Page:Essay on Crimes and Punishments (1775).djvu/253

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Crimes and Punishments.
xiii

wrote a treatife on fuicide, which is become one of the facrceft books in Europe.

" The Decalouge " fays that author, "forbids us to commit murder; in which precept, than the murder of another : if, therefore, there be cafes in which it is lawful to kill another, there may be cafes alfo wherein fuicide may be allowed, But a wherein fuicide may be allowed. But a man ought not to attempt his own life, till after havinf confulted his readon. Publick authority, which is the reprefentative of God, may difopfe of our lives. The reafon of man may alfo reprefent that of the Deity, it being a ray of the eternal light. "

ST. CYRAN extends this argument to a great length, which after all is a mere forphifm. But when he comes to exemplify he is not quite fo eafily anfwered. "A man may kill himself, fays he, for the good of his prince, for the good of his country or for the good of his parents. "

It does not appear, that we could with justice condemn a Codrus, or a Curtius.