n us, we have no right to end our lives; and if we have no
dependents, no friends, then our country has a claim upon us. But, at
the same time, the one sole end of existence is to be happy. If a man
cannot find happiness in life, if there is a great coalition against
him, he is justified in taking up arms against them; but, at the same
time, it proves a greater amount of courage "to bear up against the ills
of life" than to madly leave it, and thus weaken the force of those who
wish to stem its injustice.

Charles Blount died, and with him expired much of the chivalry of
Freethought. His friend, Charles Gil-don, writing of him to a lady,
says, "You know Astrea (Eliza,) and have an exact friendship with
her. You can attest her beauty, wit, honor, virtue, good humor, and
discretion. You have been acquainted with the charms of her conversation
and conduct, and condemn her, only adhering to a national custom to the
loss of so generous a friend, and so faithful a lover. But custom and
obedience meeting the more easily, betrayed her virtue into a crime. I
know my friend loved her to his last breath; and I know, therefore, that
all who love his memory must, for her sake, love and value her, as being
a lady of that merit, that engaged the reason of Philander (C. Blount)
to so violent a passion for her."

The same writer says, "His father was Sir Henry Blount, the Socrates
of the age, for his aversions to the reigning sophisms and hypocrisies,
eminent in all capacities: the best husband, father, and master,
extremely agreeably in conversation, and just in all his dealings.
From such a father our hero derived him self; to such a master owed
his generous education, unmixed with the nauseous methods and profane
opinions of the schools. Nature gave him parts capable of the noblest
sciences, and his industrious studies bore a proportion to his
capacities. He was a generous and constant friend, an indulgent parent,
and a kind master. His temper was open and free; his conversation
pleasant; his reflections just and modest; his repartees close--not
scurrilous; he had a great deal of wit, and no malice. His mind was
large and noble--above the little designs of most men; an enemy to
dissimulation, and never feared to own his thoughts. He was a true
Englishman, and lover of the liberties of his country, and declared it
in the worst of times. He was an enemy to nothing but error, and none
were his enemies that knew him, but those who sacri