perfons, duly qualified, to undertake a correct, elegant publication of our own cathedrals, and other buildings called Gothic, before they totally fall to ruin, it would be of real fervice to the arts of defign, preferve the remembrance of an extraordinary ftyle of building, now finking faft into oblivion, and at the fame time publish to the world the riches of Britain, in the fplendor of her ancient Structures.

Michael Angelo, who, fkilled as he was in mathematical knowledge, could have no very high opinion of the ancient conftruction, boasted that he would fufpend the largest temple of antiquity (meaning the Pantheon) in the air; which he afterwards performed in the cupola of St. Peter's at Rome. And Sir Chriftopher Wren has conftructed all the parts of St. Paul's, and many others, his numerous admirable works, with fo much art, that they are, and ever will be, ftudied and admired by all intelligent obfervers. To him, and to several ingenious artists and artificers fince his time, we owe many great improvements in carpentry; which the English have established upon better principles, and carried to higher perfection, than any other nation.'

[To be continued.]

Seward.

ART. VIII. A full Inquiry into the Subject of Suicide. To which are added (as being clofely connected with the Subject) Two Treatifes on Duelling and Gaming. By Charles Moore, M. A. Rector of Cuxton, and Vicar of Boughton-Blean, Kent; and formerly Fellow of Trinity College, Cambrige. 4to. 2 Vols.

about 400 Pages in each. 11. 11s. 6d. Boards. Rivingtons, &c. 1790.

IF the practice of fuicide is to be reftrained, it must certainly be by impreffing on the minds of men, in early life, a deep conviction of its folly and criminality. To produce this effect, the work, which now comes under our notice, is most happily adapted. It has, therefore, an unquestionable claim to a place in the lift of useful publications; and it will fufficiently appear in the fequel, that it is entertaining as well as useful.

The author's plan comprehends every thing relating to his fubject, that can promife fatisfaction, or be an object of curiofity; and it has been executed with fuch diligent perfeverance, that it is very properly entitled a full Inquiry into the subject of fuicide. We cannot give our readers a more accurate and

*This fingular expreffion may puzzle fome readers: but it means no more, than that Mich. Angelo, hearing fome perfons talk in raptures of the Rotundo, or Pantheon, at Rome, as a work of antiquity never to be paralleled, faid that he would build a dome in the air, as large as that which flood on the ground and it was not a vain boaft; the cupola of St. Peter's church being equal to the Rotundo in the diameter of its bafe, and fuperior in its altitude.

I

complete

complete fummary of this work, than by laying before them the author's own recapitulation of the arguments and facts adduced to prove the criminality of this practice: (Vol. II. p. 186.)

If inquiry be never made into the guilt or innocence of the action of fuicide in itfelf, but only, whether " Lunacy" could be pleaded to take off all refponfibility of moral agency, this is a fufficient proof that the action itself (whatever be its caufes or attendant circumftances) is always judged to be criminal in a moral agent; so that however pitiable it may be deemed in fome cafes, it can never be wholly innocent; and the lefs fo, because it is known before its commiffion to exclude all poffibility of actual repentance. Now though it be not confiftent with Chriftian charity to fuppofe, that the Almighty muft neceffarily be reftrained from showing mercy towards fuch delinquents, as have not the "opportunity and power" to repent of any one particular fin, yet it certainly adds to the heinoufnefs of that fin, which is committed in known and open defiance of fuch a poffibility of repentance.

If felf-murder in general arife either from a want of all good principle, or from a falfe refinement of principle-(the former, through the inftigation of the paffions, being ufually productive of outrageous and defperate fuicide; the latter, through the medium of falfe fhame, falfe pride, falfe honour, of a fort more deliberative and reafoning in its nature)-it is plain, that it never can fpring from any folid, judicious, and rational principles of action, but must be the refult of ignorance, weakness, and error.

If the diftant preparations of the mind for its commiffion are found to be feated in a light and frivolous mode of education, which is more ftudious to form the manners of the outward man, than to cultivate his understanding and improve his heart; -if there proceed from hence an inattention to moral character, an indolence and effeminacy of fpirit, a luxurious and fenfual mode of living, and an unbounded fway of the paffions;-if thefe paffions unrestrained can be no friends to ferious thoughts, moral obligations, and religious duties;-if in confequence thofe pernicious writings be patronifed and eagerly perufed, which tend to unhinge every thing that is important and interefting to the happinefs of mankind in a future ftage of existence; and if from hence the defcent be regular and eafy into the dark caverns of fcepticifm and infidelity;-if fuch be the cafe, then there is nothing to be difcovered in the diftant preparations of the mind for felf murder, but what is deceitful, prefumptuous, and wicked; nothing but what tends to hazard all future happiness by fuch an hafty deliverance from present trouble.

If felf-murder committed in confequence of mental perturbation and forrow excited by the mifconduct of others, have to answer for the" effect;" or if perpetrated in confequence of grofs misbehaviour in the party him felf, have to answer both for "cause and effect," though not equally guilty in both cafes, it cannot be innocent in either. If its immediate harbinger" defpair" be a cowardly and pitiful principle of action, then is it at beft but a mean and daftardly bufinefs.

'If every vicious and defperate action fhould at least be voluntary, and have fome pretentions to forward the inclinations and apparent interefts of its perpetrator in fome fhape or other, then must that felf murder be wholly indefenfible, which a man is prompted to commit in contradiction to all his own defires of life. But fuch is the cafe of many an one, who hazards his own life on certain principles or laws of modern honour-in the " duel" for inftance; or who actually puts an end to it on his inability to difcharge his "gambling debts."-If the fort of "courage" also, which is faid to discover itself in the very act of fuicide, be a fpecies of temerity and fool-hardinefs, then it not only adds nothing to what is fometimes called the independence and fpirit of fuicide, but actually depreciates the fuppofed value of its achievement:-and if further there be more merit in enduring unavoidable troubles with patience than in flying from them, then will true fortitude and magnanimity be difcovered to exift on the contrary fide of the question; viz. in the continuance of life, not in the refuge of felf-destruction. This practice may then be truly called the offspring of an evil race of progenitors; and its "general" guilt is perfectly eftablished.

2. Again; if there be gradations in the fhock of death, and that by felf-murder be moft alarming of all;-if in this cafe there be more hesitation in difcovering to relatives the "mode" of the death than the death itself, it plainly intimates, how much the idea of felf-murder agitates the human frame, and excites the keeneft feelings of the heart; how much it oppofes itself to the first principles and impulfes of human nature, thofe of felf-prefervation.

If a wearinefs and diftafte of life be contradictory to the pure and genuine feelings of nature, then muft the defire of shortening its term by felf-murder be afcribed to fome extraordinary weakness, corruption, or finfulness counteracting that natural folicitude for the prolongation of life: and thus the felf-murderer must first stifle the ftrongest propenfities implanted in the human breast, before he can execute his deadly purpose.

If the fimpleft deductions of reafon lead to the idea of an Almighty Being, as the natural and moral governor of the world; and if nothing can be fuppofed to have been created in vain, or not to form fome link of gradation in the univerfal chain of being-then man, who is ignorant of final effects, cannot be a judge of the importance of his own life, or of the connexion of its duration with his own happiness. This only he knows, that having his part affigned him to perform on the ftage of the univerfe at fuch a period, he purpofely declines and flies from his duty by cutting fhort the thread of

his mortal exiflence.

If the principle of life and death belong not to man, he has as little authority to accelerate the latter, as ability to produce the former,

If moral imputation imply a state of probation, and that a state of dependence and fubmiflion-then all expectation of good or happinefs arifing from obedience is completely overturned by the impatience of fuicide; fince it must needs be offenfive to our moral Governor in all its principles and influencing motives.

<If to confider the ftate of a man's" prefent" happiness or mifery, be only taking a partial view with regard to his whole exiftence both here and hereafter, he cannot be a competent judge, even of what may be the complexion of the remainder of his life here from that which it bears at prefent: and if moreover the fem of his prefent mifery arife (as it too often does) from his own misconduct, then there is a great degree of rafhnefs and prefumption in flying to felf-murder in a moment of defpair; then does he expect in vain the rewards of fubmiffion and obedience, when he hastily returns the gift of life into the hands of the beftower, which by his own abuse he has converted into a curfe instead of a bleffing.

But the Almighty is alfo offended at any injuftice that is committed against the rights of fociety. If therefore the power of enforcing its penal laws be of the utmoft confequence to the welfare of fociety, it is plain that felf-murder is a complete evafion of those laws; and if moreover the "principle" of fuicide, or an opinion of its lawfulness, not only teach a man to die "when" he pleafes, but alfo to live "how" he pleases; (fince it fecures him from all dread of human punishment) what can be more dangerous to the general interests of society, or more fubverfive of its peace and good order, than to countenance fuch an opinion? If further, this principle of the lawfulness of self-murder be generally founded on an indifference towards a future ftate, or a difbelief of its rewards and punishments, then all fear of God, as well as man, being difcarded, there remains little hope or expectation of a man's becoming a good citizen, or rather there is every thing to dread from a want of all retraining principles: fince what confidence can be placed in one, who defies man and believes not in God as his moral governor?

If the wealth and profperity of a nation be fuppofed to confift to a certain degree in its population, the principle of fuicide is a draw-back on that fource of its happiness; and though it may be anfwered with truth, that the natural love of life will act as an antidote against the poifon of this principle, yet it is to be confidered, that every individual, who entertains thoughts of putting it into practice, ought to remember that he exerts his own powers of cur tailing fociety of its members, as far as he is able, and that "no One" can plead a right of this nature, to which " every one" has not an equal claim; and that therefore each individual, who prefumes to exercise it, is as culpable, as if "all" followed his example.

If every citizen have but a joint property in his own life, then he flies from all his reciprocal duties, and deprives the community of that share of his focial fervices, which is its due, when he takes upon himself to fhorten its duration. If alfo the power of life and death be affigned to the magistrate, the felf-murderer encroaches on that power by taking away his own life; and if a life be taken away, neither through mifchance nor lunacy, nor the interference of public juftice, it is equally" Murder" in the eye of the law, whether it were committed by our own or another's hand. If a citizen then, who led a life of previous innocence, kill him felf, he offends against the ftate in the above points; but if befides he had committed

Ee 3

committed public crimes, and fled from juftice by this unwarrantable method, he is still more guilty, as he refufes to make all the reparation in his power by fubmitting to legal punishment;-and leaves an example alfo to his fellow-citizens, how they may commit the like crimes with impunity. Such is the offence of felfmurder against the interefts, the peace, and good order of society in general.

But if its principle be still more disturbing to the repofe of individuals and of private connexions than to that of fociety at large (because these can never be fafe from the alarm of fuch an avowal)

then is the perpetrator of felf-murder more guilty on private than on public accounts. If a man can seek refuge himself in fuicide from diftrefs and poverty (perhaps of his own bringing on), and leave his family a prey to all its horrors; if by the mode of his death he actually increafe that diftrefs upon the fatherless and widow, who became fuch by his bafe desertion of their caufe, then he can have no feelings of parental or conjugal attachment left, or scarce any principles of common humanity. If the reflection on an union having been happy (though now gone for ever) be confolatory on the lofs of a dear friend or relative, how is that fource of comfort cut off, when the feparation on the one fide was voluntary and effected by fuch frightful means! when it must also be known to occafion fuch a scene of exquifite forrow in the breast of the furvivor! If a pure and fpotlefs mind always participate the " fhame" though it does not the guilt" of an evil action committed by one dear to it, how is the finfulness of felf-murder increased and aggravated by the poignancy of that grief and wretchednefs, which it implants in the heart of innocence! Wherefore that action must needs be highly finful, by which a man breaks through every tie of humanity and affection, fills a tender and innocent breaft with fevere diftrefs, and flies from the performance of every focial, domeftic, and benevolent duty!

But fuppofing all the rights of fociety and claims of individuals to be fet afide;-if a man's felf-intereft be not promoted by his felfaffaffination, then it is at least a rash and indefenfible ftep. If it destroy all interests in this world (which however gloomy at prefent might have brightened up hereafter) in expectation of infenfibility, how gloomy is the idea of annihilation! an idea never taken up, but as an hope of escaping future punishment! fince thofe, who are not conscious of abused talents or a mif-spent life, can have no other wish but to exift in a better ftate. But if the felf-murderer's ideas of annihilation or a total infenfibility fhould be fallacious, or if he defperately plunge (as is often the cafe) without adverting to any other confequence than a mere expulfion of his prefent pain,-then it fully appears, how much he hazards his future happinets if not totally overturns it; and thus exchanges a tranfient evil for a state of endless mifery.

If the fin of felf murder be moreover increased, by its being an union of many offences in one ;-for if to fin against our nature be one fpecies or fymptom of guilt; to rebel against the authority of God be another; to offend against the rules and good order of fo

ciety