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its commiffion.

Falfe maxims of conduct must be rooted out of the mind and true ones nourished in their room; fafhion must bow down before fenfe and judgment; honour and virtue must be united in name and in practice; paffion muft fubfide and reafon triumph; the joys of the moment must give way to the prospect of future happiness; and the fear of man muft yield to the fear of God but all this is beyond the power of human laws alone to effect, and can only be accomplished by an uniform obedience to thofe of divine inftitution.

!

CHA P. IV.

Suicide gains ground in most countries in proportion to the progrefs of infidelity and free-thinking-Account of fuicide in France; as frequent there as in England.Geneva-fuicide.-One caufe of fuicide very fimilar in Geneva and England, viz. Melancholy.-Difficult to obtain an accurate account of the number of fuicides in all England. Only to be furnished from the records of inquifitions taken by co-Reafons why fuch accounts would be very imperfect.-Annual average of inquifitions taken by the coroners of the metropolis on the bodies of fuicides.—Particulars collected from the coroners of the county of Kent.-Reafons affigned by fuicide "feems" to abound fo much more in Kent than in the metropolis.-Comparative flate of Suicide in England and Geneva.

TH

HE practice of fuicide in this ifland has been conceived fo much to exceed that in other nations, as to have made the English almoft proverbially noted for their giving way to fo horrid a [R] cuftom. Whether this opinion (which feems daily to lofe ground) has not at all times been taken up on vague foundations may be a matter of doubt; but of which it is difficult to afcertain the truth or fallity. All that can be maintained for certain is, that the practice of criminal fuicide muft gain ground in every country, in proportion as its inhabitants refign themfelves up more and more to the principles of free-thinking,

[R] The French have adopted our word Suicide into their language as an Anglicism.

which patronifes all crimes and particularly that in queftion; it being the immediate offspring of infidelity and a difbelief of future rewards and punishments.

The author has received information from private hands (which is alfo corroborated by the authorities quoted below [s]) that the practice of suicide really abounds in France as much at least as in England; but that on account of the reftraints on their prefs, particularly in the articles of their common newspapers, it is lefs diffused to public obfervation :-that its principal caufes in France are feated in poverty, distress, and that general impatience under fufferings, which can only be corrected and confoled by a firm belief in the principles of true religion:--that there have been inftances of as great levity in French as in English fuicide; fince the indifference to life of a [T] Bourdeaux and his companion,

and

[s] "Abbé Fontana told a very ingenious friend of mine, that more perfons put an end to their lives at Paris than in London. He had this account from the Lieutenant of the Police."FALCONER'S Remarks on the Influence of Climate, &c. 4to. 4to. B. I. C. vi.

"The tragical accounts of fuicide, which fill the English newspapers, have given ftrangers room to think, that fuicide is more common in England than elsewhere. I queftion however, whether Paris does not afford as many instances of this kind of folly, as London; at least if our Gazettes kept an exact register. But by the wisdom of our government, the public papers are better regulated, and the calamities of private people concealed from the view of fcandal."VOLTAIRE, Vol. IV. 8vo. in Part entitled, "Melanges de Literature, d'Hiftoire & de Philofophie."

[T] The author was favoured with the following particulars, and likewife with a French copy of the will, by a gentleman of eminence in Doctors-Commons, whofe friend being at Paris at the time of this extraordinary business, sent the account and copied the will himself from the original. The author prefers giving a tranflation for the more general benefit of his readers.

An account of two French foldiers, who killed themselves at St. Denis on Christmas-day, 1773. De la Barre, Monday Morning.

"A very tragical event has just happened near us. On Friday laft (Dec. 24, 1773) about eleven o'clock, two foldiers came to an inn at St. Denis and bespoke a dinner for the afternoon. Bourdeaux, one of thefe foldiers, went out to buy fome gunpowder and two bullets. While making the purchase he obferved, that St. Denis feemed to him to be so pleasantly fituated, that he was determined to padą, the remainder of his life in it. He then returned to the inn, and they spent the reft of the day together in great cheerfulness. On Saturday also (being Christmas-day) they were in good spirits, and seemed very merry at their dinner. They called for more wine, and about five o'clock in the evening they were both found dead near the fire, with a table between them, on which were three empty bottles, the will, a letter, and half-a-crown (having previously discharged their bill). They were both fhot through the head, and the piftols were lying on the floor. The people of the houfe being alarmed at

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and the extraordinary compofure with which they accompanied their ovn murders for no apparent reafon, can scarcely be exceeded or equalled in English story; that as the French are not naturally subject to fo much spleen and melancholy

as

the report of fire-arms, rushed into the room. Monfieur de Rouilliere, Commandant de la Maréchauffée de St. Denis, who dined with us yesterday, gave us the whole account, and frowed us the will from which the following was copied.

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"A man who is certain, that he fhall quickly die, ought to leave nothing for his furvivors to do, "which it is in his own power to fettle beforehand. This fituation is peculiarly ours. It is our in"tention therefore to prevent all trouble to our landlord, and to render the business as easy as poffible "to those, whom curiofity, under the pretence of form and good order, may prompt to visit us."Humain is the larger man of the two, and I Bourdeaux the smaller. He is drum-major du "Meftre de Camp General des Dragons, and I am a fimple dragon de Belzunce. Death is a paffage. "I refer to the Procureur Fiscal and his first clerk, who will affift him in this inquiry, the principle, "which joined to the idea that all things must have an end, placed thefe piftols in our hands. The "future part of our lives affords us an agreeable profpect: but that future must soon have had an end. "Humain is twenty-four years of age; as for myself I have seen only four luftres (twenty years). "No urgent motive has prompted us to intercept our career of life, except the disgust of existing "here a moment under the idea, that we muft at one time or other cease to be. Eternity is the point " of re-union, which alone has urged us to anticipate the defpotic act of fate. In fhort a difgust of "life is the only motive, which has induced us to quit it. We have experienced all the pleasures of life, even that of obliging our fellow-creatures. We could ftill enjoy them; but all thofe pleasures must "have an end, which is their poison. We are tired with this univerfal famenefs. Our curtain is dropped; and we leave our parts to be performed by thofe, who are filly enough to wish to act them "a few hours longer. A few grains of powder will foon deftroy this mafs of moving flesh, which "our proud equals denominate the "King of Beings."-Minifters of Juftice! our bodies are at your "fervice, as we defpife them too much to be uneafy at their difpofal.-As to our effects, I Bourdeaux "leave to Monfieur de Rouilliere, Commandant de la Maréchauffée a St. Denis, my fteel-hilted fword. "He will please to remember, that laft year on this very day, he had the kindness to pardon at my "inftance one of the name of St. Germain, who had offended him. The maid of the inn fhall have "my pocket and neck-kerchiefs, my filk ftockings which I have on, and all my other linen. The re"mainder of our effects will be fufficient to pay the expences of information, and the useless inquiries. "of law, which will be made about us. The half-crown left on the table will pay for the last bottle "of Champagne, which we are now just going to drink." At St. Denis on Chriftmas-day, 1773.

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Signed BOURDEAUX,
HUMAIN.

This is the will copied from the original. The letter was directed to Monfieur Delabiere, Officier de Dragons & fon Lieutenant dans Belzunce. Monfieur de Rouilliere went immediately after dinner to convey the bodies to Paris to Monfieur de Sartine. Letters were found in the pockets of Bourdeaux, which proved that he belonged to Auxerre and was of a good family."

as the English, that fource of fuicide among the latter is indeed much cut off from the former; and that it is in all probability from the inftances of this fort of fuicide, that an evil report of the English has fpread abroad, without a due confideration, whether the number of felf-deftroyers on the whole amount and from all caufes has been greater or lefs than that of other nations ;—that the laws against fuicide in France, being of the fame nature with thofe in England, are also executed in much the fame manner, that is generally evaded.

The following is extracted from Mercier [u], who affigns fuch caufes for French fuicide, as would fcarce have been fuffered to have been divulged with

Since receiving the above account the author finds, that this whole ftory is already in print, being related in a small volume called "Love and Madness" (of which production some account will be given hereafter), in which the letter mentioned above is alfo added, and is as follows.

« true.

« Sir,

During my refidence at Guife you honoured me with your friendship. It is time I thank you. "You have often told me, I appeared displeased with my fituation. It was fincere, but not abfolutely I have fince examined myself more seriously and acknowledge myself entirely disgusted with "every state of man, the whole world, and myfelf. From thefe difcoveries a confequence should be "drawn;-if difgufted with the whole, renounce the whole. The calculation is not long. I have "made it without the aid of geometry. In fhort I am on the point of putting an end to the existence "that I have possessed for near twenty years; fifteen of which it has been a burden to me; and from "the moment that I write, a few grains of powder will deftroy this moving mass of flesh, which we, "vain mortals, call the King of Beings. I owe no one an excufe. I deferted: that was a crime; "but I'am going to punish it, and the law will be fatisfied. I afked leave of absence from my fupe"riors, to have the pleasure of dying at my eafe. They never condefcended to give me an anfwer. "This ferved to haften my end. I wrote to Bord to fend you fome detached pieces I left at Guife, "which I beg you to accept. You will find they contain fome well-chofen literature. Thefe pieces "will folicit for me a place in your remembrance. Adieu, my dear lieutenant! continue your esteem "for St. Lambert and Dorat. As for the reft fkip from flower to flower, and acquire the sweets of "all knowledge and enjoy every pleafure.

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"If we exist after this life, and it is forbidden to quit it without permiffion, I will endeavour to pro"cure one moment to inform you of it; if not, I fhould advise all thofe, who are unhappy, which is "by far the greater part of mankind, to follow my example. When you receive this letter, I fhall "have been dead at least twenty-four hours. With esteem, &c.

"BOURDEAUX."

[u] Mercier's Tableau de Paris, Vol. II. C. xxiii. Printed at Amsterdam, 1782.

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impunity at the period of their publication, however they would gain their author the highest applause in the year 1789. Mercier was accordingly obliged to fecure a fafe retreat at the time in Geneva. "Shall I defcribe (fays this

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writer) the gloomy despair, or fhall I fay, why the number of fuicides in "France has increased fo much within thefe five and twenty years? It has been' "ascribed to our modern [x] philosophy; but " government" is the prevail

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ing cause. The difficulty of procuring a livelihood, the excefs of gambling, " and the great number of authorised lotteries, are caufes alfo of so many «fuicides as were fcarcely heard of fome years ago. Taxes increase and cuf"toms are enormous. Trade is reftrained or rather exifts no more; being "overladen with fhackles, which opprefs and repel it; fo that its nutritive "branches are dried up and withered. Every thing paffes into the hands of "the king; money, places, privileges, &c. The farmers-general of the imposts are unmerciful calculators, who like worms prey even on the dead, and give the last blow to a people already oppreffed and finking under a load of "accumulated evils. The laws of flavery are fetters on the neck of industry " for ever. Those who kill themselves not knowing how to exift are [v] no philofophers; they are poor and indigent people, tired and difgufted with life, because fubfiftence is grown hard and difficult to procure. When will "the purchase of provifions be put into a more easy train? When will the "minifter, who is like a child attentive to cull the flowers of a tree without

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caring for its fruit, leave off working to his own deftruction? For if the "common people have not provifions in plenty, how can the ftrength, health " and fidelity of a nation be depended on? The inhabitants of Paris will be "tired of life. The police takes care to conceal from the public the knowledge of suicide. If any one kill himself, the proper officer goes in a private man"ner and without his robes to the house of the deceased, draws up a verbal

[x] Though Mercier is unwilling to allow any effects to modern French philofophy, yet it certainly has had its share, and that no small one, in the production of fuicide. Principles of religion unhinged among the great exert no small influence on the vulgar alfo. The irreligious contagion fpreads through every rank; and as it inclines the great to practife oppreffion, fo it urges the poor to get rid of life without dread of futurity rather than endure those hardships with patience, from which they cannot relieve themselves.

[Y] They act however on the fame principles as modern philofophers, though ignorant of the name; "that when weary of life, they are at liberty to get rid of it; without regarding those principles of "religion which forbid it."

Y y

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