[08
Kaspar Hauser.
finding connected with his work as Kaspar’s instructor, in
allusions to complaints coming from Nuremberg (he meant Fray
Bieberbach’s scandalous letter), and in the repetition of certain
words and expressions used by Kaspar, which seemed to indicate
that he was of low origin, and that his nature was essentially
coarse.
Hofmann found these explanations so unsatisfactory that he
advised Meyer to keep his opinions to himself, and wait for the
result of the investigations before coming to a decision : he also
told him that Dr. Albert, one of the physicians consulted, did not
think Kaspar out of danger, and forbade his being removed to
other quarters.
Kaspar lay quiet the greater part of the time, the effects of the
wound being prostrating rather than exciting. Probably, too,
the fatal imprudence of his conduct was fully revealed to him in
those hours of hopeless suffering, while the harshness with which
he was treated checked any desire he might have felt to reveal
the whole process of treachery by which he had been decoyed to
his ruin.
Occasionally he expressed in broken sentences his regret at
having yielded to evil influences; spoke of wicked persons who
had tempted him to wrong-doing; lamented that he had been
led astray; and rejoiced that he had again found the right path.
These remarks may have had reference to personal ‘events, or
merely to his general religious experience.
Kaspar was naturally imitative ; he had been for months under
the assiduous instruction of a zealous Lutheran preacher; he
knew how people were in the habit of talking about death, and
what was expected of a person lying upon his death-bed. He
was, also, from the beginning, more or less under the influence of
medicines, and was continually growing weaker from the progress
of internal dissolution. But notwithstanding his feebleness and
frequent attacks of delirium, and the constant efforts of his
enemies to entrap him into a confession of the guilt of suicide, he
did not, by word or look, give the slightest confirmation to that