P. Humph. This apoplexy will certain be his end. Henry IV—2d, Act IV., Sc. IV.
Peace is a very apoplexy, lethargy; mulled, deaf, sleepy, insensible. Coriolanus, Act IV., Sc. V.
Dick. Why dost thou quiver, man? Say. The palsy and not fear provokes me. Cade. Nay, he nods at us, as who should say, I’ll be even with you. Henry VI—2d, Act IV., Sc. VII.
With a palsy-fumbling on his gorget, Shake in and out the rivet. Troilus and Cressida, Act I., Sc. III.
How quickly should this arm of mine, Now prisoner to the palsy, chastise thee. Richard II, Act II., Sc. III.
Flat on the ground and still as any stone, A very corpse, save yielding forth a breath. Sackville.
How concisely he describes epilepsy, giving the most prominent symptoms.
Casca. He fell down in the market-place, and foamed at mouth, and was speechless. Bru. ’Tis very like,—he has the falling sickness. Casca. * * * * * When he came to himself again, he said, If he had done or said anything amiss, he desired their worships to think it was his infirmity. Julius Cæsar, Act I., Sc. II.
Julius Cæsar was the only epileptic among his characters: Othello is spoken of as being one, but this is merely Iago’s lie to Cassio, which is clearly shown in Othello’s conversation after the trance, it being a continuation of the former subject, which is never the case in epilepsy.