wrong How could his Death ever have been so much Applauded if not Reasonable and Lawful The true Causes of this great Applause were 1. That he was a Man really of the greatest Probity Honour Integrity Courage the truest Lover of his Country that can be found in any History that the Faults of his Life were fewer and the Excellencies brighter than any other Example can afford 2. That upon this Account the Character of the other Cato which was very great sunk into his and in after Ages what was said of the Former was attributed to the Latter 3. That as to his Death there are some Actions which become Famous not for their being Reasonable but for their happening at a particular time Cato kill'd himself just upon the alteration of the Roman Government He dy'd with the Roman Liberty most certainly whether he dy'd for it or no and the more that Liberty was miss'd the more was his Death Applauded the two great Revolutions of the Roman State the Birth and Death of that Glorious Republick was attended by the Self-murther of two most Virtuous Persons which being Celebrated with so many Encomiums has deceiv'd many People but the Virtues of their Lives conceal'd the Errours of their Deaths and the Publick being so far concern'd in them ran away with their Applause which Posterity has receiv'd from Age to Age without much Examination From what has been said I hope it doth appear that as no Example of Self-murther ought to sway with us either upon account of the Romans Practice or the Doctrine of the Stoics so this of Cato in particular ought not to be of any Authority in this Case CHAP. XII Concerning Courage what the Nature Proper Object and Vse of it is The mistakes concerning it and the occasions of them That Self-murther is not the natural Effect of true Courage OTher Pretences there are for Self-murther which are grounded upon mistaken Notions of Courage Honour and Liberty the first of which is Courage In so Warlike an Age and Nation as this is it might perhaps be taken amiss for any one to enquire what Courage is But that they who abound most in any thing that is commendable always bear the Examination of it best Here we meet with our Author again who is more Lofty than usual upon this Occasion * Donne pag. 〈◊〉 When I frame to my self says he a Martyrology of all which have perished by their own means for Religion Country Fame Love Ease Fear Shame I blush to see how â—…aked of Followers all Virtues are in respect of this Fortilude c. The 〈◊〉 as he calls it follows consisting chiefly of Thieves Minions Gladiators As to the Causes of this Fortitude which he mentions here to omit at present what relates to Religion what concerns dying for ones Country has †Chap. 8. been spoken to at large the Motive of Fame shall be consider'd in the next Chapter as also that of Shame But how the killing of ones self upon the account of Ease Love nay Fear too shou'd be Instances of Fortitude is very strange By Fortitude here I suppose meant the same with what is call'd Courage This being generally look'd upon as a great Virtue and Self-murther believ'd to be an Effect of it It will be necessary to make a particular enquiry into it not only for the clearing of this Mistake but several others rising from the same Root 1. Let us see what is the Nature Object and use of Courage particularly as Rational and Humane 2. What the Mistakes are concerning it and what are probably the Causes of them And this being done I shall shew 3. That Self-murther is not the Effect of true Courage 1. As to the Nature of it Courage is only the Effect of an active and vigorous heat in the Heart as its Name imports in many Modern Languages which Heat sends forth many brisk and lively Spirits which diffuse themselves through the whole Body and prompt it to Action so that this is Common to other Creatures as well as Man and therefore not any Virtue naturally the Virtue of it depends upon the goodness of the Object and proper use of it 2. As to the Object All Objects work upon Creatures which have Life either under the Notion of Good or under the Notion of Evil as to things indifferent our Passions are not concerned about them As to what is or seems Good if this is easie to be obtain'd the very Appearance of it is sufficient to make the Soul reach after it without any occasion for Courage and if we cou'd imagine a Man to be wholly at ease to abound in all things he can wish for and to be secure in the enjoyment of them such a one wou'd have no need of Courage and therefore it wou'd languish and die away by Degrees But on the other side if any thing presents it self as an obstacle in the way to that which we take to be Good or if any thing which we take to be Evil threatens us with danger then the Soul looks out and views the Enemy and according as it finds its strength prepares to attack or resist it from whence it appears that the proper Object of Courage is Evil. Thus a Modern Author * Hobb's Leviath p. 1. chap 6. Fear is the Opinion of hurt from the Object Courage is the hope of avoiding that Hurt by Resistance Or as another †De la Chamb. Char. des paâ—sions vol. 2. cap. â— Courage is a Power of the Soul which employs the Forces of the Mind to overcome Evils or to put a stop to ' em From whence we also come to a knowledge of 3. The proper use of Courage namely to Attack or Resist what is Evil. What has been said hiâ—…herto may belong to Beasts as well as Man the proper use of Courage as belonging to Man consists in the promoting that End for which he receiv'd Life the use of Courage in Beasts is to preserve Life but since Liâ—e was given Man to a more excellent End as has been shewn whatever Springs there are in Humane Nature of which Courage is one of the Chief must be suppos'd to be intended as subservient to this End and therefore the Justness and Regularity of their Motion must be measur'd by it accordingly First then humane Courage ought to be inform'd truly concerning its Object to have a right and certain knowledge of its being Evil which Reason will quickly discover Secondly it ought to Attack or Resist that Evil in such 〈◊〉 manner limited and directed by such Virtues as may hinder it from interfering with any part of our Duty towards God our Neighbour or our selves This makes Courage to be founded upon Justice and directed by it otherwise it wou'd be Evil it self It has been said already that Courage is twofold either such as Attacks or such as Resists Evil. Let us bring both of them to these Rules 1. As to that part of Courage which
much more would he have thought it unjust to have evaded the Sentence by Self-murther for this is an Act of the highest Injustice and what is so can never be Honourable wheresore a Man of Honour in these Circumstances is not to be sway'd by Opinion nor to be hurry'd away by Passion but to enquire calmly and seriously what right he has to destroy himself It has been shewn that he has none at all but supposing that he has ever had such a right yet if he has stood his Trial he will find this rather lessen'd upon this Account than encreas'd sor in all Trials there is a tacit Agreement between the Party and the Court to stand the Issue that if he be found Innocent he shall be discharg'd If not submit toâ—… Punishment Wherefore upon the Prisoners being found Guilty in Capital Causes his Life becomes the Publicks immediately 't is forfeited by Compâ—…ct as some Amends for his Crime and therefore he must be unjust if he evades the paying of that Forfeiture by Self-murther And what the sense of Civil Governments in this Case is appears in that most of them if not all make no distinction between the Life of an Innocent Man and the Life of an Offender under 〈◊〉 but he that kills the latter shall as certainly be put to Death as he 〈◊〉 kills the former And though this perhaps may seem the less Crime because 〈◊〉 prevents Death but a few Days or Minutes this makes no difference because the unlawfulness of Self-murther consists not in the hindering of a Person from living such or such a time but in usurping a Power which we have no right to in destroying that which is not our own and so breaking the Laws of Nature and this may be done as much by a Man's hindering himself from living a few Minutes as many Years In a Word since what is Unjust cannot be Honourable since Self-murther after Condemnation is rather more unjust than it would have been before A Man of Honour cannot be oblig'd to kill himself in defence of his Reputation in such Circumstances If it be said that the Common People have not this Notion of Honour that something is due to them 〈◊〉 truely I think nothing at all much less Life it self nay Honour too for if a Man does an unjust thing to satisfie the Multitude and to preserve his Credit among them he Sacrifices true Honour to an empty Name and yet the Multitude it self to do it Justice is seldom so bad a Judge of Praise and Disgrace as to reckon a Man's Honour in such Circumstances as we have been speaking of vindicated by killing of himself for by Honour here must be meant either his Innocence or his Courage But as to the first If a Man is Condemn'd unjustly the best way that is left to prove his Innocence is such a Behaviour as is the Natural Effect of it a noble disdain of the Injustice which he suffers under a generous indifferency as to Life or Death and of what the World says or thinks a perpetual calmness of Temper settled Aspect c. These will prevail very much even upon the worst sort of People whose Malice begins to be satisfy'd or tir'd at the time of Execution and who are inclin'd then to believe both the Looks and Words of dying Men and indeed there is such a Majesty in calm Resolution such a Beauty in undaunted Innocence as checks and controuls insensibly the rudest Insolence and changes the Opinion of the most Prejudic'd Spectators whereas he that kills himself under Sentence of Death confirms the Justice of his Condemnation and is look'd upon as Guilty by the Laws of most Nations and particularly our own As to the Second Self-murther is not the proper way to vindicate the Reputation of Courage in such Circumstances it being generally look'd upon as an Act of Despair Humane Courage consists either in the offering of just Violence whereas this is the most unjust as has been shewn or else in the resisting of great Evils whereas this is the declining of them as has been also shewn the greater the Evil is under which a Man Labours the greater must his Courage be that resists or supports it wherefore a Publick and Ignominious Death being confest to be a greater Evil to a Soldier especially than any he has met withal before His Courage must be shewn if he places his Honour in this alone in the resisting it accordingly A Man may have been bred in War been in many Battles and Seiges and yet never have march'd to any certainty of Death or rarely have been upon such Service where 't was an even chance whether he came off or no Besides upon these occasions the number of Companions and Spectators the certainty of Glory if they behave themselves well and the heat of the Action animates 'em mightily and inflames their Courage But to be dragg'd slowly along through the Rabble Bound and Guarded to be dragg'd thus to certain Death to the Death of a Common Malefactor is a very different Case to undergo this with Constancy is the Test of true Courage indeed and argues greater Bravery than can be shewn in the Field He who yields to Affliâ—…tion says the Author above mention'd * Moral Galantry p. 122 shews that they that inflict it are greater than himself but he who braves it shews that it is not in the Power of any thing but Guilt to make him Tremble 〈◊〉 This induces me to beleive that Passive Courage is much more Noble than what is Active for one who Fights gallantly in the Field in the Front or View of an Army is assisted by the Example of others by hope of Reward of Victory and needs not much to fear that Death which he may shun as probably as meet But he who in a Noble Quarel adorns the Scaffold whereon he is to suffer evinces that he can master Fate and makes Danger less than his Courage and to serve him in acquiring Fame and Honour so that if by Honour be meant Innocence or Courage this is much better vindicated by a Noble Carriage under Barbarous Injustice than by killing ones self in order to avoid it But suppose it shou'd not be so suppose the Multitude shou'd insult and deride a Brave and Innocent Man Will any Person that is Innocent or Brave so Born so Bred as one that we are speaking of vouchsafe 'em any regard Will not his Mind be employ'd in a nobler way And since there must be a Place for the Reward of injur'd Innocence since a Good Conscience affords the best Acclamations What do the Words and Actions of the thoughtless and inconstant Multitude signifie to mind what they do or say wou'd be as unreasonable as to be concern'd whether it wou'd be soul or fair Weather at the time of Execution 3. As to the remaining part of the Plea for Self-murther in this Case the preventing his Enemies having their Will over him and disappointing their
to have been done amiss whereas here Repentance goes beforehand and the Person is reckon'd to have confess'd the Crime before he has committed it or else 't is Resolution against doing something that is Evil but how can this be when the Person is Positively resolv'd for it this is strange trisling with a Man 's Own Conscience and with God and what can be more provoking than to know the Evil of an Action to foresee that it wants Repenâ—…ance to be sensible that it ought to be abhorr'd and avoided and yet to do it for all that If it be said that a Man may have time to Repent afterwards and that he may possibly contrive his Death accordingly Alas what hopes can he draw srom hence to design sirst positively to commit that which one acknowledges to be Evil and to design to ask forgiveness when 't is committed is an undeniable Evidence that a Man transgresses Presumptuously against the Light of his own Reason for the more necessary that he thinks Repentance is the more clear sense must he have of the Evil of the thing which he is about to do and therefore the greater must his Punishment be 2. The Person who is guilty of Self-murther can receive no Punishment in this World which he can be sensible of and therefore shall be punish'd the more hereafter I have shewn already * Sup. pag. 26 27 that among other things which prove the unlawfulness of Self-murther 't is a greater Crime in respect of the Publick than the Murther of another Man because some satisfaction may be made for that especially to the Publick by the forfeiture of the Persons own Life and by the terrour of his Example But in Self-murther there can be nothing of this the Offender evades all sensible Punishment he makes no Satisfaction considerable for despising and breaking the Laws of his Country and encouraging others to do so He brings Horrour Confusion Infamy and Poverty often upon his forsaken Family and yet does it often upon this very Account that he cannot be Punish'd here and therefore will undoubtedly suffer in a more dreadful manner hereafter Thus I have considered the several Significations of the Word Liberty as a pretence for Self-murther and shewed what that Liberty is in General which Man has as to his own Actions That no Evil which oppresses the Body can be destructive while Reason remains to the Liberty of the Soul That no Sickness or Pain whatsoever can be any sign that God gives the Sufferer Liberty to destroy himself That he who does so to obtain Liberty or Ease from any such Evils shall fall into a state of greater Slavery and therefore that Liberty in what sense soever is an unreasonable pretence for Self-murther And now I have gone through what I propos'd laid down the Principles upon which I take Self-murther to be unlawful Answer'd such Objections as I thought most strong against them and withal examin'd those General Prejudices by which People are usually misled in this Matter I will not trouble the Reader with any more particular view of what has been said If he wants this he may have it by turning back to the Contents But hitherto we have been led only by Natural Reason if the Principles which we have argued from were brought to what is revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures the unlawfulness of this Act would quickly appear more Plainly For as to God's Propriety in Man There we may find in how wonderful a manner this is increas'd by the Death of our Crucifi'd Lord who purchas'd us by his Blood made us Members of his Body uniting us to Himself by his Holy Spirit Thus too as to the end of Humane Life there our Reason is instructed what to believe and our Wills what to do and encourag'd to obey accordingly by the assistance of the same Spirit And although we may see there that the best of Men in the following of this End shall be expos'd to great Afflictions to Poverty Sickness Disgrace nay sometimes to Death it self yet we may see also the great advantages of such Sufferings by the improvement of ourSouls and the increase of our Reward And above all for the enabling us to undergo them in their worst Extremes we have there set before us the most Excellent Example of Patience Constancy and Humility in the meek and forgiving Son of God What Contempt or Disgrace what Torture of the Body could ever equal what He Suffer'd in his Death What Sorrow and Anxiety what Torments of the Mind could ever be compar'd to what He felt in the Garden and yet with what Duty and Resignation did He submit to all O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from Me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt These Blessed Words alone if rightly consider'd might afford in what Circumstances soever the most Sovereign Preservative against this dreadful crime of Self-murther But Arguments of this kind may if it be found necessary be insisted upon more conveniently hereafter FINIS
AN ESSAY Concerning Self-Murther Wherein is endeavour'd to prove That it is UNLAWFUL According to NATURAL PRINCIPLES WITH Some Considerations upon what is pretended from the said Principles by the Author of a Treatise intituled Biathanatos and Others By J. Adams Rector of St. Alban Woodstreet and Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty LONDON Printed for Tho. Bennet at the Half-Moon in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1700. To the Reverend Dr. GODOLPHIN Provost of ETON COLLEGE SIR THere are few Addresses of this kind where the Writer considers the Reputation of the Person he applies to half so much as his Own for tho' the Gratitude from whence they Flow may be sincere yet they are likewise very glad that the World should know their Friend or Patron If something of this should be laid to my Charge I could hardly acquit my self since 't is not I confess without some Pride that I acknowlâ—…ge thus Publickly the great Obligations which I have to you However I must say that this was not the only Ground of my applying to you For having undertaken the Defence of Humane Life it would not have been sufficient to have shewn that God reserves to himself the Absolute Propriety of it and that he imparts it to Man for a great and noble End unless I had given some Instance how Valuable how Glorious it might become by a constant pursuit of that End Where then could I have met with so full an Instance to this purpose as in the Example of Your Life Where such strength of Reason is guided so regularly by Revelation and every Vertue improvd and adorn'd by Primitive Piety Thus Your Name supports my Argument at the same Time that 't is necessary for my Protection who have attack'd an Error of so much Reputation and which is set off with all the pompous Boasts of Reason Courage Honour and Liberty by which Men chuse to be misled rather then guided by Revelation till after the loss of Health Estate and a Good Conscience they are driven to seek for Ease in Self-murther Among other Pretences which have been brought to justify this Act one of the most Popular is the Example of the Romans I have endeavour'd to give some Account when it first grew in Vogue among them and what Viâ—…es and Opinions made way for it how from a People Naturally Religious Brave and Disinterested above Corruption as much as Cowardice They fell firstinto Atheism and from thence into Luxury Bribery and Treachery Publick Poverty and Private Extortion which ended at last in the Slavery and Ruin of that Great Nation I could not consider this without a melancholic Reflection upon my own Country formerly not unlike the other in its Vertues as its Enemies will confess for their own Credit But alas now too like it in its Vices as its best Friends must be forc'd to own What can save it from the same Calamity but the restoring that lost Zeal for Religion and Vertue and Sincere Love of the Publick Good And what one Family can contribute more to this than Your Own Where at this time are to be found such excellent Qualifications for Support and Ornament both of the Church and State May that Good Providence which upon all Occasions has been so favourable to this Nation make you his happy Instruments to this Purpose SIR Your most Humble and most Faithful Servant JOHN ADAMS THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. MAN Considered in the Individual and the State of Nature Of Humane Life What and from whence it is where the Absolute Propriety of it is to be Plac'd Page 3. CHAP. II. Concerning the true End or Design of Humane Life and what it is to Follow Nature pag. 11. CHAP. III Men consider'd as a Member of Civil Society Self-murther prov'd to be Destructive to Civil Society from which and what was said before concluded to be an Act of the greatest Injustice and therefore Unlawful pag. 23. CHAP. IV. Of the Rise and Obligation of Self-preservation Some Objections against it Remov'd How far Humane Life may be justly Valu'd or Despis'd pag. 33. CHAP. V. Who they are Chiefly that maintain this Act to be Lawful The Stoicks The Author of Biathanatos Method propos'd for the answering Objections Some General Ones Consider'd which are brought against Self-Preservation as confess'd to be a Law of Nature pag. 48. CHAP. VI. Such Objections consider'd as are offer'd against the Law of Self-Preservation with particular Relation to what has been said concerning God's Propriety of Humane Life and which either directly deny this Propriety or else allowing it pretend that a Man may notwithstanding this Kill himself Lawfully by God's Dispenfation Dismission Call or Summons pag. 50. CHAP. VII Other Objections Answer'd by which they would Introduce a different End of Humane Life as the measure of Self-Preservation and then supposing that this End does cease whensoever a Man's Reason tells him that it does so would from hence infer that His Obligation to preserve Life does cease also pag. 73. CHAP. VIII Examination of such Objections as are brought to Invalidate what was said above as to Man's being a Member of Civil Society and the Vnlawfulness of Self-murther in this Regard also Application to the Coroner's Inquest in this Case pag. 94 CHAP. IX Transition to the remaining Part of this Treatise with a short View osâ—…it The Authority of Examples consider'd Several Instances of Laws and Customs of many Countries in the behalf of Self-murther Examined particularly such as relate to the Romans That nothing can be borught from hence to prove Self-murther to be Natural pag. 131. CHAP. X. The Rise and Progress of the Stoicks A short Account of their Philosophy when and for what Reasons it spread among the Romans That the Doctrine of Self-murther is Inconsistent with their other Principles as prov'd by Instances from their greatest Authors Seneca Epictetus and Antoninus with a brief Character of each pag. 157. CHAP. XI Gato's Case considered in Particular His Character His Enmity against Caesar The several Circumstances of his Death what were probably the true Causes of it and of the great Encomiums which were given him afterwards pag. 186. CHAP. XII Concerning Courage what the Nature Object and Vse of it is as Humane The Mistakes concerning it and the Occasions of them That Self-murther is not the Natural Effect of true Courage pag. 208. CHAP. XIII Of Honour that this is twofold either Inward a Principle of Virtue or Outward from the Applause which follows upon the other That neither of these can ever require Self-murther The Mistakes concerning Honour which occasion it Objections answer'd and some Particular Cases consider'd pag. 225. CHAP XIV Liberty the last Plea for Self-murther examin'd The several Significations of the Word Of that Liberty in General which Man has as to his Actions That this can afford no pretence for Self-murther That whatever Calamities what Grief or Pain soever afflicts the Soul or may be suppos'd to enslave it Man has no Authority to
to elude the Design of a Law out of Pity as out of Revenge and as to Perjury if we consider it in it self 't is as absurd to be guilty of it through Generosity as Bribery though it may too justly be suspected that in these Cases the latter generally has a greater Influence than the former But of this more hereaster * Chap. 8. These are the Reasons which make me conclude that Self-Murther is unlawful if Man be considered as a Member of any Civil State which are all of 'em of greater force if it be also positively forbidden by the Laws of the State which I take to be of great Consideration in this part of the Argument As for the Exceptions or Objections that are made to this third Division * See Chapt. 8. they also shall be considered in their turn CHAP. IV. Of the Rise and Obligation of Self-Preservation Some Objections against it remov'd How far Humane Life may be justly Valu'd or Despis'd BY what has been said has been shewn the Absolute Propriety which God has of Humane Life the end for which Man receives it both in regard to himself and in regard to those with whom he is joyn'd in Civil Society In the next place we should enquire by what means God secures this Propriety to himself for Man's observing of this end This he does by fixing in him the Principle of Self-Preservation This is the most Vniversal Law of Nature it running through every part of the Creation as is confest by the Stoicks * Diog. Laert. in Zen. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cicer. de â—…nib lib. 3. de Offic. l. 1. Sen. Ep. 121. especially who are our chiefest opposers in the present Argument but it belongeth particularly to Man for as the end of Humane Life is of the noblest kind and Gods Propriety of it of the greatest value As Man is furnish'd with better means to preserve his Life so must he be more strictly bound to do it than any other Creature Yet some People by imputing too much to this Principle or by observing it without due regard to the end of Life have caus'd it to be run down and despis'd as the base pretence of Knavery and Cowardice whereas there wou'd not be any danger of either of these if they wou'd but carefully distinguish between the means and the end of Humane Life Self-Preservation is the chief means by which God secures his Propriety of Humane Life for Man's obtaining of the great end for which he received it Though Self-preservation is the first Principle by which Man does act because Life must first be before any use can be made of it yet this is not the only measure of Man's Actions but as soon as he comes to the Knowledge of the End of Life his Actions are to be guided by that Knowledge Thus tho' Infants endeavour to preserve themselves before they have any use of Reason yet afterwards when they come to have this and to follow it by Virtue then this great end of Life takes place according to its dignity and is to be chiesly regarded and Self-preservation remains of force only as 't is subservient to this end and consistent with it Wheresore since I suppose this end to be the following Reason by Virtue and make this Precedent in dignity and more to be regarded than Self-preservation which is only the means subservient to it there can be no fear of encouraging either Cowardice or Knavery upon account of it because he that preserves Life only to this very end that he may follow Reason by Virtue can never do any thing contrary to Reason or Virtue upon the account of Self-preservation Indeed that unbounded Authority which Mr. Hobbs * Leviath Part 1. Chap. 14. gives to what he calls Right of Nature under which Self-preservation is included opens a very wide door to the worst consequences of Knavery or Cowardice For he says that this is the Liberty each Man hath to use his own Power as he will himself for the preservation of his own Nature that is to say of his own Life and consequently of doing any thing which in his own Judgment and Reason he shall conceive to be the aptest means thereunto This Latitude of Right of Nature in order to Self-preservation seems to be the ground of most of his Errours concerning Civil Society and may well be the occasion of the basest Actions But we do not value Life at that rate For Life is but a thing indifferent in its own Nature wherefore to love or hate it meerly upon its own account is equally unreasonable The just value or contempt of it depends upon the use that is made of it in the fulfilling or neglecting the end of it If a Wise Man has a Summ of Money lent him he will use it without any injury to his Benefactor 's right to his own and his Friend's Advantage so will the same Man do with Life yet such a summ may be misused two ways either through Covetousness which will cause a Man to do all the foulest things imaginable to encrease or secure it or else through Prodigality which will make him throw it away with the greatest Rashness Cowardice is the Covetousness of Life consider'd only for itself without the End of it Self-murther is the extreme act of Prodigality of it but with this Aggravation the Prodigality of what was graciously lent to Man to the most noble and most glorious End by the best and greatest of all Benefactors even God himself To return then to the Objection above-mention'd as it would be unreasonable to say that the affirming a Man ought not to be a Prodigal did infer that he ought to be Covetous So 't is sull as unreasonable to pretend that because we affirm that Self-preservation ought to be observ'd we would have Men turn Knaves or Cowards in order to the doing so By no means for as it was said before The true end of Life is the following of Reason by Virtue Life may be hazarded in order to this end and Death may be sufferâ—… rather than act against it but suffer'd always from others never from one's self Moreover as People strive to disgrace Self-preservation by the Imputations above-mentioned so they cry up the Contempt of Life on the other side as the greatest Courage and Magnanimity But he that knows what the right end of Living is will keep this in his Eye in all Events and therefore will neither value nor despise Life but only as it is more or less consistent with his Duty And this is true Magnanimity this will make him scorn to do an ill Thing to save Life because this would be to destroy the very end for which he had Life the doing well On the other side this will hinder him from throwing away Life by Self-murther because whatever his Condition is the performing of the end of Life can never be out of his Power Wherefore nothing can be more
absurd than that Contempt of Life which is so very much affected by some People which injudicious Poets very much contribute too What than to have a Hero strutting and ranting against Life when either he has made it miserable by his Folly or is incapable of making a proper vse of it by his Ignorance Not to know what to do with Life is not to know what to do with Reason There are a great many Men in the World who despise the Slavery of Reflection and Forecast and depend only upon the gross Enjoyment of the present Moment And then whenever they meet with opposition or disappointment which they must needs do often they quarrel with Life and are for parting with it immediately whereas it is not Life but they who are in Fault Life is always pleasing when Reason is faithfully obey'd when this is forsaken Life indeed is worth nothing But then who is it that makes it so Yet still after all when it is become so worthless Self-murther is not necessary because the Cause of its being worthless may be remedied if the Person concern'd pleases and he can no sooner understand for what Reason Life is despicable but that he may make it quite otherwise by pursuing the true end of it Furthermore to confirm this Contempt of Life they plead the Examples of Regulus and others who have suffer'd Death with all Calmness and Magnanimity But will any Man venture to say seriously that these great Men behav'd themselves as they did out of Contempt of Life or despising or neglecting Self-preservation This would be the greatest Detraction * See â—…more Chap. 15. There seems to be always a poorness and meanness of Spirit in such Insinuations and Reflections as these Life is a Thing of no Value That Death is the way to Ease and the Pain not great nor lasting c. How much greater would it be for a Man to acknowledge that he is not insensible of the Terrors of Death and yet to shew at the same time that he is ready to suffer all rather than trangress against that end for which Life was given him by committing any one Crime Wherefore when we consider the settled and calm Resolution of any great and innocent Man at the point of violent Death let it not be said that he was glad to die out of any Contempt of Life But allow him to have had a natural regard to Life and then his parting with it upon the Account of Vertue will be truly Glorious By what has been said may appear the Unreasonableness of several Passages which are frequently to be met withal in the Writings of the Stoicks and †See Lucretius lib. 3. thus speaking in the Person of Nature Si grata fuit Tibi vita anteacta priorque Cur non ut plenus vitae conviva â—…ecedis Sin ea qua fructus â—…unque es periere profusa Vitaque inoffensu est cur amplius addere quâ—…eris Nec potsus Vitae finem facis atque laboris Nam tibi praeterea quod machiner inveniamque Quod placeat nihil est eadem sunt omnia semper Si tibi non annis corpus jam marcet artus Confecti languent eadem tamen omnia restant Epicureans and which have been received with much applause by some People who are pleas'd to see Life represented as a dull Business not worth a Man's Care where the same Thing comes over and over again Because their own is so ‖ Vid. Epist. 77. Cogita quam diâ—… jam idem facias 〈◊〉 cibus libido per hune circulum curritur Seneca has a remarkable Passage to this purpose where speaking of one Marcellinus's voluâ—… Death He tells us He was perswaded to it by a Friend of his a Stoick a very extraordinary Person especially as to his Courage who talk'd to him to this purpose Be not concern'd dear Marcellinus as if you were consulting about a Matter of any great importance Life is no such mighty Business Your Slaves live as well as you and so do Beasts too Consider how long you have been doing the same Thing over and over Eating Sleeping c. This is the narrow Circle which we are always Running This indeed is a very dull Circle for a Philosopher to be always Running for this is an Account of the Life of a Beast and not of a Man But the End of humane Life is of a Nobler Kind to regulate and improve a Man 's own Actions to do good to Mankind to be grateful and dutiful to the gracious Author of his Being and for this to be exalted to a State of unerring Reason and consummate Vertue 'T is true Sensation has but a narrow Compass its Objects are very few and very gross and therefore not only come quickly Round but become duller and duller the oftener they do so But nothing can bound the noble Range of Reason and when this is faithfully obey'd no Satiety ever attends the sweet Applause of a good Conscience but as the Progress of Reason is Endless so the Pleasure of Vertue is Immortal I shall conclude this Chapter with the Authority of a * Montaign's Essays Book 2. Chap. 3. Person who is very much esteem'd by the Gentlemen who are chiefly concern'd in this matter The Opinion which makes so little of Life is ridiculous for 't is our Being 't is all we have Things of a nobler and more elevated Being may indeed accuse this of ours but it is against Nature to contemn and make little account of our selves 't is a Disease particular to Man and not discern'd in any other Creature to hate and despise it self CHAP. V. Who they are chiefly that maintain this Act to be Lawful The Stoicks the Authors of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 method propos'd Some gâ—…neral Objections consider'd which are brought against Self-preservation as confest to be a Law of Nature HAving thus laid down those natural Principles from which Self-murther may be prov'd unlawful from the Right which God hath reserv'd to himself over humane Life from the End or Design for which Man received it and this too whether he be consider'd as in the State of Nature or as a Member of Civil Society Having also â—…hew'd the Rise and Extent of the Principle of Self-preservation and in what respects humane Life may be justly valued or despised I come now to Enquire who those are which embrace the contrary Opinion and have held and maintain'd Self-murther to be Lawful Among the Ancients the Stoicks were the most considerable yet they recommended it to the World more by the Austere Practice of some popular Vertues than by any solid Arguments or indeed any remarkable Attempts to prove it Lawful Yet what they have offer'd * See Chap 10. shall be considered at large and compar'd with their other Principles This has been pretended to more particularly by †Dr. Donnâ—… afterwards Dean of Paul's a Gentleman of our own Country with much shew of Learning and
get into the Long-boat who being driven backwards and forwards for many Days and their Provision all spent agree to cast Lots who shall be first eaten and continue to do so till but two are left Was this Lawful Yes certainly Is not this then a plain Breach of the Law of Self-preservation so often mention'd Not at all but rather the Observing it in the best manner Because if this Course had not been taken there would have been certain Death to them all in a few Hours either by Famine or by Killing one another In this Case it was lawful for them not only to put their Lives upon the Hazard of Ten to One but upon equal Hazard as the Two last must do Because a Hazard of Death upon the hardest Terms is better than a Certainty of it All this then being done as the using the best the only way to preserve Life and consequently in each Man 's own Defence can be no Breach of the Law of Self-preservation the same Account may be given of several other pretended Instancâ—…s of Desertion of one's self They first suppose some Case in which Man is brought into great Hazard of Life but this Hazard they conceal or pass over slightly And then if he incur any danger in order to preserve it they call this Desertion of one's self and transgressing the Law of Self-preservation Whereas the doing so is the most faithful and diligent Observation of it that can be possibly As for the other Instance of Desertion When any Person accused stands mute at the Bar which is said to be allowed by our Church and State and therefore brought to prove the Reasonableness of Destroying one's self First this is truly deserting of a Man's self so far he is in the Right because 't is the refusing the means of avoiding Condemnation or of obtaining Mercy afterwards and running voluntarily into a more painful Death than any which he can fear But then secondly to say That this is justified by our Church and State is very strange because the Person who is thus obstinate is condemned to suffer the greatest Punishment for this very Crime of being so 'T is the excellency of the Laws of England above those of other Nations that as they have the greatest tenderness in the case of Life so they have the greatest care in the case of Propriety Now whereas some Men may not value their own Lives so much as their Childrens welfare and whereas the publick Good is above all private Considerations It has been thought â—…it by our prudent Ancestors to deter such Persons from great Crimes not only by the forfeiture of their Lives but also by the forfeiture of their Estates But then again to shew the regard which they had to Propriety these could not be forfeited without Conviction and Conviction could not be without Pleading wherefore to make them plead a more dreadsul Death * Peine forte Diere as the Name imports if duly put in Execution than any which the Law requires if they should be found guilty upon Pleading is threatned for their Obstinacy so that the Law does not leave it to a Mans choice thus If you will stand Mute and will be prest to Death you shall save your Estate the Estate is not under any Consideration as to the intent of the Law in this Case but the obstinacy of refusing to Plead which being punished so dreadfully nothing can be greater detraction than to say That the deserting of ones self in this manner is not only allowed but justified in this Nation These general and mixt Objections belonging to Man partly as in the state of Nature and partly as a Member of Civil Society not knowing how to rank under any particular Head I thought it most convenient to bring in here and perhaps they may not be altogether unserviceable to the illustrating of that which is to follow CHAP. VI. Such Objections consider'd as are against the Law of Self-preservation with particular Relation to what has been said concerning God's Propriety of Humane Life and which either directly deny this Propriety or else allowing it pretend that a Man may notwithstanding this kill himself lawfully by God's Dispensation Dismission Call or Summons WE come next to consider such Arguments as contradict the Propriety which God has of Humane Life This is opposed very little directly as being too manifest yet as it is one of the chief things upon which the Controversie depends many offers have been made to evade it Thus 't is said †Bâ—… pag. â—…2 that though no body is properly Lord of his Life though we have not Dominion 〈◊〉 have Vsum and it is â—…ful for us to lose that when we will But how lose it not sure by dâ—…roying the thing it self a Man may surrender any thing to the right Owner which is lent him and provided it be in good Condition be no longer accountable for it but Self-killing is destroying Life and destroying is certainly a very strange way of surrendering ‖ Ibid. Suppose a Man of Quality should lend a considerable Sum of Money to one of his Servants to whom he took a sancy which might turn if he wou'd to his certain and very great advantage and this Fellow should run to a Gaming-â—…use and play it away immediately and his Lord should expoâ—…late with him for doing so would it not be a very odd answer for him to say that though he had not the Dominium of the Money yet he had the Vsum of it and it was lawful for him to lose that when he would The Application is easie Again he says * See Chap 〈◊〉 If the reason why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not kill our selves be because we are not Lords of our own Lives but only God Then the Sâ—… cannot take away our Life for that is no more Lord of our Life than we are The State is not Lord of any Mans Life by any full Dominion over it but accidentally When the publick Life the being of the Government is concerned And then it has such a Power over each Corrupted and Disobedient Subject as each Man has over any Corrupted Limb and may cut it off for the Preservation of the rest before the Contagion reaches the Vitals of the State And this Power in both Cases is derived from God who though he reserves to himself the full Propriety of Life yet he must be suppos'd to allow Man the means necessary to preserve Life Which sometimes cannot possibly be done otherwise either in Natural or Political Bodies than by Amputation The next Argument is somewhat Obscure 't is in these Words †Ib. p 113. If in this Case there were any Injury done to the State then certainly it were in the Power of the State to License a Man to do it for this in the State were but Cedere in Re Sua which any Man may lawfully do Here two things are suppos'd if I am not mistaken 1. That there can
have practised There is a kind of deformity in Storms and Tempests and Winter comes in unpleasantly after the Warmth and Fruitfulness of the other Seasons yet these are as necessary to the World as they were to Purge the Air to destroy hurtful Weeds and Insects and to dispose the Earth to Answer the returning Spring Something of the same kind is full as necessary to humane Nature to set the Soul in Motion after the soultry Calms of Ease and Luxury * Antonin lib. 4. §. 1. ib. lib. 10. §. 29. A great Mind improves upon opposition it Sparkles and Rejoyces under those Calamities which wou'd oppress others and slames out to the World in brighter Glory Wherefore to suppose that such Events as we have been speaking of are Dispensations or Dismissions from Life is to â—…ay either that there are no such Virtues as Conâ—…ancy Patience and Fidelity and that â—…od dispenses with us as to the practising any such Duties at all or else that he does so when we have the greatest occasion for them when they are nearest to their highest Perfection and may be practis'd most Gloriously 5. But after all the very Being alive though under the worst Events that can possibly be imagin'd is a direct Contradiction to any such Call Summons or Dispensation as above-mention'd Because as our Lives were first from God †See Chap. the 1st pag. 6. so the continuation of them depends wholly upon him No Man cou'd preserve himself one Moment without the Concurrence of his Providence if he thought â—…itting to withdraw that Concurrence there wou'd need no other manifestation of his Will because Life wou'd cease immediately Wherefore while there is Life there is no room to suppose that God gives leave to any Man to kill himself because I say his Being at all is nothing but the Effect of Gods Will and therefore while he is 't is absurd to suppose that God Will 's that he should not be These Reasons I hope may be sufficient to show that no Man can have any assurance from any Natural Event that God does resign his Propriety of humane Life or Call or Summon any Man out of the World by Self-murther and the importance of the â—…ing in Question the impossibility of recovering the Mistake the great Injustice towards God and Man and the sad Consequences that may nay must follow ought to awaken Men upon this occasion while they have any Reason left and make 'em weigh every Motive exactly and impartially Especially since it may so justly be fear'd in these Cases that every Man 's Reigning Passion his Fear his Pride his Impatience c. may be his God and the rash impulses of these be taken for Divine Suggestions Calls or Dispensations as it has often happen'd even to such as have been great Men in the decay of their Strength and Reason * Diog. Laert. in Zen. Zeno the Father of the Stoicks living to a very great Age happen'd one day to stumble and hurt his Finger whereupon he cry'd out to this purpose I acknowledge your Summons O ye Gods and I obey and immediately went home and hang'd himself If those Events which Melanchoâ—…y Men take for God's Calls or Dispensations were examin'd they wou'd seldom be found to be more reasonable than this CHAP. VII Other Objections Answer'd by which they wou'd introduce another end of Humane Life as the measure of Self-preservation instead of that above mention'd and then supposing that this End does cease whenever a Man's Reason tells him that it does so wou'd from hence inferr that his Obligation to preserve Life does cease also FRom Exceptions Limitations and Dispensations of this Law they come at last to tell us directly that there are some Cases in which it wholly ceases and then a Man becomes Master and Disposer of himself * Biath p. 47. No Law is so Primary and Simple but that it fore-imagines a Reason upon which it was founded and scarce any Reason so constant but that Circumstances may alter it in which Case a private Man is Emperour of himself sui juris And he whose Conscience is well temper'd and dispassion'd assures him that the Reason of Self-Preservation ceases in him may also presume that the Law ceases too and may do that then which otherwise were against the Law Self-preservation which we confess to be the foundation of general natural Law is no other thing than a natural Affection and Appetition of Good whether true or seeming Now since this Law of Self-preservation is accomplish'd in attaining that which conduces to our Ends and is i. e. seems good to us If I propose to my self in this Self-homicide a greater Good though Imistake it I perceive not wherein I transgress the general Law of Nature which is an Affection of Good True or Seeming and if that which I affect by Death be truly a greater Good wherein is the other stricter Law of Nature which is rectified Reason violated I will first give a short Answer to every one of these Propositions in the terms here made of use and in the same order that they lie afterwards I will represent the strength of the Argument according to the best of my Judgment in other terms such as seem to me more clear and plain such as I have met withal in other Authors or Discourse and then endeavour no answer it more fully 1. The Reason upon which the Law of Self-preservation is founded * Chap 4. p. 30. has been shown to be twofold 1. The preserving of God's Propriety of every Man's Life and that 2. with regard to the End for which Life was given This Reason is so Constant that no Circumstances whatever unless a plain and undeniable Manifestation of God's Will can ever alter it 2. Conscience which is the last Judgment of upright Reason as it considers humane Actions in the State of Nature must be guided by what is allow'd to be the Law of Nature which Self-preservation is allow'd to be where there is no Law Reason may Act alone but where there is 't is bound to obey it and its doing so proves Conscience to be well temper'd and dispassion'd but it may justly be doubted whether 't is really so or no when it looks out for a Reason for the ceasing of a confest Law Moreover 't is impossible that an upright Conscience which acknowleges that the Reason of this Law is the preserving of God's Propriety of humane Life to the end above mention'd can ever assure any Man that such an end is really ceased as has been shown at large in the last Chapter Wherefore this Learned Gentleman being sensible of this Proposes another end of this Law such as is very convenient indeed for his purpose and may cease whenever any Man thinks sitting and this is Good True or Seeming 3. If Self-preservation be an Appetition of Good True or Seeming this must be at least of such a sort of good as is or seems proper
Country and himself the first only hazards Life the latter chooses Death if the first happens to die 't is against his will if the latter lives 't is against his and as to the Publick the one â—…es for it the other dies against it not only by deserting it but by breaking its Laws and encouraging others to do so and also by enervating the srriâ—…st ties of Kindness Trust and Justice which may end at last in the total dissolution of any Government the Comparison might be carried further but this may be sufficient to show the unreasonableness of this Conclusion That because a Man may give a Magistrate his Plank in a Shipwreck therefore he may Murther himself The next Objection is to this purpose That if Self-murther is unjust in regard of the Publick 't is because it loses a Member †Biath p. 111. but this may as well be said of all those who retiring themselves from Functions in the Common-wealth defraud the State of their Assistance and attend only their own Ends. ‖ Ib. p. 113. If the Person be of necessary use to the State there are in it some degrees of Injustice but yet no more than if a General of much use shou'd retire into a Monastery To this may be Answer'd 1. That one of the Reasons why Self-murther is unjust to the Publick but not the only one is its losing a Member 2. The Instance here given does not come up to the point for a General may not lay down his Commission without leave when he is necessary for his Countries Service but he may justly be punish'd if he refuses to Act. Yet suppose a Man may retire from Publick Affairs to attend his own Ends Is this as much damage to the Publick as Self-murther He that attends his own Ends if by this be meant his particular Interest as to his Family contributes to the Publick Good and may do so very considerably though never so much retir'd However the causes of his Retirement may alter and then he may serve the Publick again upon Necessity or shou'd he not he may serve and assist his particular Friends and Relations improve his Knowledge and his Fortune be an Example of Virtue and in many other respects observe the end for which Life was given and this sure cannot be the same with the putting a Man's self into an unalterable incapacity of doing any good at all by the wilful and positive destruction of Life To this it may perhaps be reply'd That here Strength and Vigour is requir'd Health of Body and Activity of Mind but suppose a Man by * As the Stoicks See Chap. 10. extreame Age or Infirmity by loss some Sense or some Limb shou'd be made incapable of serving the Publick had not he as good be gone as stay to no purpose may not he leave the World if he pleases when he is become good for nothing This Supposition seems to be grounded upon a very gross sence of serving the Publick as if States-men were to be chosen by the breadth of their Shoulders and strong and sizeable Men were as necessary for the Council Table as the Guard Room for if Men be past Reason the Dispute is at an end but if they are capable of using it why should old Age be objected unless Maturity and Experience shou'd be disadvantages When Reason is lost no Man can be accountable for Self-murther or any other Action yet even then we preserve Life carefully in Ideots and Madmen at the Publick Expence either in hopes of their recovery or to learn to value Reason as we ought or to praise the giver of it so that there is scarce any Wretch but may be some way or other beneficial to the Publick even by his being alive alone how much more may he be so when Reason remains and that too so highly valued and well understood that Men will choose sooner to part with Life than remain depriv'd of the glorious advantage of it Or if this shou'd not be allow'd what Rule can be given What degree of Age or Insirmity can be fix'd when Men shall be judg'd to be good for nothing and permitted to Murther themselves accordingly Such a thing if possible might prevent it indeed since Men wou'd be apt to live in despite of all their Miseries rather than buy the privilege of Self-murther at so dear a rate as to be judg'd by others and be oblig'd to acknowledge themselves that they are good for nothing But while Reason remains as I said before this is impossible and many Instances may be given of Persons who have done their Country the most considerable Service under all these Calamities above-mention'd nay at the very time of Death it self The whole Senate of Rome had once so basely degenerated as to surrender up tamely their Liberty and their Glorj in that dishonourable Peace which they had unanimously resolv'd to conclude with Pyrrhus * Vid. Plut in Diss. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et Val Max. l. 8. c. 14. When Appius Claudius who had been absent from Publick Assairs through extreme Age Blindness and Lameness for many Years as soon as he heard of it caus'd himself to be carried to the House and bravely upbraided them with their Cowardice and Persidiousness to their Country What Man had ever such appearances of being past serving the Publick or being good for nothing and yet how vigorous was his Soul in so decrepit a Body One wou'd think the Genius of Rome chas'd out from the degenerate Senate had retir'd for shelter under the Ruins of this great old Man 'T is certain that if he had not had so many Insirmities he wou'd have been less regarded but the fight of these made his Zeal surprizing rais'd their Attention with their Admiration and gave every Word a peculiar force to restore them to their Courage and their Reason as unanimously as they had rebell'd against both before This made * There is a short view of this great Man in an Inseripâ—…tion which the Learned Agostine says is worth a Treasure Dial. 9. Which begins thus APPIUS CLAUDIUS C. F. CAECUS CENSOR COS. BIS DICT INTERREX II. his Infirmities numbred in after Ages among his Trophies and Coecus a more glorious distinction than Asiaticus Africanus c. for they who had those Titles only added Vast and Luxurious Provinces to their Country which prov'd the Destruction of it at last but Appius conquer'd its most dreadful Enemy and sav'd it for that time from it self †Il Senato fece tre dimande intorno un Publico impor tantissimo negotio Vita del Padre Paolo The great Father Paul a few Minutes before his Death after he had been long weaken'd by Age and Sickness had three Cases of very great Importance sent to him by the Senate of Venice to each of which he gave his Opinions and that wise Assembly follow'd them accordingly In these Instances there was not only a complication of Calamities
the greatest of all the Romans if not one of those whom he Celebrates as such did ever kill themselves the Examples of others who did so ought not to be of any Authority The same Observation may be confirm'd by the choice which Manilius †Astron. lib. 1. also makes of several Great Romans to the same purpose only I think he speaks of the latter Cato To these I may add Martial if it be worth the while who declares against this Act more than once Nor was this only Condemn'd by the Judgment of their greatest Men sor who can stand in Competition with Cicero and Virgil but was expressly Prohibited by the Ancient Roman Laws Tarquin punish'd those who Murther'd themselves by exposing their Bodies Naked as they did the most Infamous Criminals The same Servius above-mention'd tells us upon Amata's ‖ Aen. lib. 12. hanging herself that they who did so were forbidden Burial by the Pontifical Books This is also confirm'd by an ancient Inscription which being of a very particular kind I shall insert the greatest part of it Donatio Sepultur ae exauthor at is Militibus alijsque Quorum Memoria infamis Sassinae BAEBIUS GEMELLUS SASSINAS MUNICIPIBUS SINGULEIS INCOâ—…EISQUE LOCA SEPULTURAE D. S. P. DAT EXTRA AUTHORATEIS ET QUEI SIBEâ—…â—…AQUEO MANUS 〈◊〉 ET QUEI QUAESTUM SPURCUM PROFE SSI ESSENT SINGULEIS IN FRONTE P. 〈◊〉 IN AG. 〈◊〉 X. INTER PONTEM SAPIS ET 〈◊〉 SUPERIOREM QUEI EST IN FINE FUNDI FAGONIANI * See the rest in Spons Miscell Erudit Antiquitatis Sect. 7. p. 264. By this it appears that one Baebius Gemellus gave a piece of Ground as a Burying-place for those to whom the Law deny'd Burial and whose Memory was counted Infamous viz. Bauds or Whores and Soldiers that had been broken for Misdemeanours and Self-murtherers the first sorts were Odious and Infamous among the Ancient Romans a Warlike and Modest Nation and with these Self-murtherers are joyn'd in the same Note of Infamy which was the greatest that they could lay upon any Offender after Death But as the Stoic Philosophy prevail'd these Laws were either favourably interpreted or quite neglected and one while it was usual for 'em to ask the Senate leave to kill themselves and not * Quintil. Declam 4. Qui Causas Voluntariae Mortis in Senatu non reddiderit insepultus 〈◊〉 allow'd otherwise †Tacit. lib. 6. Annalium Promptas ejusmodi mortes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faciebat c. And though many became their own Executioners by Blood letting as this Author observes yet this does not prove that the Romans thought it either Natural or Lawful for any Man whatever to kill himself They who did thus were 〈◊〉 before it was reckon'd an Act of Grace from the Tyrants they suffer'd under to let 'em chuse their own Deaths which if they did not some Officer was ready to dispatch them Besides by this means they sav'd their Estates which were Forfeited when they were put to Death Publickly which though Tacitus calls pretium festinandi was but an accidental Advantage to Self-murtherers not a Reward propos'd for their making hast The Law to deter the Committing of great Crimes ordain'd that such as were put to Death by the Executioner shou'd forfeit their Estates aswell as their Lives They who kill'd themselves evaded this part of the Law by not falling under any Publick Executioner not that there was any positive Law that he that kill'd himself shou'd save his Estate as some who are not acquainted with Tacitus's way of Writing have thought To summ up what has been said upon this Head if Self-murther was not practis'd by the Romans during the first six hundred Years if this was the time wherein they were at the height of their Virtue if not one of those who according to the Opinion of the most Judicious Virgil were the greatest Glory to their Country did ever kill himself if both he and Cicero were against it in their own Judgments if there were several Laws by which it was severely Punish'd among them then the Example of this great Nation is rather against Self-murther than for it This perhaps may be further confirm'd by that which is to follow I mention'd just now the Stoic Philosophy as one great Cause why Self-murther began to prevail among the Romans in the decay of that Glorious Republick The next Objection which rises in our way is grounded upon the Doctrine of this Sect who being in great Reputation of Old for their Learning Wisdom and strict Morality and whose Books falling often into our Hands when we are young and leaving lasting Impressions upon many People require a particular Examination CHAP. X. The Rise and Progress of the Stoics A short Account of their Philosophy particularly as to the Moral part when and for what Reasons it spread among the Romans That Self-murther is inconsistent with their other Principles this prov'd by some Instances from their greatest Authors Seneca Epictetus Antoninus AFter several of the Wits of Greece had spent their time in useless Guesses and vain Disquisitions concerning such things as whether false or true cou'd serve very little to the insluencing of Mens Actions Socrates the most discerning and the least corrupted Soul that ever saw by the Light of Nature shew'd 'em a more prositable and more noble use of humane Reason made it to look first into it self and to regulate those Passions and Appetites that were grown so great an Injury and so just a Scandal to it This was a very tender Point and yet this wonderful Man by the sweetness of his Temper by his Easiness and Affability by his acknowleging that he knew nothing prevail'd upon a great many to hearken to him and by his Death which was more Glorious more Exemplary if possible than his Life won over many Thousands more What he thus successfully began bad other Advantages from those two great Men Plato and Xenophon who had been his Scholars and who recommended their Masters Principles to the World with all the happy Advantages of Eloquence in such a clear Method and prevailing Stile as represented naturally the Calmness of his Mind and the Sweetness of his Conversation This made his Followers multiply and grow Famous by the Names of Academicks and Peripateticks whose Tenents differ'd very little under two great Leaders Plato and Aristotle But of those who heard Socrates with Admiration one of the chief was Antisthenes * Diog. Laert. in Anthist who us'd to walk every Day forty Furlongs for this purpose that which pleas'd his humour most was to hear him Discourse of Patience Constancy Fortiâ—…ude and Freedom from all Passion whatsoever this hit so very much with his severe and crabbed Temper that without vegarding what Socrates Discours'd of Meekness Humility and Affability and his continual Example of whatever cou'd be Excellent in those Virtues he fasten'd upon the former alone in a short time set up for himself and became the Founder of the Cynics
at first so Beautiful in these Men that it cou'd not well be resisted but if it then prevail'd through choice it quickly grew necessary for them afterwards for they were forc'd to call it to their assistance in its roughest and most frightful shape in the dreadful Calamities which they fell into under the Bloody Tyranny of Marius Sylla c. ‖ Chap. 9. as I observ'd before then was it that Self-murther began to be in vogue then was it made use of by the Luxurious and Cowardly as well as by the Brave all seeking for 〈◊〉 by voluntary Death from the horrid Barbarities of those Times and though the Stoic Philosophy lost some Ground in the Calm and Peaceful Reign of Augustus yet it regain'd it again with greater Reputation than ever under 〈◊〉 and continued so to do under his immediate Successors for then the greatest part of the People of Quality as a Modern Critic * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fur la Philosophie cap. 11. observes turn'd Stoics to enable themselves to support with Constancy the incertain Humour of that Jealous Dissembler But the chief Advantage which the Principle of Self-murther had in that Age and which remains very dazling to this Day in some Mens Eyes it drew from the Writings of three great Men that were Stoics Seneca Epictetus and Antoninus all well stor'd in other Respects with excellent Rules for the improvement of Mens Manners with noble discoveries of Reason and great encouragements to Virtue it will be necessary to compleat the removal of this Prejudice to take a short view of each of these Persons and shew by a few Instances drawn out of their Books how inconsistent this Doctrine of Self-murther is with those other things which are there deliver'd Seneca is the first in time and who by the Ingraâ—…tude and Injustice of 〈◊〉 in his Death as well as by his Writings has acquired great Reputation but how justly upon this last 〈◊〉 that great Judge 〈◊〉 will tell us †〈◊〉 lib. 〈◊〉 cap. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c He was not very exact in his Philosophy but a not able Prosecutor of Vice He has many excellent Sentences and many things worth the Reading relating to Morality but most of them are corrupted by his Style and that the more dangerously because he abounds with pleasing Faults You would heartily wish says he that he had written with is own Wit but then that it had been guided by another Man's Judgment He is so very fond of every thought that he always forgets his Argument to drop his Wit and yet through Affectation of saying things pretily he says a great many very sillily for Instance * Epist 70. Injuriosum est rapto vivere at contra pulcherrimum rapto mori here the Wit is as slat as the Argument is false for what is raptum can never be be pulcrum sometimes indeed he has something noble but it seems to be against his will While he aims at something extravagant which he is not able to reach His thought becomes reasonable and just by chance 't is lofty but he intended it to be out of sight 't is regular and great but had he succeeded in his aim it had been Monstrous and Gygantick while he is speaking of the most solemn parts of Philosophy and has just wound you up into a Veneration of him he often falls into a Frolick of a sudden and starts aside in some jirking Period and makes you asham'd of the Attention you have given him In a Word to declaim against Luxury in a perfum'd stile to talk of nothing but Mortes meras as he says of himself in Effeminate Harangues to offer a few Points instead of Arguments may entertain perhaps for a while but never never perswade Nay there seemsto be agreat deal of Reason in what a Modern Author says of him * St. Evremonts Essaies part 〈◊〉 I never read his Writings without an Opinion quite contrary to that which he would recommend to me if he would perswade me to Poverty I long for Riches His Virtue frightens me c. It would not be difficult if this were a proper place to make this Gâ—…od by several Instances but my Subject consines me to such alone as are Contradicttory to Self-murther First let us hear him as to mattâ—…r of Extreme Pain He denies that a wise Man can ever be otherwise than Happy though in greatest Torments that since Happiness consists in being Virtuous and Virtue consists in bearing Pain or Torture well he that does so which a Stoic always will must be Happy Epicurus he tells us says That a wise Man might cry in * Ep. 66. Phalaris's Bull How sweet is this The same wrote to his Friend upon his Death Bed thus †Ep. 92. This is the last and most happy Day of my Life and yet he was Tormented at that Moment with the Strangury and an Vlcer in his Bowels upon which he reflects this Voice was heard in the very shop of Pleasure Why should this then seem incredible among those that profess to obey not Pleasure but Virtue In another place ‖ Ep. 67. he admires one Demetrius for calling a Quiet Life without any incursions of Fortune a dead Sea to have nothing to stir you up to whet and try the firmness of your Mind upon is not says he Tranquility but being becalm'd Altalus the Stoic us'd to say I had rather be in Fortunes Camp than in her Lap Suppose I am Tortur'd I bear it bravely why then till well I am put to Death yet still I suffer valiantly why that is well too Epicurus would tell you 't was delicious but I will not apply so esfeminate a Word to so glorious a thing I am Burnt but not Conquer'd why then should not this be Desirable rather than Dreadful I do not mean the being Burnt but the being Vnconquerable Nothing is so admirable so lovely as Virtue whatever she commands us to suffer is not only Good but Desirable This is one of his most common Topics and yet extraordinary Pain is one of the chief Causes which Stoics assign for the reasonableness of Self-murther If we consider him also as to the Gods sometimes we sind him very Reasonable and Submissive Thus * Ep. 96. I do not obey God so much as assent to 〈◊〉 It is by choice and not neceslity that I follow him Nothing shall 〈◊〉 befal me that I will receive discontentedly or with a malancholy look There is no kind of Tribute but what I will pay readily yet all the things which Men use to groan under and tremble at are but the Tribute of Life c. †Ep. 107. 'T is best to endure what you cannot mend and follow that God without murmuring who orders all things He is but an ill Souldier that with groans obeys his General wherefore let us receive his Orders Cheerfully and cry out in the Words of Cleanthes Lead on O Destiny and thou O Jove Whatever
can be no harm for they cannot intend their Creatures any Mischief If there be not Gods or if they take no care of humane Affairs To what purpose is it to live in such a World as is without Gods or without Providence but there are Gods and they do take care of Mankind and have put it into their Power not to fall into any of those things which are really Evil c. * Lib. 4. Sect. 31. Be thou my Soul like unto some Promontory upon which the Billows beat continually but that remains unmov'd and forces 'em to fall off on either side and slide gently into a Calm Shall I cry out poorly Unhappy me whom this or that befals and not rather say Happy me who am able to bear it who am neither shockt with what I feel now nor frighten'd with what may come hereafter such an Accident might have happen'd to any one as well as me but no body cou'd have born it so well as I. Why shou'd I call any thing Unhappiness which cannot reach or injure Humane Nature Search into thy self impartially Can that which has hefalln thee make thee less Temperate less Modest less Knowing or less Prudent Can it hinder thee from being Just or Generous If not remember when any Accident inclines thee to be discontented Remember I say that the thing which befalls you is really no Vnhappiness in its own Nature but that you are able to support it undauntedly is a real and great Happiness * Lib. 10. Sect. 23. He that runs away from his Master is a Fugitive The Law is our Common Master he that declines obeying that runs away from it and thus does that Man who Murmures Rages or Trembles at what has been is or shall be done by him who Governs all things who is that Law which distributes to every one of us the several parts of our Obedience I cou'd easily produce more Instances for they are to be met withal in almost every Page of his Book if I did not think these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how Inconsistent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other things which he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 observable that this great Man seems to be sensible of this himself He never inculcates this Principle with that 〈◊〉 and Violence which the others do He cou'd not quit it wholly as he was a Stoic it being the Characteristic of that Sect yet he mentions it but twice or thrice I think in all his Book and that too in so short and slight a manner that he seems to be asham'd of it and to be Conscious how Contradictory this was to that Submission to Providence that Magnanimity and Constancy in all Events which he recommends continually and indeed it was impossible that it should take any root in so excellent a Temper His great Regard to the Gods his Natural Goodness and Moderation made his Mind yield readily to all the Dispensations of Providence Whereas the Vain the Stubborn and Obstinate Mind as it is quickly incens'd so it snaps short immediately and breaks rather than yields even to God himself Thus I have given an Account of the first Rise of the Stoic Philosophy shew'd the Time when it began to appear among the Romans the Causes of its Progress how the Principle of Self-murther in particular come to be in Request and to be put in Execution how Inconsistent this is with the other Principles of that Sect and particularly with what is taught by those Three Authors whose Authority has Recommended it so much to the World and if what has been said is true as any one that Questions it may easily find if they will Examine the Authors which I have referr'd to which I intreat them to do then this great Prejudice grounded upon the Doctrine and Example of this Wise and Virtuous Sect ought not to sway any longer with them CHAP. XI Cato's Case considered in Particular His Character His Enmity against Caesar. The several Circumstances of his Death What may most Probably have been the true Cause of it And of the great Encomiums which were given him afterwards HAving thus given some Account of the Roman Nation and of the Philosophy of the Stoics the way lies the more open to consider the Case of Cato's Death who was so great an Ornament to both and whose Example is so much pleaded in the behalf of Self-murther Nothing is more reasonable than that one or more ill Actions shou'd escape the Censure of Posterity under the Splendour of a great many good ones but the Perverseness of some People will not allow of this who being given to think out of the way and maintain dangerous Paradoxes are always searching into the Lives of great Men to pick out something to justifie their Pretences Wherefore though it be a very ill office to disturb the Ashes of the Dead and to call in Question those Encomiums which have long since ripen'd into Glory yet when such Authorities shall be thus dangerously abus'd and great Names brought in instead of sound Arguments it is absolutely necessary to enquire into the Matter of Fact as well for the Vindication of the Dead as the Information of the Living Of all the Examples that are brought for Self-murther Cato is the most Considerable wherefore in order to the making a right Judgment of this Matter it will be necessary to do these things 1. To form a just and true Idea of him by considering his particular Temper and what it was that distinguish'd him from other Men. 2. To consider him as he stood in Relation to Caesar. 3. To Examine exactly the several Circumstances of his Death and from these shew the true Causes of it And when this is done 4. To inquire into the Reasons usually given for its being so much applauded and assign the true ones I. We are to form a just Idea of him c. To this End we are to consider in the first Place That he liv'd in such an Age wherein the Common-wealth was at the very worst the lower sort as well as the higher were 〈◊〉 in Luxury and by their Expeâ—…sive Vices 〈◊〉 open to the Brihery and Corruption of the Ambitious The Laws and Liberties of Rome the Publick Good which their Ancestors had Studied and Improv'd with so much Glory were quite forgotten and several Parties form'd to usurp not defend the Government Places of greatest Trust and Authority were sold Publickly and they who bought 〈◊〉 made haste to be whole again by selling Truth and Justice Among these Corrâ—…ptions Cato grew up untainted in his Integrity not to be work'd upon by the Impunity or rather the Reputation of these Crimes nor to be frighted by being left single and alone but bravely opposing himself against the Enemies of his Country notwithstanding the Pride and 〈◊〉 of their Wealth or Power Indeed never was there a more sincere Lover of the Publick Good never did any Man incur so many Dangers to hinder the passing of Factious and Destructive Laws No body
and Africans in the Town and both being in danger from the Numidian Horse that had sled thither from the Battle he endeavours to preserve one Party from another beseeching some of the Horse even with Tears not to leave the Roman Senators that were with him to the Persidiousness of the Africans I will not suppose that his great Spirit was broken upon this occasion or that this sudden mildness of Temper which never appear'd in his whole Life in Publick before was the effect of any thing but kindness and good nature towards that People who had admitted him into their City but it is plain that if he had then made use of something of that steddy Resolution wherewith he had oppos'd 〈◊〉 and Caesar in the Forum formerly it might have been of greater benefit to his Party Afterwards hearing that Caesar marched towards him and Lucius Caesar offering to intercede for him he refuses it telling him * Plut in 〈◊〉 If I wou'd save my Life I ought to go my self but I will not be beholden to the Tyrant for any Act of his Injustice and 't is unjust for him to pretend to pardon those as a Lord over whom he has no Lawful Power This is full of Personal and Passionate hatred However he perswades his Son to go to him He took also great care to disswade his Friend Statilius who was a Stoic a great Imitator of Cato and a * known Caesar-hater as Plutarch calls him observably from laying Hands upon himself After this he sups according to his Custom but there arising a Stoical Question concerning Liberty he maintains it with so much heat as to give suspicion to his Friends that he design'd to Murther himself which made his Son steal away his Sword Afterwards retiring into his Chamber he encreases their fears by taking leave of his Son and Friends and embracing them in a more passionate manner than usual when they were gone he takes Plato's Dialogue of the Soul and Reading it calls for his Sword but no body bringing it when he had ask'd for it twice or thrice he calls for all his Servants â—…alls into such a Rage and strikes one of them with so much Violence that he wounds his own Hand and in such a manner too that it hindred him from killing himself out-right afterwards then he cry'd out aloud that his Son and his Servants had betray'd him to the Enemy Naked and Disarm'd upon which his Son and Friends running in Weeping and Embracing him he starts up and looking fiercely upon them crys When and were was it that I lost my Vnderstanding Why does not some body forsooth teach me what I ought to do that I must be disarm'd and not suffer'd to take my own Measures And you dutiful Sir why do not you tye your Fathers Hands behind him that Caesar when he comes may find me Helpless and Defenceless As If I wanted a Sword when I can die if I thought sitting by stoping my Breath a little or dashing my Brains against the Wall upon this his Son going out Weeping he turns to the two Philosophers Demetrius and Apollonides who only were left with him And are you too of opinion says he that a Man of my Age ought to be forc'd to Live and do you sit here to watch me or do you bring any new Reason why Cato despairing of any other means of Safety ought to accept it from his Enemy If you do let me hear it that throwing off those Principles according to which we have hitherto Liv'd and being made more wise by Caesar we may be the more beholding to him c. After this they going out and the Sword being brought him he cry'd now I am my own Read over Plato's 〈◊〉 twice more and about break of Day Stabs himself But this not being sufficient to kill him and the Wound being bound up he rends it open again pushes back the Surgeons tears his Bowels in peices with his own Hands and Expires That which is most strange in all this is his Reading Plato's Phaedo so often because there is not one Passage in it to encourage Self-murther but many against it nay the whole is so for no one that admires the Death of Socrates can ever die like Cato Montaigne quarrels with those who impute Cato's Death to fear of Caesar or to vain Glory Senseless People says he * 〈◊〉 1. cap. 36. he would rather have perform'd an handsome just and generous Action to have had Ignoâ—… for his Reward than for Glory I do not think Cato indeed was ever capable of 〈◊〉 his Courage was perfectly Roman and never fail'd his Integrity and if he was capable of vain Glory in some Passages of his Life I cannot see any ground for the least Imputation of it in his Death This was owing much to his inflexible Temper and to that Sect which he profest even to Ostentation But it is to be suspected that his hatred to Caesar was the chief cause of it that this mislead his Judgment made him give all for gone too soon and drove him into those strange Passions which he fell into before he Stabb'd himself and that furious Rage in which he Expir'd afterwards Statilius who strove to imitate him in all things is said to have been a profest Caesar-hater all his last Words are full of Caesar and I do not doubt but every one will grant that if Pompey had been in Caesar's Circumstances Cato would have remov'd some whither and not have kill'd himself and this was the thing he should have done not surrender'd himself up to Caesar or sent to treat with him this indeed had been below his Character but retir'd and preserv'd himself for a better Opportunity of serving his Country whereas by giving way to his Passion and private Resentments he contributed greatly to the ruin of it IV. This brings me to enquire into the Reasons which are usually given for his Death being so much applauded and to assign the true ones It is generally supposed that Cato dy'd for the Liberty of Rome and this is one of the chief Grounds upon which the Encomiums of him were rais'd in after Ages But it prov'd quite otherwise for next to Pompey's Death Cato's was the greatest blow that his Party ever receiv'd upon the News of it Juba Scipio and Petreius kill themselves immediately and Afranius surrendred who was afterwards Slaiâ—… These great Men had a dependance upon his Wisdom Honour and Reputation their 〈◊〉 Troops offer'd to obey him Juba cou'd have rais'd another Army immediately or all of them might have gone over into Spain to Pompey's Son Cato's Speech to the People of Vtica is very Remarkable That if they continu'd firm against Caesar they wou'd avoid his Contempt and the sooner find his Mercy that Caesar was perplext in many difficult Affairs that all Spain had declar'd for the younger Pompey that Rome had not yet taken the Yoak wholly but was ready to shake it off upon the first
though never so remarkable for Courage that ever destroys it self this will appear more plain if we consider 2. The proper object of Courage which is Evil I will not stay to show here how often Evil is falsely Represented and Magnisied or how many ways it is mistaken but supposing that to be really Evil which Men take to be so yet in the Case of Self-murther the Soul instead of attacking or resisting what it takes to be Evil flies away from it and therefore this Act is no more an Argument of true Courage than the rushing into a Torrent the leaping down a Pit or Precipice in a Panic Fright is so If Courage is the attacking or resistance of Evil as has been shewn then Death must be look'd upon as an Evil before any Man can be suppos'd to shew his Courage by killing himself for where there is no Evil there can be no occasion for Courage Death can never be an Evil but when Life is casie and happy and look'd upon as a great Good this makes it so honourable for People of Quality who abound in Wealth and Power and all such things as make Life desirable to hazard theirs for the Publick But to them that kill themselves Life cannot seem Good but Evil And when Life becomes an Evil through great Pain Poverty Disgrace c. then Death must be look'd upon as Good proportionably and if so there can be no Courage in running to it But on the contrary 't is the part of a brave Man when Life becomes an Evil to him not to fly to Death but to turn Head and engage with the Misfortunes of Life for here lies the Enemy as Caesar told his frightn'd Souldier An unhappy Life is the Field for true Courage and Magnanimity whereas the killing of ones self is plainly to decline the Combat to convey ones self away out of the reach of the Eneny to pass from a state of Misery into a state of Ease or Indolency at least as they suppose and this sure can be no great Argument of Courage That which is most apt to deceive People upon this Account is the Notion which the World generally has of Death as the greatest of all Evils that it takes us through a Thousand Pains and Tortures from our Friends and Relations our Projects and Possessions and all the Enjoyments of the World All which Terrours are increas'd by the sight of the Death of some dear Friend or near Relation for then humane Nature Starts and Trembles at the Ghastly looks and Convulsions of Expiration These are the things which make People grow up in a detestation of Death and this is still augmented the more happy they are in their outward Circumstances Wherefore they who kill themselves may seem indeed to such People to have a great deal of Courage because these run voluntarily into that which they abhor as the worst of Evils whereas the Notion of Life and Death is quite contrary in such unfortunate Creatures 't is some Pain some discontent that drives them to this Violence upon account of which Death as I said before becomes the Good and Life the Evil therefore as it wou'd be true Courage in Health or Prosperity to suffer Death rather than commit a Crime So in Sickness or any Adversity it would be the same to undergo Life rather than be guilty of Self-murther for he who parts with Life because he thinks himself Unhappy parts with nothing but what he is griev'd withal He only lays down his Burthen quits his Virtue his Arms for fear of the Enemy and where can be the Courage of this even Sardinapalus and Nero cou'd desert their Station in this manner and why not with as much Bravery as any other can pretend to In a Word when the Heart gives way to Evils and Asslictions when Hope is gone and Despair enter'd Men may make themselves away out of tenderness and softness there being little or no Pain to be selt in Voluntary Death especially if Men will take but as much care as Brutus did to place the Weapon right or as the Emperour Adrian to have the Mortal Place mark'd out exactly What shall we say then that all Men are Cowards that kill themselves No but that this particular Act has naturally more of Cowardice than Courage in it and is in those who have signaliz'd their Courage an act of Revenge or Indignation and therefore though some Men of Courage have kill'd themselves yet since the Nature of Courage consists in resisting Evil and Self-murther is the flying from Evil since many Women and Slaves many Effeminate Men and Notorious Cowards many for Ease or Fear as our Author himself confesses have kill'd themselves Self-murther ought not to be look'd upon as the natural effect of Courage To confirm what has been said I shall call several Persons of unquestionable Authority The Character of Hercules is certainly perfect as to Courage and yet Euripides representing him in the greatest Affliction that ever Man could suffer through his own Fault his Wife and Children lying Murther'd round him by his own Hand in his Madness At first he has thoughts of killing himself but immediately he checks himself with the Consideration * Eurip. Hercul Furens Act. 4. that he will not have his Courage question'd by doing so that whoever cannot bear great Calamity will not dare to meet his Enemy in the Field Wherefore he resolves to expect his Death boldly and not to force it upon himself †Apollon Rhodius Nicom lib 3. cap. 8. Another tells us that to die wilfully for Poverty Love or any Grievance is so far from being any sign of Courage that it is meer Cowardice for to avoid what is grievous is nothing but Softness and Esseminacy for no body chooses such a Death because 't is Honourable but because it frees him from an Evil which he cannot bear and to be so affected is Cowardice ‖ Quintus Curtius lib. 5. Sect. 11. 'T is the part of a brave Man rather to despise Death than hate Life Cowards often undervalue their Being only to avoid what is troublesome but true Courage tries all things * See â—…rot de J. B. P. lib. 2. cap. 19 Sect 5. Besides these see Josephus's Speech lib. 3. de Bell. Jud. Let me add one more 't is not lawful nor becoming a Man of Courage to bend under his Destiny and not embrace whatever happens undauntedly but run poorly away from it This was the great Brutus who thus condemn'd Cato's Death when cool and deliberate and before he doubted whether Virtue was any thing but an Aery Name * Sen. Theb. Act 1. Sect. 1. Non est ut putas Virtus Pater Timere Vitam sed malis ingentibus Obstare nec se vertere Retro dare Multos in summa pericula misit Venturi timor ipse mali fortislimus ille est Qui promptus metuenda pati si cominus instent Et differe potest Lucan lib. 7.
Child c No certainly and yet 't is of such Unites as these that the Numbers which are so courted or so fear'd are compos'd 'T is these whom Men would scorn to have Judges of their Wit that they make the Judges of their Actions and upon whose Verdict as to Honour or Disgrace they make their Reason their Consciences and their Lives depend There is no Man that reflects upon this but will allow how very much they are mistaken who pay this strange deference to the World it being almost impossible but that they who do so must be guilty of all other Eâ—…ormous Crimes as well as Self-mnrther Wherefore let the distinction between inward and outward Honour be always carefully observ'd let all good Men despise the latter in comparison of the former for if this depends upon the Multitude 't is below their care if it depends upon the best of Men it does not want it because it will naturally follow upon the acting according to the Principles of inward Honour and if these Principles be faithfully observ'd they can never lead to Self-murther Because inward Honour is the guard of the great End of Life and therefore can never prompt any Body to destroy it it attends constantly upon impartial Reason and follows it not by one but every Virtue and therefore its Course is always Regular and even it blesses the mind with a just and lasting Applause makes it dear to it self and generally to all the World and therefore must hinder and prevent Self-murther rather than promote it But if this shou'd not be sufficient to give some Gentlemen satisfaction in this matter I will suppose an Objection to this purpose A Man's Honour ought to be dearer to him than his Life he may be abus'd to that degree as to forfeit his Honour if he shou'd bear it and therefore he ought rather to kill himself especially since Women themselves have done the same Lucretia kill'd herself upon a Point of Honour so did Cleopatra to avoid the disgrace of being led in Triumph and both gain'd Immortal Applause for doing so How much more shou'd any Man of Honour do the same especially since there may be Cases â—…uch harder than theirs were For Instance a Man born Nobly bred a Soldier c. I will Answer first this Objection with its Instances and then consider the particular Case afterwards 'T is said here first that a Man's Honour ought to be dearer to him than his Life very True if Honour be taken here for that inward Principle which secures Man in the doing of his Duty Honour in this sence ought to be dearer to a Man than Life that is he ought to suffer the worst Extremities even Death it self rather than act against it but then it is absurd for any Man to destroy his own Life upon this Account because this kind of Honour is always in his own Power and cannot be forc'd from him unless he consent If outward Honour be meant here that is Reputation this ought not to be dearer to him than his Life because it wou'd then be dearer also than the great End of Life Dearer than his Duty and he must Sacrisice both his Reason and his Virtue to maintain his Reputation and that too among the worst of Men. 2. 'T is said here a Man may be abus'd to that degree as to forfeit his Honour if he shou'd bear it This cannot be as to the first sence of Honour for that will never be in danger if he be Innocent how much soever he is abus'd Power and Injustice may oppress Virtue and a Man of the nicest Honour may be Unfortunate but yet this Honour may be encreased by the manner of his bearing of his Misfortune by his Deportment under great Injuries to Kill ones self rather than bear 'em is to be unjust to God in the highest manner because another is unjust in a small matter to me and this sure cannot be Honourable in the first sence but indeed is nothing but an Act of Impotent Indignation and Revenge of Pride Cowardice and Despair and therefore cannot be Honourable in the latter neither Nor is the Objection assisted by these Instances The first of these indeed may justly raise Compassion in all that read her Story and never had any Person more Statues rais'd to her but it does not follow that because Lucretia's Death was much Applauded therefore it was Lawful or is to be imitated It was Applauded by the Romans for being the accidental occasion of Rome's Liberty and of the great Glory it rose to afterwards and other Nations consented to this Applause as they heard her Case out of Compassion and Generosity which is due most to those who fall into mistakes only through too severe and nice a sense of Honour Far be it then from me to search farther into this matter No let the Garlands which have been hang'd over her Tomb by Chaste Wives and Virgins remain forever unshaken and unviolated Let all the Wit that has been shewn in her Praise pass for Reason but then let me entreat such as are most Zealous to vindicate the manner of her Death to consider what has been said already to prove such an Act unlawful and withal to remember the Occasion of her using her self so and allow at least that it ought not to be imitated but in just the same Circumstances and then whether her living wou'd have been an Incouragement for Unchastity or no as the poor Lady thought I am confident that her Death will not be any dangerous cause of Self-murther But for Cleopatra she is very ill join'd with the other the Example of her Death ought no more to befollowed than the Example of her Life she kill'd her self as is commonly suppos'd upon a point of Honour To be faithfull to Anthony and to avoid the Ignominy of being led in Triumph As for the first Pretence she was the utter ruin of that Roman she engag'd him in a War with his own Country lost the Fight at Actium by her flying away when Anthony was as likely to Conquer as Caesar. Afterwards foolishly believing that Caesar was in Love with her which she desir'd of all things betrays 〈◊〉 the Frontier Town of Egypt to him and to make her own terms the better occasions the Death of Anthony * See Dion Caslias lib. 51. purposely by a false Rumour of her own after this she endeavours to make Caesar fall in Love with her at an interview which finding to be to no purpose she kills her self 2 As to her killing her self to avoid being led in Triumph Had she been careful of her Honour in the former part of her Life it wou'd not have suffer'd in this That Custom of the Romans was Barbarous and Unjust and the strangest Scene of Vanity Licentiousness and base Insulting in the World but the Dishonour of it depended much upon the Character and Demeanour of the Person that was led in Triumph therefore it has not been
always Ignominious to those who have been thus expos'd when Arsinoe Cleopatra's younger Sister a Virtuous Lady was us'd so by Julius Caesar the Multitude was softened into Pity and Compassion at the sight and immediately reflected upon their own Condition * Dion Cass. lib. 4. that they were in effect as much Slaves as she and that great Man was never so much overseen both as to his Politicks and Generosity as in gratifying Cleopatra at so dear a rate So might it have been with Cleopatra her self too had she been as Virtuous as she was Great For where is the Crime of being Oppress'd or the Shame of being Unfortunate How cou'd the Multitude have ever dishonour'd her Had not her own Infamy ran before her What a strange niceness of Honour is it not to scorn to commit the foulest Vices and yet to scorn to hear of them Honour is truly lost when an ill Action is committed not when it becomes known and therefore it is very Ridiculous though very Common to be easie as to the first and scrupulous as to the latter for this is to make Secrecy the measure of Good and Evil and no Vice dishonourable but only when it is discovered where Virtue suffers publickly the Honour of the Publick suffers this is Infamous to the State not to the Person that is injur'd whose Honour may be encreas'd by suffering as they should do But where Honour is first blemish'd by enormous Crimes 't is too late to be tender of it as to Publick Disgrace or to think to redeem it by Self-murther for this is not only a great Crime it self but a Confession of all those which are laid to the Parties Charge And though Cleopatra was so tender in this matter yet other Persons of unquestionable Courage and Honour underwent the same Misfortune Not only Perseus but Jugurtha whose Wit and Courage gave the Romans so much trouble did so nay Ventidius the faithful Friend of Anthony was first led in Triumph himself and afterwards by a strange change of Fortune Triumph'd over the Parthians the most dreadful Enemy the Romans ever had But to oppose one Queen to another Zenobia contended Personally with Aurelian for the Empire of the World and fought with the same Spirit with which her Secretary Longinus wrote And yet when she had satisfied whatever Honour requir'd as to Action she made use of it to bear her Adversity with as great a Mind as she did her Prosperity and therefore she did not Murther her self when she was to be led in Triumph but carry'd it so as to be consider'd with Admiration and liv'd in Rome it self with great Respect many Years after Let me add one Instance my self of great niceness of Honour and that is Sporus * Dion Cassius â—…iber 63 65. He was married publickly to Nero under the Name of Sabina Saluted by the Titles of Sovereign Lady Queen and Empress nay the Cities of 〈◊〉 to their Immortal Honour offered Sacrifice for their having Issue Yet this Person being commanded afterwards by Vitellius when he came to the Empire to appear on the Theatre in the dress and manner of a Ravish'd Maid chose rather to kill himself because he cou'd not bear the Disgrace as the * Dion Cassius â—…iber 63 65. Historian says what niceness of Honour cou'd ever exceed this and how great a Credit was this Person as well as his Husband Nero to all Self-murtherers Thus much to the first part of the Objection and the Instances brought to support it Let us come next to the Particular Case that is brought to the same End which is thus introduc'd How much more shou'd any Man of Honour do the same especially since there may be Cases much â—…arder than theirs were I have had one put to me much to this purpose A Gentleman born Nobly and bred a Soldier having gain'd much Honour by many great Actions in his Countries Service is afterwards by the Ingratitude and Jealousie of his Prince accus'd falsely of some foul Crime and Condemn'd to suffer a Publick and Shameful Death the Question is Whether such a one after he has stood his Trial and done what he cou'd to clear and save himself shou'd tamely expect the Death which he sees is Inevitable let his Enemies have their Will over him and be the Scorn and Derision of the Multitude Or not rather disappoint their Malice and Contempt and vindicate his Honour by killing of himself I confess I am of Opinion that he ought not to do the latter by any means For the Reasonableness of which 1. Let us see what may be the Character of a Man of Honour the Ignorance whereof so often misleads People in other Cases as well as this according to what has been said above He is one who has a just and regular Elevation of Soul whose Eye is always sixt steddily upon his Duty and who disdains equally whatever Threatens or Flatters to draw him from it One who is ever glad to be doing good to all Men and abhors Cunning and Oppression as much as Cowardice Or if we take Honour for Publick Reputation He despises all but that alone which comes from Good and Wise Men yet he prefers his Duty before this also he values a Good Conscience above a Good Name and therefore would be as Virtuous in a Desart as in the midst of Prying Multitudes nay would not be guilty of an unjust Action though he shou'd he sure that it wou'd be conceal'd from God as well as Man much less to gratisie any Revenge or to avoid any Disgrace Now though the Instance is given here in a Soâ—…dier and many are apt to think as well as those Gentlemen themselves that they ought to be more concern'd to vindicate their Honour than other People are I do not see any ground for this If what I have said of Honour before and also just now and chiefly to prevent this mistake be duly observ'd nay although Courage alone shou'd be the Standard of Honour as some of them are inclin'd to believe and they shou'd think themselves bound to observe stricter measures in regard to this than the rest of the World yet this is not to be vindicated by Self-murther in the Case before us as shall be shewn immediately 2. The chief ground of this Plea is That such a one has stood his Trial that he has done what he cou'd to clear himself and for all that is unjustly Condemn'd But nothing of this alters the Case this does not give a Man more right over his Life than he had before and one sort of Injustice is not to be return'd by another If Man is unjust to me what excuse is that for my being unjust to God Socrates was Condemn'd unjustly if ever Man was yet he refus'd * See Plato's Crito to save himself by flying out of Prison at his Friends entreaty because he reckon'd it against the Laws of his Country and unjust to do so How
Malice this I am sure is no Masculine Reason This I believe indeed is the Cause why many Men destroy themselves in such Cases Anger Despight Rage Envy and Revenge drive 'em to this unjust Action and put 'em upon disappointing their Enemies Malice with as much Malice of their own an excellent temper of Mind to leave the World in But if an Enemy shall not drive me to an unjust thing by any Flattery or Reward shall his ill usage do so This wou'd be to fulfill his Will effectually to glut his Malice even to a kind of Luxury for his Wili is that you should Fret and Torment your self under what he makes you suffer his Will is that People should think you Guilty that the Credit which you gain'd formerly shou'd be lessen'd by your poor Behaviour at last all which wou'd be gratify'd by Self-murther But if you wou'd disappoint his Malice though alas that is but a base Motive to the doing any part of ones Duty continue in the same Virtue which first rais'd his Envy and Hatred march with the same steddy Pace through the ingrateful Multitude with which thou used'st to do against their Enemies Pity them with the same greatness of Mind wherewith thou didst defend 'em and deprive 'em of a Triumph by maintaining still the same Character and being even in Death a Conqueror So Regulus went to embrace certain Death amidst a Thousand Torments With such a Mind Scaevola expos'd his Arm to the Flames and many others in this manner have turn'd their Persecutors Barbarity upon themselves and shaken their ill gotten or ill us'd Power more by the calm Bravery of their Deaths than Thousands cou'd have done in the Field All Histories will afford Instances of this kind In a Word this is most certain that there never was a great Innocent Man put to Death Publickly but that the Power who caus'd this wou'd have been heartily glad that he wou'd have prevented it by being the Murtherer of himself Thus I have gone through this Pretence also more to comply with some particular Persons than out of any real Necessity that there is of such Proofs since all depends upon what was said at the beginning of this Treatise concerning Self-murthers being an Act of Injustice and if so whatever may be pretended upon the account of Honour If Honour be any thing of a Virtue it can never require that which is unjust and consequently it can never be the occasion of Self-murther CHAP. XIV Liberty the last Plea for Self-murther examin'd Of that Liberty in General which Man has over his Actions That this can't be a just pretence for Self-murther That whatever Calamities what Grief or Pain soever afflict the Soul or may be suppos'd to enslave it Man has no Power or Liberty to set it free in this manner That it would be in vain to attempt to do so because it would not be in a State of Liberty but in a State of utmost Slavery afterwards The Conclusion WHen Cato was at Supper with some of his Friends the Evening before he kill'd himself one of the Stoics Paradoxes That a Good Man alone was Free and that all Bad Men were Slaves happening to fall into the Discourse he maintain'd it with so much Earnestness and Heat That Plutarch says Every Body perceiv'd plainly that he had resolv'd to free himself from the Troubles he was in by putting an end to his Life in some violent manner This would not be a Paradox in it self unless it were join'd with Self-murther Good Men alone are free and always free while Good They maintain their Liberty by observing the Dictates of Reason and following the End for which they receiv'd Life which gives Peace Joy and lasting Happiness and this is true Liberty On the other side ill Men by deserting the same Dictates and renouncing the same End fall into Trouble Anxiety and Remorse which is the worst Slavery Now if Cato himself was free in this sense as to his being a good Man then what occasion had he to die to obtain further Liberty If he had occasion for it then he must own that he was an ill Man a Slave or in unavoidable danger of being so which a right Stoic cou'd never be Or if by being Free be meant the doing what one will an ill Man is as much free in this Respect as a good Man nay more so for a good Man wou'd not be free to do an unjust thing And that Self-murther is an Act of Injustice in the highest degree has been shewn all along Yet this is the thing which is continually pretended as a reafâ—…nable ground of this Action and the Writings of the Stoics abound with Exhortations to make use of such Liberty Seneca is the boldest and forwardest upon this Occasion * Seneca de Ira. Lib. 3. Sect. 15. Whatever your Evils are says he look which way you will and you may find an end of them Do you see that Precipice there that 's the way down to Liberty Do you see that Sea that River that Well there 's Liberty at the Bottom Behold that blasted wither'd Tree every Branch of it bears Liberty †Epist. 70. The Eternal Law of Nature has done nothing better than that it has given us but one way of coming into Life but many to go out of it Why should I wait still the Cruelty of Man or Sickness when I can walk out of Life through the midst of Torments and but shake my self and be free from all Adversity This is the only thing we cannot complain of Life for it stays no Body Does Life please you Live on Does it not please you Return to the place from whence you came You have been let Blood to Cure the Head-ach Your whole Body may be eas'd in the same manner and even a little Lancet will open the way to great Liberty This is as much as to say that whatever we are able to do we may do whatever is in our Power is Lawful After this rate all Right and Propriety all Justice and Fidelity can signify nothing for what is there that has been allow'd to be Evil by the Consent of all Mankind let it be Sacrilege Adultery Perfidiousness Treachery Theft but may become Lawful according to this if we have but the opportunity of committing it For Instance Suppose a Man should be entrusted by a Friend with the management of a great Estate and left in Possession of a Palace richly Furnish'd many Jewels much Money c. During his Friends absence he falls into great Misfortunes is very hardly us'd by those he has to do withal and upon this grows Discontented and Melancholy when accidentally some Philosophical Acquaintance comes in and having heard his Case talks to him to this purpose Since the Soul affects Freedom naturally why shouldst thou be a Slave to Poverty Turn thine Eyes which way thou wilt and the way to Liberty lies open Do you remember where you are Do you see
she will assist you to bear Pain is always most acute when new the Powers of Sensation are blunted by degrees by their Objects pressing too violently upon them and continual labour under Pain will harden the sense of Feeling and deaden Perception No one can know his strength unless he will try it the force of deliberate and well weighted Resolution is incredible and has supported the Weak and the Guilty in the most dreadful Torments Shall Women be able to suffer so much in Child-birth Could the Spartan Boys bear whipping to Death before their Altars without a Groan Nay have the greatest Villains mock'd their Executioners Could such a Wretch as Ravillac or he that shot one of the Princes of Orange smile amidst all the Artisices of Torture and shall not Innocence and Virtue be able to support a good Man under the ordinary calamities incident to humane Nature If submission to Providence Perseverance in Duty Constancy and Patience are Virtues when are these to be practised unless in extremities But it may be said the Disease is incurable the Pain is without intermission and therefore what good can a Man do by suffering on but only expose humane Nature and render it Contemptible not at all but rather quite Contrary who can pronounce a Disease like to last incurable and how oft have the best Physicians been deceived in this matter And as to intermission suppose there should be none where the Pain is intermitting Constancy and Patience must be intermitting too and return only by fits as the Distemper does but when the Pain is continual Virtue is continual also and yet not in danger of being long upon Duty because extreme continual Pain will quickly dissolve Nature and discharge the Soul and this Consideration might be sufficient to support a Man under such Circumstances without Diogenes's Dagger to give him Liberty For if the Soul be imprison'd and enslaved when in a tortur'd or diseased Body then let it look upon every Pain as a step towards its Freedom as the bursting of some Chain or the falling off of some Fetter and as every Limb grows weaker and every Sense decays let it collect its sorces cheerfully and rejoice at these happy beginnings of Laâ—…ful and Eternal Liberty And as to 〈◊〉 this is not worth Consideration in comparison of ones Duty yet a good Man need not fear it He will rather do credit to humane Nature than expose it by his 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seneca says he will not leave his Body but when it begins to assect his Mind and then he well jump out of it 〈◊〉 from a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ouse this is a very low thought and would not be pardonable but that He make some amends for it in another place †De Consol. ad Helviam where he says that he who was great before he fell is not the less great for being fallen but is as far from Contempt as the Ruins of Temples are which the Religious adore as much as when they were standing Though Holy Temples yield to Time yet they cannot crush the God that was Worshipt in 'em by their fall no more can a decaying Body oppress an upright Mind And while the Mind is not oppress'd it cannot be contemptible There is a Beauty in Constancy and Fortitude which shines through all the Deformities of Death for at such times 't is not the Body but the Soul that is to be regarded and therefore what if the Body be pale weak and wasted away yet if the Mind continues the same unshaken and undaunted all the signs of outward Decay are but the marks of inward Virtue the Trophies of the Souls Strength and Victory and more proper to cause Admiration than Contempt Which of Scaevola's Arms would an Ancient Roman have reckon'd most comely that which was shrivel'd up lame and deformed with Scars or that which was whole and strong Sure brawny Limbs and a good Complexion are not Essential to Virtue Nay even the last Minutes of a great Man shall be beneficial the very sight of his Calamities shall be full of Instruction so that while he has Breath he shall never be past doing good All the excellent modern Buildings of Italy if I may use this allusion once more are owing to a few remains of the Ancient Roman Structures which notwithstanding the injuries of many Years and many devastations retain still some thing of their former Beauty and Magnisicence the same use might be made of the Decays of great Men in extreme Age or Pain or Sickness They are not indeed what they were but still they are more than others are what is left is regular and great and sufficient to form in us an Idea of what is lost and to teach us by the Rules of Proportion to improve our selves accordingly But a great and good Man's Example is as necessary in Death as Life we are to study as much how to Die as how to Live Where then can we receive so much Instruction for this purpose as in the Deaths of such Men and if so when can they be ever past doing good But I will not insist farther upon this Let the Stoics who are the great Defenders of Self-murther be Judges in this matter if we look into their Writings we shall find it inculcated continually the Pains of the Body can never have any influence upon the Liberty of the Mind That their wise Man is above the taking notice of any outward Evil that he is at perfect Ease in the midst of Tortures Nay they reckon it no less than a Crime to own the least sense of Pain and indeed grant more in that respect than we desire and yet after all make Pain by a strange Contradiction one of the chief Causes of Self-murther 〈◊〉 The next thing which I propos'd to speak to was Whether any Man upon account of extreme Aâ—…iction especially Pain or Sickness has Liberty or Authority to Destroy himself Not only the Stoics heretofore but some others since have been inclined to think that he has thus one tells us * Mont. lib. 2. chap. 3. God gives us leave enough to part with Life when he is pleased to reduce us to such a condition that to Live is far worse than to Die The Rule which is here given whereby we are to judge when we have this leave is when God is pleased to reduce us to such a Condition that to Live is far worse than to Die But this will be found very insussicient to this purpose if we examine the Particulars it supposes these two things 1. That there may be some Condition of Life far worse than Death 2. That 't is God that reduces the Sufferer to such a Condition As to the first before we can compare things rightly we must understand exactly the terms by which they are represented Life as Humane implies the union of the Soul and Body Death is the dissolution of that Union the condition of Life which is supposed here