Diary – James Losh – 4 Oct 1823

I went to meet Mrs. Beaumont at her urgent request and had much serious conversation with her respecting her son – that is as far serious as her overweening vanity and folly will permit her to be upon any subject.   I shewed her Mr. B.’s last letter to me and a copy of my answer in which I distinctly stated my opinion that he labors under delusions as to the Capheaton family and advised him to apply to his medical friend on the subject.   I pointed out to her the necessity of decisive and speedy measures and urged to her the certainty that his character as a gentleman and a man of spirit was gone, unless it really appeared that he was deranged when he conducted himself so strangely to the family at Capheaton, Ld. Grey ec... She seemed convinced and deeply grieved, and with many expressions of gratitude promised implicitly to follow my advice. I left her, however, without much hope of having done good and satisfied that my former estimate of her character was correct.