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Article ON THE PROPRIETY OF MAKING A WILL. ← Page 5 of 5
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On The Propriety Of Making A Will.
and virtuous in their situations , and have had no hope ' s or fears to en- * counter from the smiles or froAvns of the Avorld . It may be said— ' This is too severe ; those benefactors meant to haye left to their adopted children as they Avould to their own , had they not been suddently cut off before a will could be made . '—But if we consider what a serious thing is the temporal , and perhaps eternal happiness of a child educated and deserted as I have stated . I fear that
, our indignation will not be abated by this excuse . In the first place , it is great folly to take a child from a life of useful industry ; and in the second place , it is great Avickednes sto educate any children with ideas of high life , even if we could realize them , and with hopes of great wealth , even if Ave could gratify them . He is the best benefactor to orphans , who places them in situations Ayhere they can provide for themselves ;
and who teaches them the value ofAvealth , not by the profusion , but by the acquirement of it . But to educate children in splendid idleness and useless accomplishments can never be atoned for , unless an immediate provision be made for them , and nothing be left to accident . I conclude this part of my subject Avith repeating , that the man who in
such circumstances neglects to secure his promised provision for his adopted children , is guilty of a crime connected with every tiling unthinking , ungenerous , and absurd . * I have , perhaps , extended this letter too far ; but I was unwilling to . divide the subject , and I have written so much , because I do not recollect to have seen the subject professedl y treated . After what I have adi'anced very little is necessary to demonstrate that it is of great importance ,
- I haA'e said nothing yet of the embarrassments arising from wills being written in a confused manner . Whoever is in the least acquaints ed Avith laAv proceedings must know that errors and confused arrangements in wills furnish a rich harvest to the gentleman of the long robe . Much of this unquestionably proceeds from the cause I have already insisted uponnamelythe delaying the duty until we are
, , sick , and , must call in the assistance of those who may deceive us , until we are oi 4 and cannot recollect our various obligations , and until we are fretful , and cancel the good sense and discretion of a whole life by the spleen of a moment . These are considerations which I trust will have their wei ght .
I might acid something , perhaps , in proof of the necessity of an early will , from the security" with tvhich certain persons chuse to conduct their affairs . A circumstance occurred very lately , Avhich places this argument in a striking point of view . I allude . to the act of parliament , Avhich compelled the Bank to render up to the public the \ mclaimed money in theirJiands . One other argument only may be advanced . Although in the case
of a person dying intestate , the law' provides him with heirs , it is yery seldom that the distribution of property in this way is consistent Avith justice , far less with the intentions of the deceased , had he been wise enough to provide a will ; for the law lays down a certain possitive succession which must apply to all cases alike , and cannot he guided b y any individual circumstances , " I § m , Sir , your most obedient servant , ' TESTAMENTARIUS ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Propriety Of Making A Will.
and virtuous in their situations , and have had no hope ' s or fears to en- * counter from the smiles or froAvns of the Avorld . It may be said— ' This is too severe ; those benefactors meant to haye left to their adopted children as they Avould to their own , had they not been suddently cut off before a will could be made . '—But if we consider what a serious thing is the temporal , and perhaps eternal happiness of a child educated and deserted as I have stated . I fear that
, our indignation will not be abated by this excuse . In the first place , it is great folly to take a child from a life of useful industry ; and in the second place , it is great Avickednes sto educate any children with ideas of high life , even if we could realize them , and with hopes of great wealth , even if Ave could gratify them . He is the best benefactor to orphans , who places them in situations Ayhere they can provide for themselves ;
and who teaches them the value ofAvealth , not by the profusion , but by the acquirement of it . But to educate children in splendid idleness and useless accomplishments can never be atoned for , unless an immediate provision be made for them , and nothing be left to accident . I conclude this part of my subject Avith repeating , that the man who in
such circumstances neglects to secure his promised provision for his adopted children , is guilty of a crime connected with every tiling unthinking , ungenerous , and absurd . * I have , perhaps , extended this letter too far ; but I was unwilling to . divide the subject , and I have written so much , because I do not recollect to have seen the subject professedl y treated . After what I have adi'anced very little is necessary to demonstrate that it is of great importance ,
- I haA'e said nothing yet of the embarrassments arising from wills being written in a confused manner . Whoever is in the least acquaints ed Avith laAv proceedings must know that errors and confused arrangements in wills furnish a rich harvest to the gentleman of the long robe . Much of this unquestionably proceeds from the cause I have already insisted uponnamelythe delaying the duty until we are
, , sick , and , must call in the assistance of those who may deceive us , until we are oi 4 and cannot recollect our various obligations , and until we are fretful , and cancel the good sense and discretion of a whole life by the spleen of a moment . These are considerations which I trust will have their wei ght .
I might acid something , perhaps , in proof of the necessity of an early will , from the security" with tvhich certain persons chuse to conduct their affairs . A circumstance occurred very lately , Avhich places this argument in a striking point of view . I allude . to the act of parliament , Avhich compelled the Bank to render up to the public the \ mclaimed money in theirJiands . One other argument only may be advanced . Although in the case
of a person dying intestate , the law' provides him with heirs , it is yery seldom that the distribution of property in this way is consistent Avith justice , far less with the intentions of the deceased , had he been wise enough to provide a will ; for the law lays down a certain possitive succession which must apply to all cases alike , and cannot he guided b y any individual circumstances , " I § m , Sir , your most obedient servant , ' TESTAMENTARIUS ,