John Pearson, Golden Square, to William Wilberforce, c. 1808.

My Dear Sir,

   The conversation which took place a few days ago at your house on the subject of M.r Hall’s intended marriage, made a considerable impression upon me; because I found that your opinion was intirely the reverse of mine, & I can say with great sincerity, that such a circumstance would always lead me to question the correctness of my own judgement.  If I am in an error on this point, it is not a mere speculative one, but a most important practical one; since I have had more occasions than one, to give an opinion on the expediency of such illnesses, & my opinion has been commonly adopted.  As the same questions my come before me again, I will take the liberty of laying before you some of the reasons which have influenced my determination.  The question is this: A man descended from a family where madness is hereditary, & who has himself been several times in a state of insanity, but also now enjoys a lucid interval, is desirous of marrying, is it expedient that his wishes should be promoted, or discouraged?

1.  The facts as now stated, constitute a strong presumption that there will be a recurrence, or many recurrences, at uncertain intervals of this dreadful malady; & a long course of experiences has so fully established the probability of this, that the person himself must be fully aware of it: consequently he knows that his life will be divided into paroxysm of mania, & lucid intervals.

2.  During a paroxysm of insanity, the subject of it is not considered as a moral agent, or a responsible being: & if the faculty of Reason be that which eminently distinguishes man from brutes, a state of mental derangement reduces a man to a condition below humanity.

3.    Under these circumstances, he engages to fulfil the duties of the married state, when it is obvious to all, that during a considerable part of his life, he will be absolutely incompetent to the fulfilment of any relative, or social duty whatever.

4.  He cannot undertake to instruct his wife, to be her companion, to protect her &c; since he will himself probably require coercion & restraint.  Nay, probably a large portion of his existence may pass away, in which he will not be conscious that he has a wife.

5.  He may be a parent.  An experience hardly ever falsified, renders it highly probable, that his disease will be transmitted, to a part, or the whole of his children.  Other hereditary diseases, may be classed among evils and imperfections; but this disease subverts the foundations of humanity, & prevents he intention of marriage, by perpetuating a race of beings, who are not the proper subjects of civil, or religious obligations.

6.  A man subject to paroxysms of insanity cannot educate his children; nor provide for them; nor set them a good example: & the very circumstances of their descent will inspire the minds of others with a reluctant dread of admitting them into habits of nearness & intimacy.

7.  Madness in its several degrees is commonly connected with wicked dispositions.  To give assistence to a creature in the foresight that a bodily disease will be communicated, which will place that child in circumstances extremely unfavourable for moral instruction & improvement, & consequently in a state of great hazard with respect to its eternal interests, does not seem consistent with true charity.  Let us suppose that it would be highly agreeable & profitable to a man to inculcate his child with madness, would any considerations of that kind justify it?

8.  If madness not only disorders the understanding, but changed the human figure, would any considerate person recommend marriage to such an one?  But is the internal transformation less real & dreadful?

9.  It will be difficult for a man, or woman who knowingly contracts such an alliance, to offer motives that would acquit them of wilful folly, or sinful intentions.

10.  There are many ways of providing for the security & comfort of any insane person, without perverting an ordinance of God to those purposes.

11.  Even the plea of natural necessity would be very questionable under such circumstances.  The very state might be [?]; & in such a case marriage would be no remedy.  Besides, amny persons are brought into such circumstances, that it is their indispensable duty to resist & deny natural solicitations: the case of an insane person is not worse than theirs.  But carry the plea to its utmost extent, & where would it not lead us?  There is not a person in Bedlam who might not urge it.

12.  The dreadful consequences to the sane party, where such alliances have been contracted, would render one very cautious of giving countenance to such [?].

13.  That the woman consented, knowingly, to such an union, makes no material alteration in the force of the Argument. If a Woman consent to marry an Idiot, or a maniac who wears a strait Waistcoat, she may possibly go through the Ceremony; but no considerate person will say that he ought to have consented.  Whenever there is a plain dereliction of prudence & common desire, there is some guilt; and whether the person who is willing to suffer the penalty may commit the indiscretion & be inculpable, will admit of some doubt.  Indeed, it is not self evident, that any person has a right to plunge himself into calamitous circumstances, without an explicit call of duty: the measure of trial & endurance which is allotted to mortals in the usual course of divine providence, being generally proportioned fully to their strength.---We are commanded to pray “lead us not into temptation”; but to marry an insane person, is to rush into the strictest of the battle.

   Much more might be urged, but I will not [?] your patience any longer.  I have thrown the substance of my reflections into the form of propositions, for the sake of brevity, & to avoid everything like declaiming on the subject.  I am aware that replies may be made to some of the arguments taken singly; but I wish, them to be considered in [?], & that the due weight may be allowed to the whole as a connected series.  I trust you will pardon the liberty I now take.  If I have been hitherto mistaken, it is high time that I should judge more soundly, on a point which sometimes comes before me.  So on the other hand, as great deference would be very justly paid to your decision on every subject, where you thought proper to deliver it, it is of great importance that the Opinion should be the result of mature reflection, more especially when it relates to practice, & enters deeply into the concerns of human life.

         I am dear Sir

                     with great respect & regard

                                 Yours most faithfully

                                             John Pearson

Golden Square.

P.S.  The subject of Lay-instruction in G. Place, has spread more widely than I was aware. I fear it will do us great mischief, if it be not speedily repressed

Text: Wilberforce Papers, Duke University.