What we ought to judge of the Fortitude of many who have put themselves to Death. Now, to judge of the Conftancy and Refolution of a Man, that does not yet believe himself to be certainly in Danger, tho' he really is, is no Reafon; and 'tis not enough, that he dies in this Proceeding, unless he did purposely put himself upon it for this End. It commonly falls out, in moft Men, that they fet a good Face upon the Matter, and speak big, to acquire a Reputation, which they hope alfo, whilft living, to enjoy. Of all that I have feen die, Fortune has difpofed their Countenances, and not their Defign; and even of those who, in ancient Times, have dispatched themselves, 'tis much to be noticed, whether it were a fudden, or a lingering Death. That cruel Roman Emperor, would fay of his Prifoners, That he would make them feel Death; and if any one killed himself in Prison, That Fellow, said he, has efcaped from me. He was prolonging Death, and making it felt by Torments. Vidimus et toto quamvis in corpore cæfo, i. e. And in tormented Bodies we have seen, That means to kill, yet will not let Men die ! In plain Truth, it is no fuch great Matter, for a Man in Health, and in a settled Frame of Mind, to refolve to kill himself; it is very easy to boaft before one comes to the Push Infomuch that Heliogabalus, the most effeminate Man in the World, amongst his moft fenfual Pleafures, contrived to make himself die delicately, when he fhould be forced to it. And, that his Death might not ' give the Lye to the reft of his Life, had purposely built a fumptuous Tower, the Front and Bafe whereof was • covered and laid with Planks enriched with Gold and ⚫ precious Stones, thence to precipitate himself; and alfo • caused z Lucan. lib. ii. v. 178, &c. El. Lamprid. p. 112, 113. Hift. Auguft. a • caused Cords, twisted with Gold and Crimson Silk, to be made, wherewith to strangle himself; and a Sword, with the Blade of Gold, to be hammered out to fall upon; and kept Poison in Veffels of Emerald and Topaz, wherewith to poifon himself, according as he should like to chufe either of these Ways of Dying.' Impiger, et fortis virtute coaƐla ‘. i. e. By a forc'd Valour refolute and brave. Yet, as for this Perfon, the Effeminacy of his Prepara tions makes it more likely, that his Heart would have failed him, had he been put to the Teft. But in those who, with great Refolution, have determined to dispatch themselves, we must examine, whether it were with one Blow which took away the Leisure of feeling the Effect: For it is to be queftioned, whether perceiving Life, by little and little, to steal away, the Sentiment of the Body mixing itself with that of the Soul, and the Means of repenting being offered, whether, I fay, Conftancy and Obftinacy, in fo dangerous a Will, is to be found. The Cowardice of Domitius, and others, who seemed reSolved to put themselves to Death. In the Civil Wars of Cæfar, Lucius Domitius, being taken in Abruzzo, and thereupon poisoning himself, afterwards repented of it. It has happened, in our Time, that a certain Perfon being refolved to dispatch himself, and not having gone deep enough at the firft Thruft, the Senfibility of the Flesh repulfing his Arm, he gave himself three or four Wounds more, but could never prevail upon himself to thrust home. Whilft Plantius Sylvanus was upon his Trial, Virgulantia, his Grandmother, fent him a Poniard, with which, not being able to kill himself, he made his Servants to cut his Veins. Albucilla, in Tiberius's Time, having, to kill himself, struck with too much Tenderness, Lucan. lib. iv. v. 798. Edit. Grov. in Octavo. < Plutarch in the Life of Julius Cafar, c. 10. Tacit. Annal. lib. iv. • Idem, ibid. lib. vi. gave 1 g his Adverfaries Opportunity to imprison, and put gave him to Death their own Way. And that great Leader Demofthenes, after his Rout in Sicily, did the fame; and C. Pembria, having ftruck himself too weakly, intreated his Servant to kill him outright. On the contrary, Oftorius, who could not make Use of his own Arm, difdained to imploy that of his Servant to any other Ufe, but only to hold the Poniard straight and firm, whilft he run his Neck full drive against it, fo that it pierced thro' his Throat. 'Tis, in Truth, a Morfel that is to be swallowed without chewing, and requires the Palate of an Oftridge; and yet Adrian, the Emperor, made his Physician mark and incircle, in his Pap, the very Place wherein the Man he had ordered to kill him, was to give the Stab. For this Reafon it was, that Cafar, being afked, What Death he thought to be the most defired?' Made Anfwer, The leaft premeditated, and the fhortest "." If Cafar dared to fay it, it is no Cowardice in me to believe it. A short Death, fays Pliny, is the Sovereign Happiness of Huકં man Life. They do not much care to own it: No one can fay, that he is refolved for Death, who boggles at it, and cannot undergo it with his Eyes open. They that we fee, in exemplary Punishments, run to their Death, haften and press their Execution, do it not out of Refolution, but they will not give themselves Leisure to confider it; it does not trouble them to be dead, but to die. * Emori nolo, fed me effe mortuum nihili æftimo '. i. e. To be dead is nothing to me; but I fear to die. 'Tis a Degree of Conftancy, to which I know, by Experience, that I could arrive, like those who plunge themfelves into Dangers, as into the Sea, with their Eyes fhut. f Plutarch in the Life of Nicias, c. 10. Tacit. Annal. lib. xvi. h Suet. in J. Cæfare, fect. 87. i Nat. Hift. lib. vii. c. 53. There * Epicharmus, the Greek Philofopher, was the Author of the Verfe, here tranflated, by Cicero, into Latin Profe. 1 Cic. Tufc. lib. i. c. 8. The conftant crates. There is nothing, in my Opinion, more illuftrious, in the Life of Socrates, than that he had thirty whole Days wherein to ruminate upon the Sentence of his Death; to have digefted it, all that Time, with a moft affured Hope, without Emotion, and without Alteration, and with Words and Actions rather careless and indifferent, than any Way ftirred or discomposed by the Weight of fuch a Thought. That Pomponius Atticus, to whom Cicero writes so oft, being fick, caused Agrippa, his Son-inlaw, and two or three more of his Friends, to be called to him, and told them, That • The Death of ⚫ having found all Means practised upon him, for his Recovery, to be in vain, and that all he did to prolong his Life, did alfo prolong and augment his Pain; he was • refolved to put an End both to one and the other, defiring them to approve of his Deliberation, or, at least, not to lose their Labour in endeavouring to diffuade him.' Now, having chofen to destroy himself by Abftinence, his Disease was accidentally fo cured, and the Remedy he made Use of to kill himself, reftored him to Health. His Phyficians and Friends rejoicing at fo happy an Event, and, coming to congratulate him, were, nevertheless, very much deceived, it being impoffible for them to make him alter his Purpose; he telling them, That, be it as it would, he muft, one Day, die, and that, being now so far on his Way, he would fave himself the Labour of beginning again another Time.' This Man, having furveyed Death at Leifure, was not only not discouraged at meeting it, but fully bent on it : For being fatisfied, that he had engaged in the Combat, he thought he was obliged, in Honour, to fee the End on't. 'Tis far beyond not fearing Death, to defire to taste and relish it. The Story of the Philofopher Cleanthes is very like this. VOL. II. Corn. Nepos, in the Life of Atticus. Cc Diog. Laert. in the Life of Cleanthes, lib. viii, fect, 176. Cleanthes's die. 1 Book II. fo much, that they pronounced him cured, and per'mitted him to return to his ordinary Course of Diet: • He, on the contrary, already tafting fome Sweetness in this Faintnefs of his, would not be perfuaded to go back, but refolved to proceed, and to finish the Course he had fo far advanced in.' Tullius Marcellinus, a young Man of Rome, having a The refolute mind to anticipate the Hour of his Destiny, Death of a in order to be rid of a Disease that was more young Roman. Trouble to him, than he was willing to endure; tho' his Phyficians affured him of a certain, tho' not fudden Cure, called a Council of his Friends, to confult about it: Some, fays Seneca, gave him the Counfel, which, from Pufillanimity, they would have taken ⚫ themselves; others, out of Flattery, prefcribed what they thought he would beft like: But a Stoic faid thus to him: P Do not teaze thyfelf, Marcellinus, as if thou didst deliberate of a Thing of Importance; 'tis no great Matter to live; thy Servants and Beafts live; but it is a great Thing to die handfomely, wifely, and with Fortitude: Do but think how long thou haft done the fame Thing; eat, drink, and fleep; drink, fleep, and eat. We are inceffantly wheeled round in one and the fame Circle; not only ill and infupportable Accidents, but even the Satiety of living, inclines a Man to defire to die.' Marcellinus did not ftand in Need of a Man to advise, but of a Man to affift him; his Servants were afraid to meddle in the Bufinefs: But this Philofopher gave them to understand, That Domestics are fufpected, even when it is in Doubt, whether the Death of the Mafter were voluntary, or no; otherwise, that it would be of as ill Example to hinder him, as to kill him; forafmuch as, Invitum qui fervat, idem facit occidenti a. i. e. Who makes a Man to live against his Will, The • Senec. Ep. 77. P Idem, ib. Horat. in Art. Poet. v. 467. |