And yet, says Sir PETER by inference, "It is _as bad_, William Simmons, to
cut your own throat, as to cut mine!" If true Modesty have left other
public bodies, certainly she is to be found in the court of aldermen.
Sir PETER proceeds to discourse of the mysteries of life and death in a
manner that shows that the executions of his shrievalty were not lost upon
his comprehensive spirit. Suicides, however, have engaged his special
consideration; for he says--
"Suicides and attempts, or apparent attempts, to commit suicide,
very much increase, I regret to say. _I know that a morbid
humanity exists_, and does much mischief as regards the
practice. _I shall not encourage attempts of the kind_, but
shall punish them; and I sentence you to the treadmill for a
month, as a rogue and vagabond. I shall look _very narrowly at
the cases_ of persons brought before me on such charges."
Sir PETER has, very justly, no compassion for the famishing wretch stung
and goaded "to jump the life to come." Why should he? Sir PETER is of that
happy class of men who have found this life too good a thing to leave.
"They call this world a bad world," says ROTHSCHILD on a certain occasion;
"for my part, I do not know of a better.
Pages:
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44