History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

17CO-1784.] MAJOR JOSEPH HAWLEY, 543
But lost as to all matters which are called matters of judgment. My
memory extremely broken, embarrass'd about Religion, all courage,
spirit, motive or spring of action or whatever it was which formerly
animated me and which now keeps the world alive and in motion,
absolutely exterminated. O Piteous case.
Joseph Hawley.
" No more prospect of my being restored to my former state of en-
joyment & capacity for business and action than when a limb of j"
body is amputated that another will grow out in its stead.
J. H.'-
During these turns he would usually "sit and muse and
smoke. He smoked incessantly on such occasions, and his
eye had a wild piercing look." Occasionally when he was
so depressed, Dr. Mather, Dr. Hunt, Col. Pomeroy and
other friends, would come to cheer him, but rarely suc-
ceeded. They would ride with him and attempt to divert
his mind, but he soon fell back into the same state. Col.
Pomeroy^ called upon him on the occasion of some advantage
of our army over the enemy ; he came in abruptly and
said to him "Wake up you cowardly skunk, the days
ours," and finally he succeeded in getting the major laugh-
ing.
The first of these attacks occurred in 1760 ; he had
another turn in 1764 ; was again under this influence in
1766, which lasted two years, and in 1784, had another
turn, which continued till his death, four years afterwards.
Major Hawley lived to be sixty-five years old, and during
the twenty-four years which followed his second attack, he
was apparently, for nearly half that time under a cloud.
Though much of his trouble arose from religious melancholy,
he also apprehended poverty, and weighed down by
imaginary evils, he spent many of the best years of his
life, unfit for the duties of his profession.
Following these seasons of depression came periods of
great exaltation, during which he manifested extraordinary
zeal for the cause of liberty and did much to assist and encourage
enlistments. It was while thus excited that he
read in the meeting-house extracts from a j^atriotic newspaper
of the day.
1 Col. Pomeroy wore a large red cloak, and huge buckles, which descended to his
son Asahel; and to the younger members of the family he presented a majestic ap-
Dearance.—Judd MSS.