\m 



philosophy labours to augment the miseries of our 

 nature, and (o aggravate that period, which nature 

 has kindly covered with insensibility. Neither the 

 mind, nor the body, can suffer these calamities ; the 

 mind is, at that time, mostly without ideas, and the 

 body too much enfeebled, to be capable of perceiving 

 its pain. A very acute pain produces either death, 

 or fainting, which is a state similar to death : the body 

 can suffer but to a certain degree ; if the torture be. 

 comes excessive^ it destroys itself ; and the mind 

 ceases to perceive, when the body can no longer en- 

 dure. 



In this manner, excessive pain admits of no reflec- 

 tion ; and wherever there are any signs of it, we may 

 be sure, that the sufferings of thepatientare no greater 

 than what we ourselves may have remembered to en- 

 dure. 



But, in the article of death, we have many instances 

 in which the dying person has shewn, that every re- 

 iiection that pre-supposes an absence of great pain, 

 and, consequently that pang which ends life, cannot 

 even be so great as those which have preceded. Thus, 

 when Charles XII. was shot at the siege of Freder- 

 ickshal, he was seen to clap his hand on the hilt of his 

 sword ; and although the blow was great enough to 

 terminate one of the boldest and bravest lives in the 

 world, yet it was not painful enough to destroy re- 

 flection. He perceived himself attacked, he reflected 

 that he ought to defend himself, and his body obeyed 

 the impulse of his mind, even in the last extremity. 

 Thus it is the prejudice of persons in health, and not 

 the body in pain, that makes us suffer from the ap- 

 proach of death : we have all our lives, contracted a 

 habit of making out excessive pleasures and pains ; 

 and nothing but repeated experience shews us, how 

 seldom the one can be suffered, or the other enjoyed 

 to the utmost. 



If there be any thing necessary to confirm what we 

 havo said, concerning the gradual cessation of life, 

 or the insensible approaches of our end, nothing can, 

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