494 ^^' '^ercival on the EffeSfs of Faming, &c, 



fenfatlons of hunger had been fo violent, as mucH 

 to impair his ftrength of body or vigour of mind. 

 Pomponius Attieus, the celebrated friend of 

 Cicero, who put a voluntary end to his life in the 

 feventy-feventh year of his age, by refufing all 

 food, appears to have experienced eafe from his 

 diforder, rather than any acute fufferings by 

 famine, t From the former circumflance it has 

 been conjedtured, that he did not wholly deny 

 himfelf the ufe of water, or of fome other diluent. 

 But though a few examples of this kind may be 

 adduced, we have the evidence of numerous me- 

 lancholy fafls to fliew, that the prcflure of want is 

 acronizins to the human frame. " I have talked," 

 fays an ingenious writer, " with the captain of 

 «^ a fhip, who was one of fix, that endured it in 

 «* its extremity, and who was the only perfon that 

 «* had not loft his fenfes, when they received ac- 

 " cidental relief. He allured me his pains, at firft, 

 *' were fo great, as to be often tempted to eat 

 *« a part of one of the men who died, and which 

 •' the reft of his erew, aftually for fome time, lived 

 *' upon: He faid, that during the continuance of 

 *« this paroxfym, he found his pains infupportable, 

 *< and was defirous, at one time, of anticipating 

 ** that death, which he thought inevitable : But 



I Sic cam biduo cibo fe abftinuilTet. fabito febris decef- 

 fu, leviorque morbus efle cspit : tamen propofitum nihilo 

 fecius peregit. Itaque die quinto, poftquam id confiliuin 

 inierat, deceffit. Corn. Nepos in Vit. Pomp. Attic. ' v 



" his 



