Suicide might be allowable if a man "were under no obligations to any law, either of Nature, or Reason, or Society: not to mention the Revealed Will of God, by which all murder is forbidden."
— Graves, Richard (1715-1804)
Author
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for J. Dodsley
Date
1773
Metaphor
Suicide might be allowable if a man "were under no obligations to any law, either of Nature, or Reason, or Society: not to mention the Revealed Will of God, by which all murder is forbidden."
Metaphor in Context
"Well," says Colonel Rappee; "we are obliged to the Gentleman for his story--and for a sermon into the bargain." --"Why, it is a very serious affair," says Sir William, "for a man to destroy himself; and rush into the presence of his offended Judge, with all his sins and follies unrepented of about him." --The Colonel replied, "if life was given as a blessing; when it ceased to be such, he thought a man might resign it again, without offence to any one." --"Yes, yes," says Sir William, "if he were under no obligations to any law, either of Nature, or Reason, or Society: not to mention the Revealed Will of God, by which all murder is forbidden. -- But, I would desire no other argument against self-murther" (continues Sir William) "than its being contrary to the very first law of nature, self-preservation; and its shocking the natural feelings and common apprehensions of all mankind."
(pp. 174-5)
(pp. 174-5)
Categories
Provenance
Searching "reason" and "law" in HDIS (Prose)
Citation
At least 5 entries in the ESTC (1755, 1773, 1774, 1783)
The Spiritual Quixote: or, the Summer's Ramble of Mr. Geoffry Wildgoose. A Comic Romance. 3 vols. (London: Printed for J. Dodsley, 1773). <Link to ECCO>
The Spiritual Quixote: or, the Summer's Ramble of Mr. Geoffry Wildgoose. A Comic Romance. 3 vols. (London: Printed for J. Dodsley, 1773). <Link to ECCO>
Date of Entry
04/25/2005
