A Narrative of the Conversion and Death of Count Struensee, Tr. by Mr. Wendeborn. with an Intr. and Notes, by T. Rennell - Softcover

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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1824 Excerpt: ... was now interrupted. I thought it necessary to remove it entirely before I could procure him true ease of mind. I must convince him, therefore, that in that future life, which he hoped and wished for, he could not promise himself an agreeable fate; and for this purpose his notions of the morality of actions were to be rectified first. He believed human actions only so far good or bad as they were attended with good or bad consequences to society. Before I could attack this proposition, I thought proper to shew how little, even according to this principle, he would be able to account for his actions before God. I might at present, said I, leave your rule by which you judge of the morality of actions unmolested. Your actions even then would not bear scrutiny. I was surprized when he answered: "I find now, that it is by far better and surer to derive the motives of our actions from God, and to consider him as observing them." Saying this, he pointed at Jerusalem's book, and I thanked in my heart this excellent man that he had promoted my endeavours so far. In the mean time, I begged of the Count to reflect how immoral his actions had been, even according to his former principle of morality. I had now discovered that side where the wounds of his conscience smarted most. He was not by far so much grieved at thinking that he had offended God, and made himself miserable, as that he had ruined his friends with him. This sensation of his I laid hold on , and endeavoured to support and to increase it. I hoped his pain might by degrees become more universal, and extend itself over his other crimes. I had scarcely began to touch him on this side, when he burst into tears, and owned that he found himself in this respect very culpable, and was absolutely at a loss to sa...

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