CLASS III. 1. 2. 11. OF VOLITION. 319 



moralists, and divines, from the earlierst records of antiquity: 

 " Vanity of vanities!" says the preacher, " all is vanity!" Solo- 

 mon. u Man is the dream of a shadow!" s<s m<*,% avfyairos. 

 JPindar. O! quantam est in rebus inane! Juvenal. Nor is there 

 anj one, I suppose, who has passed the meridian of life, who has 

 not at some moments felt the nihility of all things. 



Weariness of life, or ennui in its moderate degree, has been 

 esteemed a motive to action by some philosophers. See Sect. 

 XXXIV. 2. 8. But in those men, who have run through the 

 usual amusements of life early in respect of their age; and who 

 have not industry or ability to cultivate those sciences, which af- 

 ford a perpetual -fund of novelty, and of consequent entertain- 

 ment, are liable to become tired of life, as they suppose there is 

 nothing new to be found in it, that can afford them pleasure; like 

 Alexander, who is said to have shed tears because he had not 

 another world to conquer. 



Mr. , a gentleman, about fifty, of polished manners, 



who in a few months afterwards destroyed himself, said to me 

 one day, u A ride out in the morning, and a warm parlour and 

 a pack of cards in the afternoon, are all that life affords." He 

 was persuaded to have an issue on the top of his head, as he com- 

 plained of a dull head-ach, which being unskilfully managed, 

 destroyed the pericranium to the size of an inch in diameter; 

 during the time this took in healing, he was indignant about it, 

 and endured life, but soon afterwards shot himself. 



Mr. , a gentleman of Gray's Inn, some years ago was pre- 

 vailed upon by his friends to dismiss a mistress, by whom he had 

 a child, but who was so great a termagant and scold, that she was 

 believed to use him very ill, and even to beat him. He became 

 melancholy in two days from the want of his usual stimulus to 

 action, and cut his throat on the third so completely, that he died 

 immediately. 



Mr. Anson, the brother to the late lord Anson, related to me 

 the following anecdote of the death of lord Sc . His lord- 

 ship sent to see Mr. Anson on the Monday preceding his death, 

 and said, a You are the only friend I value in the world, I de- 

 termined therefore to acquaint you, that I am tired of the insipi- 

 dity of life, and intend to-morrow to leave it." Mr. Anson said, 

 after much conversation, that he was obliged to leave town till 

 Friday, and added, " As you profess a friendship for me, do 

 me this last favour, I entreat you, live till I return." Lord 

 Sc believed this to be a pious artifice to gain time, but ne- 

 vertheless agreed, if he should return by four o'clock on that day. 

 Mr. Anson did riot return till five, and perceived by the coun- 

 tenances of the domestics, that the deed was done. He went 



