ance- Her Life saved by Honorius-Distress of Mind- Deliverance from Suicide by Means of the Author's Ser- Inquiry if any Suicide can be saved-Melancholy and Despondence from worldly or religious Causes dispersed by the Light of Heaven-Illustrated by a German Fragment on the first Spring discovered by Adam and Eve after the Fall-Exemplified in Cowper's Melancholy, and the Means Adventurers and Gamblers described-Mischiefs of Gambling-The London Hells-The History of Thurtell, the Murderer of Weare-Vices practised on board a Man of War-A Gamester's Honour and Honesty-Hardihood of a Murderer-Holberg's Cain, the Fratricide-Rev. Mr. Fletcher's Courage, in disarming a Gamester and a Mur- derer-Various Ways of Suicide described by Jay-Family Pride, Avarice, and Parental Tyranny-Edwin and Emma SUICIDE. INTRODUCTION. Objects of the Work stated-Reasons-Suicide of a Youth of fourteen Years of age-Attempted Suicide by Mr. Towers, of Kendal-Proposals to Governors of Lunatic Asylums. 'WHY,' says one, write a book on Suicide? What! Are all pleasing subjects so exhausted that you must choose to take up your pen on a theme so horrible and appalling? Besides, you are writing for the instruction of youth! What have they to do with suicide? They are too fond of life to throw it away they entertain the prospect of too many gay hopes to put the extinguisher upon the present existence, and to retire, as volunteers, into the darksome valley of the shadow of death! Youth are thoughtless, and it is your gloomy thoughtful misanthropes, your grey-headed sons of disappointment, who have recourse to a halter or a pistol.' Softly, friend Critic. It is the thoughtlessness of B youth which exposes them to a crime, irremediable, in a fit of passion, disappointment, and revenge: it is the ignorance, the bad education, the heathen sentiments imbibed at our classical schools. The suicide heroes whom they have admired in the page of antiquity or on the stage-the want of religious principle and Christian sentiments-the infidelity of the age-their association with corrupt companions, with whom the sneer is indulged at the existence of an evil spiritual adversary, and bravado jests passed on a Hell and a Heaven;these expose them to the temptation to commit every crime-even the last and worst-suicide! Our purpose, in the following collection of facts, histories, narratives, and examples, is to point out the precipice in time, that we may stop the course of adventurous youth before they rush to the brink ; and, if possible, to persuade them to enter a safer path-even into the way of industry, sobriety, and peace-which may conduct them to reputation and eminence in this world, and to glory, honour, and immortality, in the world to come. Nor is the present day without instances of juvenile suicide; in proof let the following quotation from the Traveller be examined: 'Sunday, December 9, 1821, between eight and nine o'clock, Charles Cartwright, about fifteen years of age, who resided with his parents in Museum Street, Bloomsbury, destroyed himself, in his father's house, under distressing circumstances. It appears that his father, a short time ago, procured for him a situation at a grocer's at the west end of the town; and, in the course of his employment, he met with a serious accident, which caused him to leave his situation: he subsequently became worse, and his spirits appeared to be much preyed upon. Sunday morning he was in his apartment along with his mother, who requested him to go and clean himself: he left her, but proceeded to the kitchen; and, in about half an hour afterwards, he was discovered by the servant suspended by a thin cord. He was instantly cut down, and a surgeon sent for; but the unfortunate youth was quite dead.' The same paper contains the following record of a deed which has filled the whole town of Kendal with consternation: Mr. Towers, after returning from a visit with his wife, her mother, and another lady, deliberately walked into another room, and brought thence a double-barrelled pistol, with which he shot his wife through the head, who immediately fell down and expired. He then placed the pistol to his own head, and fired; but, although he fractured his skull, he is likely to recover. He had previously given indications of insanity.' We aim, too, to speak a word of timely advice to the impetuous, of encouragement to the desponding, of consolation to the afflicted. I have been led to make these efforts from examples which occurred under my own eye, and well known to a parish containing upwards of thirty-five thousand inhabitants, and by the especial desire of two individuals who were providentially delivered from desperate attempts at suicide, a particular account of whom shall be given in the course of this work. The author could mention a living example of one of the most popular preachers of the present day in the metropolis, who met him in the street, and said, 'I have been reading your sermon ou Suicide Providentially Arrested: Sir, it is a very useful work. People ought to be warned and cautioned against it: I myself have been twice tempted to suicide.' Upon accompanying him home, he said he was once tempted, before he knew religion, from a variety of agitating circumstances, which he could not make known without giving pain and offence to others; but this he could assureme,that religion came in to his aid, and rescued him from the dreadful deed : |