Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-01-27
VERY IsrER ssrINa HISTORY OF. ,,rpnr,rr
From Blackwood,s Magazine.
The last cords Of Charles Ed,caras. ESQ.

The last cords Of Charles Ed,ca,tls, ESQ.
am, or, more properly speaking, Ihave been,
. man of pleasure. | am now forty wears, less
some few months, of age and shall depart this
life at twelve O'Clock tonight. About that
hour it IS, that propose to shoot myself through
the head. Let this letter be evidence that
do the act iYisally. | should be sorry to have
that resolution coniounled with ma!ncsa, which
is founded upon the coolest and maturcst consi-
Iteration. Men are coXconbs even IN death ::
and will not affect to disguise INV weakness,
Y wohld not forfeit the glory of triumphing over
RbrolSan-s pritcd druniards and talf-crazy opku
acwars--of being able to die grateful Tor The
b,a have experienced, and of dislainiag to
cai,, innate pleasures after they have ceased 10
be within my reach. | do assure you Mr.
** tx ****, that should wait person div upon
you with this epistle but that think the moro
Yeasonablcnc5s OF ny suicide mus: carry conyic-
ton With it Of nv sanity bat tn trust D lay
Ahe4re you such facts, and SUCH arguments, rs
shall approve me not only justii.5le, bls most
phlosophc, in destroying lnysef Hear what
7 have done; weigh what | mean to do aud
Nudge if [ deserve the name of inadnnn.
! was born III family rather ancient than
ID: and hh.rited, With something like The
!. Ane person of my father, his dispo;itioa to
...,,,a3 "A money rather than to acquire it. TO
nsa, recollection, at eighteen, | was of de-
hcgee{ira3 temper, rather than of violent one :;
ardent i'll the prosecution of objects rather than
sudden 10 undertake them not very hasty cith-
er in love Or in quarrel. | had faculty enough
~ write bad versos,-not Industry enough to
Ewrite any thing else and An aptitude for bill
lizards and horsc--iiins to miracle.
4 Now desire to have this considered not az a
hon Csssiou, but statement. As plead ru;l-
&tv TO no fault, make declaration, not an ac-
acknowledgement. | am not lamenting any thing
that is past. If | had to begin again tomorrow,
would begin again in the same way. should
vary my course perhaps something, with the ad-
vantage of nv present experience but take If
IN the main, and it would be the race nave run
already.
At eighteen, with an education, as Lord Fop-
n;ngton has it, &C rather at large !" for like
Swi's captain Of horse) my tutors were the last
peoale who expected any cool ofme,-at eigh-
teen, it became necessary for me to think of a
profession. Ny first attempt in life was in the
4 navy. | was anxious to ,o and cared very lit
lie whittier aud a school-boy midshiprnan of
INV ACQUAINTANCE cajole1 me into Maliterra-
4 mean voyage, by promises of prize-money, and
4 descriptions Of Plymouth harbour.
If were to sneak from my feelings at the
present moment, should say, that the life of a
i sailor had its charms. l am bankrupt in appe-
t,e. as well as in estate; if have nothing left
ID ENJOY, L nave Etttc Cd1dJltY lell TOT ENJOY
4 rnent: and now know how to appreciate that
excuFerance of spirit With which a man dashes
! Into dissipation on shore, after six weeks res
&4raint from it at sea. But know also that
s. these arc the feelings of situation and Of cir
c,lrnstanCe. The past seems delightful, where
q no hope lives for the future. am cherishing
most f,ndlv the recollection Of those sensations
4 which are uo'v the most completely lost to me
8 Nor ever. But it IS the aci ofthe moment which
q forms the index 10 the true impression. A shin
q u! war may ,cs:n abstract liberty to him who
81 r;nas in the dungeons of the InqIisition. But
81 confinement, monotony, coarse society, and per-
- sjnd Drivation the simDlef fact sworth all the
81 argument after a cruise Of two months,
II quitted the navy for ever.
= Charmed almost as much with nv change Of
4 .Jcicty as with my change ofdress, quilted the
ssa-seT7ice, AMI entered a regiment oflipht dra-
- ,,os and, for two years from the time Of M
,iling the army, led the life which lads com
.,1nlv lead in the outest of military career.
tn1 even to the occurrences ofthose two years,
,IIe and unintcllectual as they were, my mem
: o-y still cli1gs with pleasure and with regret.
r5ys. then, however triding, pleased the most
med enioyinents could have done no more.
az. there a man living past thirty, who does not
"A ,ynetin1es give Il sigh to those days Of delicious
"A xnerienco and inoerception, when the heart
n. ,nH rest content with the mere qualification of
- sansos when the intinaCes of the dinner
81 Bile passcarrentf for friendship; when the woman
IN smiled on all, was to ALL nevertheless.
,rrn;or and when life, 20 long rs health and
,,,oo,. I1sfel, was one uninterrupted course Of
4 ,,ulqe an1 intoZication
Il Y vas ny fate, however, to continue but