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A review will then follow of the opinions of fome "modern" writers in favour of fuicide. A full examination will be taken of the work of Dr. Donne, Dean of St. Paul's, called " Biathanatos;" or an apology for fuicide in "certain cafes upon chriftian, as well as other grounds." Hume's pofthumous effay in its defence will be fully anfwered. Large ftrictures will be made on that book of moft pernicious influence, called "Sorrows of Werter." The letters of Von Arenfwald, a German fuicide, will be noticed; and alfo remarks will be made on fome paffages both for and against fuicide, in the writings of Sir Thomas More, of Montagne, Montefquieu, Beccaria, Robeck the Swede, Rouffeau, Voltaire, and others.

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Obfervations will be added through the work relative to many miscellaneous points connected with the fubjeét. Among other things, the nature of the courage," which is afferted by tome to accompany fuicide, will be inquired into; and also its frequent connexion with certain points of " modern honour;" fuch as duelling and the difcharge of gambling debts;" which will lead to a discussion of these two subjects, which are fo intimately connected with fuicide, as to form the triple-head of a Cerberus, which it were well could it be decollated at one ftroke. But the whole compass of the work on fuicide will first be briefly recapitulated; and fuch cautions and prefervatives will be proposed, as seem best calculated to prevent all temptation to its commiffion.

In the Treatise on Duelling an inquiry will be made into the hiftory of the "ancient" duel or judicial combat; its rife, progrefs, variations, and laws. The nature and grounds of the "modern" duel will next be laid open; and its caufes of reprehenfion unfolded. The duellift will then enter on his own defence, to which a full reply will be given. Many remarks will be interfperfed on points connected with the fubject; and after having expofed the cruelty, the injustice, and irreligion of the duel, together with its near approximation to the crime of felf-murder, the whole will be referred to the good fenfe and judgment of the Military Order," (who alone can give energy to its reprobation) to contrive fome method of abolishing fo blood-thirsty and lawless a custom;—a custom so ftrongly tinctured with the barbarity and ignorance of thofe Gothic ages, which gave it birth.

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In the Treatife on " 'Gaming" will be introduced;-the ancient and modern definitions of "play ;"—and inquiry will be made into its nature and fources. The univerfality of the paffion for gaming will be traced through the globe; when it will be found to have uniformly exifted among ancient and modern nations, among favages and civilized people; and its defperate effects to have been fimilar in all parts of the world: as alfo that it is the foible or vice of great as well as little minds.-An hiftoric account will next be given of the antiquity and progrefs of the three most distinguished methods of gambling, viz. dice, horse-racing, and cards :-the origin of all thefe will be traced, and their progress through different countries be noticed. The diftinction between games of skill and games of chance will be touched on; and a brief account be added of the origin and progrefs of the game of chefs, as being a game of pure skill, which has maintained its honour unimpeached through a fucceffion of ages, without having ever contributed to the ruin of its admirers and practitioners. It will then be fhown, that though there is no real difference in the character of a gamester, and though the effects are ultimately the fame on all, viz. ruin and deftruction; yet that those effects are diverfified in their prógrefs, according to the fituation in life of its votary. The fharper's character will first be laid open; and this will be followed by fome account of the commercial gambler, the female gambler, and the gambler of diftinction. The whole will be interfperfed with a variety of remarks relative to lotteries, ftockjobbing, Newmarket, and many other incidental points. The evil effects of gambling will be difplayed, and the frequency of its conclufion in the rage of felf-murder be deplored. Some remedies alfo will be propofed against its exceffive pursuit, though it must be confeffed with fmall hopes of fuccefs, while the levity of fashion prevails against all fenfe and reason. An invocation to reafon, as improved by revelation, "that we may be taught by their united "aid, how to win the invaluable ftake of "everlafting happiness," against all "the deceits and illufive tricks of folly and fashion"-concludes the whole..

Such then being the substance, and fo comprehenfive the scale, it must serve as an apology for the length of the work; which, without a material alteration. of the plan, could not well be comprised in a much lefs compafs. The author however is aware of an objection, which will here be started, "that the work. being fwelled to fuch a fize will be little, if at all, read, and especially by thofe "most.

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"most interested in its perufal." This indeed may be too true; but it is a confequence against which no moral writer can provide, who wishes to take a comprehenfive view of his fubject, and who is willing not merely to fkim over the furface, but to dive deep into the ftream. Neither is it more applicable to the prefent than to all other moral and religious effays, which are leaft likely to be read by thofe, for whofe benefit they are chiefly defigned. Yet it is very strange (and may be reckoned among the fatal infenfibilities of the prefent age), that perfons, who are apt to hold themfelves above conviction, and are not to be influenced by argument, do notwithstanding eagerly read by way of amusement (but without feeling fhame or remorfe) what perhaps highly reproaches themfelves [B]; but what they never think of applying to their own conduct, or of fuffering to influence their own practice: this is become a ftriking trait of the times, as well as a proof of their great degeneracy.-But what number of readers foever (or of what kind foever they may be who) may fall to the share of the prefent writer, he prefumes to lay before the public, not only a full account of the impiety of fuicide, as an immoral and irreligious action, but also to enlarge on its history, and to discuss its points of controversy and in these latter fields of inquiry many poffibly who have never turned their thoughts towards the fubject, may find a degree of information and amusement, even if they have no occasion for, or refufe to profit by, the points of moral difcuffion.—The author likewife has a further view in inftituting fo copious an inquiry, which is, that his reader may find all that he wishes to know on the fubject of fuicide, its branches and dependencies, comprifed in one work, without being under a neceffity of applying to a variety of writers. He has alfo taken a complete rather than a partial review, as being actuated by a fincere and humble hope, that fince not only the profligate and the frantic, but the good and the reasoning" (perfons, who feem to have " thought" a great deal of the matter, before they have taken up the dire refolution) are too often found among those, who avail themselves of this defperate refource, fome real benefit might be derived from fuch a comprehenfive notice; and that poffibly by giving fo full an attention to the argumentative vindications, by which writers ancient or modern

[B] A ftriking inftance of this has occurred of late in the avidity with which that incomparable little volume called "Thoughts on the Importance of the Manners of the Great to general Society"has been read by all ranks :-yet who thinks of applying its moft excellent obfervations and strictures to "himself;" or of afking himself the important queftion-" Am I the man ?"

have countenanced and diffused the mischievous example, the "good and the reasoning" may be drawn in to read, if the vicious and profligate will not.This alfo feems more especially neceffary to be done in these days, when either the want of all principle, or the fubtile refinements of false principles, have rendered that dreadful topic of a questionable nature in the opinion of many; whence its prevalence is not only become fo very common, but also so very commonly justified; being infidiously recommended by a show of argument, as well as leffened in its horror by the more than indifference, even the indulgence and favour, with which these fatal catastrophes are treated.-Though the author does not pretend to have gleaned "all" that is interfperfed in the writings of ancients or moderns, either in behalf of fuicide or against it (fince such a task would have been as laborious to himself, as unpleasant and useless to his reader) yet he trufts that he has omitted no material argument on either fide, or neglected any writers on the fubject, who have come within his knowledge. But omiffions of this fort may be more eafily pardoned, when it is confidered, how fimilar are all the arguments that have been used by the favourers of fuicide from the days of Seneca, the noted panegyrift of ftoical fuicide, to our own; -that they are only a repetition of one and the fame thing under various shapes and disguises, as will be readily acknowledged on their inspection hereafter.

With respect to the historical and controverfial parts, the author has generally given the requifite quotations at length, in order to prevent a neceffity of recourse to a variety of writers, whose works might not always be at hand for confultation. He has likewise translated most of the paffages (without always deeming it neceffary to give the original at length), that the text might flow on without breaks or interruptions to the less learned reader. The claffical one will be able to judge for himself of the faithfulness of the translations; and others, it is to be hoped, will take them on the credit of the author.-In examining. the works of different writers in favour of fuicide, a repetition of the fame arguments and their answers has been often unavoidable, and therefore, it is trufted, will meet with excufe.

It may not be improper to premise a few more circumstances relative to what the reader is to expect in the following pages. In the first place, the author has cautiously avoided a mention of any particular individuals, who have of late

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late years fallen victims to despair and fuicide. This may be deemed a weighty omiffion by thofe, who rejoice above all things in "private anecdote;” but an unwillingness to roufe painful fenfations in the breasts of furvivors will be more than a fufficient apology with the humane reader. The aim has been to reprobate the crime in general terms, without attacking the memory of its wretched perpetrator. But the author is free to attack and cenfure in the most pointed terms, fuch injudicious and mifchievous publications, in which it has been endeavoured by falfe and fpecious gloffes, to leffen our horror at the crime in any particular instance of its commiffion, where no fuch indulgence was merited; but in which publications thefe dangerous encomiafts would fain make their heroe's foibles and follies and vices flide into virtues, or fomething very like them and though a criminal indulgence of their paffions was the manifest cause of their fuicide, yet would endeavour to obscure our just abhorrence of vice and love of virtue, under the deceitful covering of indifcriminate fenfibility and compaffion. Such gloffers of vice deserve the severest reprehension, and cannot be too much exposed to shame and infamy.

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With respect to the general courfe of arguments used against suicide, the author has not fought to draw them from deep and metaphysical researches into the abstract nature of man, but has deemed thofe to be most important, which are most plain and obvious to all capacities: for which reafon he has proceeded on that common, but juft, distinction of our duty to God, our neighbour, and ourselves." If the fuicide can maintain his ground against the duties arifing from these fituations and interests, he has nothing to fear from more abstruse arguments; but if he fail here, it is not the most acute fubtilty of metaphyfical reasoning that will defend him. The principles of moral duty, being founded on plain and common fenfe, and being calculated for general and vulgar ufe, are better illuftrated by familiar arguments than by the abftract deductions of metaphyfical inquiry. Hence however fome difficulty arifes to a moral writer in these latter days, how he fhall guide his pen in enlarging on any moral subject. If he pass by all common arguments, as having no charms of novelty. to recommend them, he probably omits the most powerful confiderations that can be advanced to establish the point in view;-if he expatiate on fuch, as being moft to his purpose, it will be difficult to escape the charge of plagiarifm. All then that remains for him to do is to form new arrangements of old ideas,

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