regular employment, which is fure to let in many fuperfluous cravings and cuftoms, and often this amongst the rest or laftly, from grief or fatigue, both which ftrongly folicit that relief which inebriating liquors adminifter, and furnish a fpecious excufe for complying with the inclination. But the habit, when once fet in, is continued by different motives from thofe to which it owes its origin. Perfons addicted to ceffive drinking suffer, in the intervals of fobriety, and near the return of their accuftomed indulgence, a faintnefs and oppreffion circa præcordia, which it exceeds the ordinary patience of human nature to endure. This is ufually relieved, for a short time, by a repetition of the fame excefs and to this relief, as to the removal of every long continued pain, they who have once experienced it, are urged almoft beyond the power of refiftance. This is not all: as the liquor lofes its ftimulus, the dofe must be increased, to reach the fame pitch of elevation, or eafe; which increase proportionably accelerates the progress of all the maladies that drunkennefs brings on. Whoever reflects upon the violence of the craving in the advanced ftages of the habit, and the fatal termination to which the gratification of it leads, will, the moment he perceives in himself the firft fymptoms of a growing inclination to intemperance, collect his refolution to this point; or (what perhaps he will find his beft fecurity) arm himielf with fome peremptory rule, as to the times and quantity of his indulgencies. I own myself a friend to the laying down of rules to ourselves of this fort, and rigidly abiding by them. They may be exclaimed against as ftiff, but they are often falutary. Indefinite refolutions. of abftemioufnels are apt to yield to extraordinary occafions; and extraordinary occafions to occur perpetually. Whereas, the stricter the rule is, the more tenacious we grow of it; and many a man will abftain rather than break his rule, who would

not

not easily be brought to exercise the fame mortification from higher motives. Not to mention, that when our rule is once known, we are provided with an answer to every importunity.

There is a difference, no doubt, between convivial intemperance, and that folitary fottifhness, which waits neither for company nor invitation. But the one, I am afraid, commonly ends in the other: and this laft is the bafeft degradation, to which the faculties and dignity of human nature can be reduced.

CHAP.

CHA P. III.

SUICIDE.

TH

HERE is no fubject in morality, in which the confideration of general confequences is more neceffary than in this of fuicide. Particular and extreme cafes of fuicide may be feigned, and may happen, of which it would be difficult to affign the particular harm, from that confideration alone to demonftrate the guilt. And these cafes have chiefly occafioned confufion and doubtfulness in the question. Albeit this is no more, than what is fometimes true of the most acknowledged vices. I could propofe many poffible cafes even of murder, which, if they were detached from the general rule, and governed by their own particular confequences alone, it would be no eafy undertaking to prove

criminal.

The true queftion in the argument is no other than this-may every man who pleases to destroy his life, innocently do fo? Limit, and diftinguish the fubject as you can, it will, come at laft to this queftion.

For, fhall we fay, that we are then only at liberty to commit fuicide, when we find our continuance in life become ufelefs to mankind? Any one, who pleafes, may make himself ufelefs; and melancholy minds are prone to think themselves useless, when they really are not fo. Suppose a law were promulged, allowing each private perfon to deftroy every man he met, whofe longer continuance in the

world

world he judged to be useless; who would not condemn the latitude of fuch a rule? Who does not perceive that it amounts to a permiffion to commit murder at pleasure? A fimilar rule, regulating the rights over our own lives, would be capable of the fame extenfion. Befide which, no one is useless for the purpose of this plea, but he who has loft every capacity and opportunity of being useful, together with the poffibility of recovering any degree of either; which is a ftate of fuch complete deftitution and despair, as cannot, I believe, be predicated of any man living.

Or rather, fhall we fay, that to depart voluntarily out of life, is lawful for thofe alone, who leave none to lament their death? If this confideration is to be taken into the account at all, the fubject of debate will be, not whether there are any to forrow for us, but whether their forrow for our death will exceed that which we should suffer by continuing to live. Now this is a comparison of things fo indeterminate in their nature, capable of fo different a judgment, and concerning which the judgment will differ fo much, according to the ftate of the fpirits, or the preffure of any present anxiety, that it would vary little in hypochondriacal conftitutions from an unqualified licence to commit fuicide, whenever the diftreffes men felt or fancied, rofe high enough to overcome the pain and dread of death. Men are never tempted to destroy themselves, but when under the oppreffion of fome grievous uneafinefs. The restrictions of the rule, therefore, ought to apply to these cases. But what effect can we look for from a rule, which proposes to weigh our own pain, against that of another; the mifery that is felt, against that which is only conceived; and in fo corrupt a balance as the party's own diftempered imagination?

In like manner, whatever other rule you affign, it will ultimately bring us to an indifcriminate to

leration

leration of suicide, in all cafes in which there is danger of its being committed.

It remains, therefore, to inquire what would be the effect of fuch a toleration-evidently, the lofs of many lives to the community, of which fome might be useful or important; the affliction of many families, and the confternation of all; for mankind muft live in continual alarm for the fate of their friends and dearest relations, when the restraints of religion and morality are withdrawn; when every disgust, which is powerful enough to tempt men to fuicide, fhall be deemed fufficient to juftify it; and when the follies and vices, as well as the inevitable calamities of human life, so often make existence a burthen.

A fecond confideration, and perfectly distinct from the former, is this. By continuing in the world, and in the exercife of thofe virtues which remain within our power, we retain the opportunity of meliorating our condition 'in a future ftate. This argument, it is true, does not in ftrictness prove fuicide to be a crime; but if it fupply a motive to diffuade us from committing it, it amounts to much the fame thing. Now there is no condition in human life which is not capaple of fome virtue, active or paffive. Even piety and refignation under the sufferings to which we are called, teftify a truft and acquiefcence in the divine counfels more acceptable, perhaps, than the moft proftrate devotion; afford an edifying example to all who obferve them, and may hope for a recompenfe among the most arduous of human virtues. Thefe qualities are always in the power of the miferable; indeed of none but the miferable.

The two confiderations above ftated, belong to all cafes of fuicide whatever. Befide which general. reasons, each cafe will be aggravated by its own proper and particular confequences; by the duties that are deferted; by the claims that are defrauded; by the lofs, affliction, or difgrace, which our death, or the manner of it, caufes to our family, kindred, or friends; by the occafion we give to many to fuf

pect