Carlini And His Physician
Outward mirth can mask deep inner melancholy and emptiness.
A French physician was once consulted by a person who was subject to the most gloomy fits of melancholy. He advised his patient to mix in scenes of gayety, and particularly to frequent the Italian theatre; and added, "If Carlini does not dispel your gloomy complaint, your case must be desperate indeed." The reply of the patient is worthy the attention of those who frequent such places in search of happiness, as it shows the emptiness and insufficiency of these amusements. "Alas, sir, I am Carlini; and while I divert all Paris with mirth, and make them almost die with laughter, I myself am dying with melancholy and chagrin.—A similar anecdote is related of a well-known English buffoon, who consulted an English physician, celebrated for eccentric advice.