a green velvet cap placed a little on one side. He was grotesquely enveloped in a fur cloak with large sleeves, and altogether presented the most extraordinary figure I had ever seen. I was again roused by the sound of his voice, interrogating me in no less than six successive languages (ere I found my tongue) as to my name, country, &c. &c. I immediately presented my letters and present, with which he seemed highly pleased, and informed me that his ' guter freund,' Lord Talbot, always brought him Irish N
2
168
CIIAELES LEVER, M.B., LL.D.
snuff; and then welcoming me to Gottingen, he seized my hands, pressed me down upon a seat, and began talking con-
cerning my travels, plans, probable stay at the University, &c. I now felt myself relieved from the awe with which I had at first awaited the interview, and looked around with a mingled feeling of admiration and surprise at the odd melange of curiosities ia natural history, skulls, drawings, models, and even toys, which filled the cabinet. But, indeed, the worthy professor was by far the greatest lion of the collection." Lever remarked that the newest English publications reposed on his table, and even some from Dublin. " On standing up to take my leave, I asked him whether the Gall and Spurzheim theories were to compose part of my university-creed course of study; to which he answered, ' No; but if you will wait to October, we are to have a new system broached;' and then chuckling at this hit at the fondness of his countrymen for speculating, he pressed me soon to revisit him and see his collection ; and thus ended my interview with the great Blumenbach." Previous to Lever's going to Brussels in 1833 he had been appointed to the dispensary at Portstewart, having before graduated as B.A. andM.B. at Trinity College, Dublin. Whilst at Brussels he had the patronage of the British Legation, and his professional services were greatly valued by the leading inDr. Fitzpatrick mentions the habitants. following curious incident in his practice :? " A stud-groom of the King of Holland had been under his care for ague. He got well, and on his return to the Hague thought proper to visit his former doctor?the king's physician to show himself, and to extol Lever's merits. The Dutch M.D. was amazed at what he considered a small miracle, and hearing that the wonderful man who worked it was an author, sent off an express to Bruxelles for Lever's works. They sent him Harry Lorrequer and Charles O^Malley, and the luckless leech nearly lost his senses at the shock, besides being made the laughing-stock of all Holland, where the whole story was known, from the king downwards." At Brussels his society was greatly courted, and his hospitable house was frequented by many distinguished guests: amongst them were Sir Hamilton Seymour, the British Minister, Archbishop Whately, and the present Pope. Though he had a considerable medical practice, it was not lucrative, and a great part of his income was even then derived from his writings. Harry Lorrequer, which appeared in the Dublin University Magazine, was a great success, and Lever found himself so popular as an author that he resolved to abandon the profession and devote himself entirely to literature. He con-
CHARLES LEVER, M.B., LL.D.
169
sequently quitted Brussels, returned to Dublin, and became the editor of the University Magazine. Although there can be no doubt that the novel-reading public were great gainers by this step, Lever expressed, shortly before his death, his misgivings as to whether it had promoted his own happiness. He said: " Having given up the profession for which I believe I had some aptitude, to follow the precarious life of a writer, I suppose I am only admitting what many others under like circumstances might declare, that I had my moments, and more than mere moments, of doubt and misgiving that I had made the wiser choice; and bating the intense pleasure an occasional success has afforded, I have been led to think that the career I had abandoned would have been more rewarding, more safe from reverses, and less exposed to those variations of public taste which are the terrors of all who live in the world's favour." Long after he gave up practice, Lever continued to take a In 1872 the Lancet, warm interest in the medical profession. " in a notice of his death, made the following remarks: It is his able for liitn but a short time ago that we had to thank and eloquent vindication of the physician's claims to honours reserved too frequently for merit merely civic or political in its tenour. So that, while mingling with that of the general public our tribute of regret at the loss of so bright a literary one for we shall add another and a more poignant
benefactor,
the premature extinction of a true friend to our profession, an ornament to it in his early years, and its vindicator to the
last."
his editorship of the Dublin University Magazine, journal attained an extensive circulation, mainly due to his original contributions which flowed incessantly from the Scattered fertile imagination and facile pen. throughout miscellaneous articles in the journal we find passages of profound and serious thought. Though no anchorite, it is his jovial easy to perceive, too, through the atmosphere of mirth, glimpses of the highest medico-psychological aspirations; and, like the generality of our brightest geniuses, he had no sympathy with heartless infidelity or cold-blooded materialism. We quote the following passages in confirmation of what we the the
During
have stated :?" The medical
man
is
more
than any other met
by facts, whose tendency is directly the opposite [to atheism]. The recognition of the Creator in His works is to him the daily study of his life. Those powerful arguments which natural theology, as it is called, possesses, are to him more available, for the experience of his profession teems with them; and even where with the unmedical world the evidences of truth end,
170
CHARLES
LEVER, M.B.,
LL.D.
a new chapter is opened. To the evidence of design alone his belief is not limited ; he is called upon by the study of his art to recognise a still higher attribute?the Providence of There is scarcely an accident of our lives, however God. slight, scarcely a malady which flesh is heir to, so trivial, that would not, in its consequences, involve our very existence itself, were there not inherent in our bodies some antagonism to disease and death, by which our preservation is accomplished." These remarks were penned in 1839, when he was comparatively a young man, and show that it was not merely when he was broken down by trouble and disease, as his warmly attached friend and amanuensis, Mr. Stephen Pearce, supposed, that he had times of graver thought. Canon Hayman bears a similar " Poor Lever; none sooner than himself would testimony. admit his foibles and failings. Let us hope and believe, with his kind amanuensis, that sorrow brought him higher and better things; and I myself possess knowledge, hidden from Pearce, that under that wild levity, sober and sacred thoughts were not unfrequently concealed." To Mr. Pearce we are indebted for the following graphic notice of his genius and virtues:?" It was all dash and go up to the highest pitch possible, with, I think, not much thought of the future; though in purity of morals he was certainly sans
to him
.
.
.
reproche."
We have dwelt thus much
character, because in
a
recent
on the moral aspects of Lever's review of his "life the writer has
all his failings in the strongest light, and his and redeeming qualities. noble unnoticed passed In estimating his character, it must never be lost sight of that he was intensely Irish, and his merits, as well as his shortcomings, were eminently Celtic, and must be judged accordingly. Although he frequently showed carelessness of his own interests, he never stooped to literary charlatanism; and though his society was courted in the most brilliant circles, yet?unlike the generality of convivial wits?he continued to be the idol of his home circle, and was a devoted husband and father. Lever was much gratified at receiving from the University of Dublin the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws at the time of his last visit to that city. This induced him to resume the title of Doctor, which he had for many years abandoned. He attributed much of his knowledge of human nature to the peculiar advantages which a physician enjoys in the daily intercourse with his patients. He observes : "The life of a physician has nothing so cheering, so full of hearty encouragement, as the occasional friendships to which it opens the way. The doctor attains to a degree of intimacy, and stands on a footing of
ungenerously placed
CHARLES
LL.D.
LEVER, M.B.,
171
confidence so entirely exceptional, that if personal qualities lend aid to the parties, his intercourse becomes friendship. "Whether therefore, my old career gave me any assistance in new roads whether it imparted to me any habits of investigation as applicable to the full, to morals as to matter or not, it certainly imparted to me the happy accident of standing on good terms with? I was going to say my patients?and perhaps no better word could be found for one who has heard me so long, trusted me so much, given me so large a share of his favour, and come to look upon me with such friendship. He, who to-day is the confidant of his king, and to-morrow leans over the sick bed of the starving tenant of a garret, must needs see life in various aspects; and it would be to deny him powers that his very position demands, not to confess that, to him more of the romance of life is presented than to any other man/' There can be no question that Lever had many of the attributes of genius. He had great powers of observation, and possessed that peculiar faculty conspicuous in great geniuses? that of vividly seeing as if in a picture the scenes which he described. Dickens not only saw the scenes he described, but also heard distinctly the words uttered by his imaginary characters, and his account of this fact led the late Gr. H. Lewes to suppose that these vivid conceptions were the Forster, in his Life of product of insane hallucinations! the fallacy of this notion. Dickens, has effectually exposed before him withcame said his that ?>yron poetical images out as if they were objective, when his effort of own, any they were really subjective. Sterne also, in Tristram Shandy, very drolly alludes to the same sort of faculty, which he calls " catching ideas. He says: I look up, catching the idea, sometimes even before it half reaches me. I believe in my conscience I intercept many a thought which Heaven intended for another man." The earlier works of Lever, like Marryat's, will ever delight those who are in the heyday of youth, and the perusal of his stories has doubtless been the means of leading many .
military
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ardent youth to become a dashing dragoon, just as Marryat's novels have added many a gallant lad to the navy. It is, however, on Lever's later works, when his style became serious and philosophic, that his literary fame will chiefly depend. t)r. Fitzpatrick's Biography of Lever abounds in racy anecdotes, and descriptions of the originals from which he drew his will furnish a pleasant recreation in and its an
sea
characters,
perusal
"Hours of Idleness."
![[Facial granuloma of Lever].](/assets/img/hold.png)
