ourable. He consulted
several persons, indirectly at first, afterwards pretty directly, on
the easiest mode of finishing life; invited a dinner-party for the day
after; supped at White's, and played at Whist till one o'clock of the
New Year's morning. Lord Robert Bertie drank to him 'a happy new year;'
he clapped his hand strangely to his eyes. In the morning, he sent for
a lawyer and three witnesses, executed his will, made them read it over
twice, paragraph by paragraph, asked the lawyer if that will would stand
good though a man were to shoot himself. Being assured it would, he
said--'Pray stay, while I step into the next room;' went into the next
room and shot himself, placing the muzzle of the pistol so close to his
head that the report was not heard.

A SUICIDE ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL.

Gamblers have been known to set as coolly and deliberately about blowing
out their brains as if they had only been going to light their cigars.
Lord Orford, in his correspondence with Horace Walpole, mentions two
curious instances.

One of the fashionable young men of Lord Orford's day had been unhappily
decoyed into a gambling house, where his passion for play became so
great that he spent nearly the whole of his time in throwing the dice.
He continued to gamble until he had not only lost a princely fortune,
but had incurred a large amount of debt among his tradesmen. With the
loss of his money, and the utter beggary which stared him in the face,
the unfortunate victim of play lost all relish for life; and sought in
death the only refuge he could fancy from the infamy and misery which he
had brought upon himself. But whilst fully resolved on self-destruction,
he thought, before carrying his fatal purpose into execution, he might
as well do his tradesmen an act of justice, even if in so doing he
should do injustice to others. He insured his life to the extent of
his debts, amounting to several thousand pounds. Being acquainted
with several of the directors of the company (he called them his
life-and-death brokers) in which he insured, he invited them to
dinner the following day, with the ostensible view of celebrating the
completion of the insurance. The tradesmen also received strict orders
to be present; and as the non-payment of their accounts for a long
period to come was the penalty of not acceding to his wishes in
this respect, it can scarcely be necessary to say that they were all
'punctual as lovers to the moment sworn