went in, pafs'd thro' his Brains, and went out again at the Crown of his Head. There had appear'd no Signs of fudden Difcontent in him for any Time before: On the contrary, it feems he had calmly made feveral Preparations for this tragical Cataftrophe, which argue it was the Effect of a premeditated and steady Refolution. Not long before he committed the Suicide, he put on a new Suit of Cloaths: Upon his Table, was found a Letter to his Majefty of Great Britain, begging his Pardon for ftaining his Manfion-houfe, with his Blood; returning him Thanks for all his Royal Favors, and giving him fome Reasons why he was weary of the World. In his Pocket, was found a Paper with the following Lines: Las de boire et de manger, Las des Pourfuites des Ennemis, Je meurs d'une Refignation extrême. Hertzberg, ce 12 Maij, 1727. LOR INST UNIVERATI 2-3 AUG 19/2 OF OXFOR LIBRA Adieu. * Various were the Opinions of Mankind, what could move this unhappy Gentleman, with whom I was not only acquainted but correfponded to the laft, to take away his own Life in this violent Manner: The moft general was, that as he was given to Liquor, he did it in a drunken Fit: But I have been credibly inform'd, he went fober to Bed, the Night before, and had drank nothing but Tea, the fatal Morning. That he was under no Difcontent of Mind is certain. I have an Original Letter of his yet by me, written not a Month before his unfortunate End, full of Expreffions of the highest Satisfaction, in the Station of Life he was then in; acquainting me with a Defign he had formed of introducing Church-mufick in his District, and defiring me to procure him fome Anthems for that Purpose. What Reasons he may have alledg'd to his Majefty for this Deed, I never could learn; but it is to me felf-evident, that a very ill State of Health, being in almoft continual Pain, and a deprav'd Appetite, which had left him no Taste of what he most delighted in, Luxury, had made him weary of himself, and of the World, and this is plainly express'd in the Lines that were found in his Pocket, of which I fhall give the Reader a literal Translation : Weary of Drinking and Eating, Weary of the Perfecution of my Enemies, Weary of living in continual Pain, I dy with an extream Refignation; Farewell. SIR, [S] LETTER XIX. HAMBURG: INCE my laft, I have spent a few Hours, in endeavouring at a Translation of the Allegorical Manufcript I mention'd in a former Letter, entitled, A DESCRIPTION OF THE EMPIRE OF PATHIA; of which, as it is fhort, I fend you a Copy. UNDER the Title, were the following Words of Cicero, inftead of a Motto: Duplex eft vis animorum. Una pars in appetitu pofita eft, quæ hominem buc & illuc rapit. Altera in ratione, que docet & explanat, quid faciendum, fugiendumque fit. Itafit, ut ratio præfit, appetitus abtemperet. "" THE "THE Empire of PATHIA is a Country which " abounds in every Thing that can be fubfervient "to the Neceffity, Convenience and Ornament of "human Life. CEPHALE, the Metropolis of this "Empire, of an oval Form, is the Refidence of its "Empress, who, for her extraordinary Infight and "Prudence, in the Management of the public "Affairs, as well as her own private Oeconomy, "obtained of her Subjects the additional Name "of REASON. "BARON WILL, firft Minifter of State to the "Emprefs, was a Nobleman better qualified for "Execution than Counsel, and who, tho' he was "too hafty and capricious to weigh Matters duly, or to take any Thing under mature Deliberation, "was the more expeditious and dextrous in the "Performance of his Duty. With thefe Quali"ties, he was firmly fix'd in the Emprefs's Favor; "for, as fhe was herself of a penetrating Sagacity, "in all her Counfels, fhe had no farther Occafion "for his Service, than to fee them duly executed. "THIS Minister was married to a young Coun"tefs, one of the Emprefs's Attendants, whofe "Maiden-name was Lady FANCY. Her more "than ordinary Capacity, and her Officioufnefs, "in the Choice of every Thing relating to Drefs, "and in the Managemeut of the Toilet, had gain'd "her the particular Efteem of the Emprefs, her "Miftrefs, and fhe was very affiduous to fecure "her Favor, by agreably entertaining her, when "in waiting, with a thoufand pretty Conceits, " and little Pieces of Poetry, of her own Compo"fition. The Credit and Power this Lady had at "Court received an additional Luftre, upon her Marriage with Baron WILL, and the Emprefs "was continually heaping her Favors on the young Couple. Among other Marks of it, fhe made them a Prefent of one of her largest and nobleft Castles, "Caftles, built in a triangular Form, call'd CAR"DIA, fituate at a small Distance from CEPHALE. "HERE our Baron, and his fprightly Countefs, "lived in great Splendor and Pomp, and were, in "Procefs of Time, blefs'd with a numerous Iffue. "Their firft Child was a Daughter, of exquifite "Beauty, and fo engaging a Behavior, that she was distinguish'd by the Name of Lady LOVELY. "She had four Sifters, the two eldeft of which "bore fome Refemblance to her charming Self, as "well in Mien as Carriage. The firft, whofe "Name was Lady HOPE, tho' a very Dwarf in "Stature, had a moft agreable Countenance, and "was the true Image of Patience. The fecond was a fprightly jolly Girl, a great Lover and "Encourager of Plays, Balls and Masquerades, " and went by the Name of Lady GAY. The "other two poffefs'd very untoward Qualities, and "were of a melancholy and crazy Conftitution. "Lady ANXIETY, the eldest of them, would 66 66 fpend Hours, in a folitary Mood, in her Clofet, "and generally in Tears. On the other Hand, "Lady TIMOROUS, the youngeft,, was continually liable to convulfive Fits. They had but "one Brother, who was not only very deformed "in his Perfon, but of fo ftrange a Caft of Mind, that they could think of no properer Appellation for him, than Squire SPLENATIC. "LADY LOVELY had hardly attained to Years "of Maturity, when the Emprefs married her to a "Gentleman of great Honor, and approved Cou66 rage, of the ancient Family of the TRUE" GOODS. This noble Youth did not, indeed, poffefs the most advantageous Bleffings of Fortune: But fo great was his Merit, that this difcerning Princefs thought him worthy of a "confiderable Penfion; and let the new-married Couple want for nothing that could contribute to .. "their Felicity. They lived together in the most "perfect Harmony and Satisfaction, and were in high Efteem with every one. INTEGRITY, "JUSTICE, COMPASSION and FRIENDSHIP were "four of their Children; but History is filent, "whether they had any more. The whole Family "was advanced to the most eminent Posts at "Court; and as the Emprefs was perfectly happy "in the Choice of her Servants, they, on their "Parts, lived in all Manner of Affluence and Plenty, under fo gracious a Sovereign. The Commonalty, in the mean Time, wanted nothing "to compleat their Felicity, under fo mild and "prudent an Administration, but to be truly fen"fible of it. "WHILE PATHIA was in this profperous and happy State, a Foreigner, from a neighbouring "Ifle, came to vifit it: He was a Perfon of an agreable outward Appearance, and had a very 66 pompous Train ; but, in his Heart, was a fubtle "Knave, and a Man void of all Confcience and "Honor. The Marquis of SELF-INTEREST (for "fo his real Name was afterwards discovered to be) was received in CARDIA, in a very courteous "Manner, by Baron WILL, who was fo deceived, by his Fawning and Flattery, that of the moft "deceitful of Hypocrites, he made him his most in"timate Friend and Confident. 66 66 "THE daily Converfation the Marquis had in "Baron WILL's Family, gave him an Opportunity of being acquainted with Lady LOVELY'S Beauty and Virtues, which fo poffefs'd his perverfe "Mind, already ripe for the most flagrant Villa"nies, that he found Means to poifon her Husband TRUE-GOOD, and afterwards, by a feign'd "Compaffion, artfully to gain the innocent Heart "of a Lady, who had never known what Fraud and Sufpicion were. "THE |
