"The tutor and his pupils repaired to Utretcht, and passed a year in Holland; where Mr. Lambert gave to a bookseller of his treatise on the Passage of Light. But in the over ardent pursuit of this object, he found himself in the situation of the astrologer, who fell into a well... In consequence of a habit equally whimsical and invariable in him, he never presented himself but sideways, changed his position as often as the person with him sought to place himself in front, and he retreated in proportion as the other advanced. It was in a situation of this kind, that, making some steps backwards without attending to a stair case which was directly behind him, he fell at once from top to bottom, heels over head. The fall was dreadful; he lay long in a state of absolute insensibility, nor did he return to his senses till the end of twenty-four hours, when he opened his eyes totally black with extravasated blood..."