Mary Lamb had previously been repeatedly attacked by the same dreadful
disorder; and this now broke out afresh in a sudden burst of acute
madness. She had been moody and ill for some little time previously, and
the illness came to a crisis on the 23d of September, 1796. On that day,
just before dinner, Mary seized a "case-knife" which was lying on the
table, pursued a little girl (her apprentice) round the room, hurled about
the dinner forks, and finally, in a fit of uncontrollable frenzy, stabbed
her mother to the heart.
Charles was at hand only in time to snatch the knife out of her grasp,
before further hurt could be done. He found his father wounded in the
forehead by one of the forks, and his aunt lying insensible, and
apparently dying, on the floor of the room.
This happened on a Thursday; and on the following day an inquest was held
on the mother's body, and a verdict of Mary's lunacy was immediately found
by the jury. The Lambs had a few friends. Mr. Norris--the friend of
Charles's father and of his own childhood--"was very kind to us;" and Sam.
Le Grice "then in town" (Charles writes) "was as a brother to me, and gave
up every hour of his time in constant attendance on my father.
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