a contrivance more effectual to deter one from vice, than remorfe, which itself is a grievous punishment. Self-punishment goes still farther: every criminal, fenfible that he ought to be punished, dreads punishment from others; and this dread,

the world. Her meeknefs, her fubmiffion, her patience, tended but to increafe his fullennefs. Upon a Sunday morning when on her knees fhe was of fering up her devotions, he came foftly behind her, put a rope about her neck, and hung her up to the ceiling. He bolted his gate, creeped out at a window, walked demurely to church, and charmed his hearers with a moft pathetic fermon. After divine fervice, he invited two or three of his neighbours to pafs the evening, at his houfe, telling them that his wife was indifpofed, and of late incaned to melancholy; but that he would be glad to fee them. It furprised them to find the gate bolted and none to anfwer: much more when, upon its being forc'd open, they found her in the poftur mentioned, The husband feemed to be ftruck dumb and counterfeited forrow fo much to the life, tha his guests, forgetting the deceafed, were wholly interested about the living. His feign'd tears however became real; his foul was oppreffed with the weight of his guilt. Finding no relief from agonizing remorse, and from the image of his murdered wife conftantly haunting him, he about fix weeks after the horrid deed went to Edinburgh and delivered himfel up to justice. He was condemned upon his own confeffion, and executed 4th October 1570.

however

however fmothered during profperity, breaks out in adverfity, or in depreffion of mind: his crime ftares him in the face, and every accidental misfortune is in his disturbed imagination interpreted to be a punishment: "And they said one to another, We arg verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we faw the anguish "of his foul, when he befought us; and σε we would not hear: therefore is this "diftrefs come upon us. And Reuben "answered them, faying, Spake I not "unto you, faying, Do not fin against "the child and ye would not hear? "therefore behold alfo his blood is required (a*.

(a) Genefis xlii. 21.

The

* John Duke of Britany, commonly termed the Good Duke, Alluftrious for generofity, clemency, and piety, reigned forty-three years, wholly employ'd about the good of his fubjects. He was fucceeded by his eldest fon Francis, a prince weak and suspicious, and confequently liable to be mifled by fa vourite Arthur of Montauban, in love with the wife of Gilles, brother to the Duke, perfuaded the Duke that his brother was laying plots to dethrone him Gilles being imprisoned, the Duke's best friends conjured him to pity his unhappy brother, who might be imprudent, but affuredly was innoVOL. IV.

H

cent;

The ufurper Oliver Cromwell found to his dire experience, that the grandeur

cent; all in vain. Gilles being profecuted before the three eftates of the province for high treason, was unanimoufly abfolved; which irritated the Duke more and more. Arthu of Montauban artfully fuggested to his mafter to try poison; which having mifcarried, they next refolved to ftarve the prifoner to death. The unfortunate prince, through the bars of a window, cried aloud for bread; but the paffengers durft not supply him. One poor woman only had courage more than once to flip fome bread within the window. He charged a priest, who had received his confeffion, to declare to the Duke, “That feeing justice was refufed him in this "world, he appealed to Heaven; and called upon "the Duke to appear before the judgement-feat of "God in forty days." The Duke and his favou“ · rite, amazed that the prince lived fo long without nourishment, employed affaffins to fmother him with his bed-cloaths. The prieft, in obedience to the orders he had received, prefented himself before the Duke, and with a loud voice cited him in name of the deceafed Lord Gilles to appear before God in forty days. Shame and remorfe verified the prediction. The Duke was feized with a fuaden terror; and the image of his brother, expiring by his orders, haunted him day and night. He decay'd daily without any marks of a regular difeae, and died within the forty days in frightful agony.

See this fubject further illuftrated in the Sketch Principles and Progress of Theology, chap. 1.

1

which he had attained with fo much cunning and courage, did not contribute to his happiness; for with happiness guilt is inconfiftent. Confcious that he deferved punishment for his crimes, and dreading its being inflicted upon him, all around appeared to him treacherous friends or bitter enemies. Death, which with intrepidity he had braved in the field, was now timorously apprehended from affaffins. With a piercing and anxious eye he furveyed every new face. He wore armour under his cloaths, and never moved a step without his guards. Seldom he slept three nights together in the fame chamber; nor in any but what had a back-door, at which centinels were placed. Society terrified him by reflecting on his unknown enemies, numerous and implacable. Solitude aftonished him by leaving him without protection. Can all the glory that this earth can afford be a power counterbalance for fuch mifery?

and

No tranfgreffion of felf-duty escapes punishment, more than tranfgreffion of duty to others. The punishments, tho' not the fame, differ in degree more than in kind. Injuftice is punished with remorfe:

H 2

morfe: impropriety with fhame, which is remorse in a lower degree. Injustice raises indignation in the beholder, and fo doth every flagrant impropriety: flighter improprieties receive a milder punishment, being rebuked with fome degree of contempt, and commonly with derifion (a).

So far we have been led in a beaten track; but in attempting to proceed, we are entangled in mazes and intricacies. An action well intended may happen to produce no good; and an action ill intended may happen to produce no mifchief: a man overawed by fear, may be led to do mischief against his will; and a perfon, mistaking the ftandard of right and wrong, may be innocently led to do acts of injustice. By what rule, in fuch cafes, are rewards and punishments to be apply'd? Ought a man to be rewarded when he does no good, or punished when he does no mifchief: ought he to be punished for doing mischief against his will, or for doing mischief when he thinks he is acting innocently? Thefe queftions fuggeft a doubt, whether the standard of

(a) See Elements of Criticism, chap. 10.