and he knew also that if he died by his own hand, not only would his family be placed in a better position than if he lived, but that the men who had wronged him would be outwitted, as the policies on his life would be forfeited, and his bonds become waste paper. His mind soon became resolved. He evinced to the people of the hotel no symptoms of derangement; but saying he should visit the theatre that night, and go to bed early, as he had been rather dissipated lately, he paid the bill he had incurred, giving at the same time gratuities to the waiters. He then wrote a letter to one of the persons with whom his life had been assured, stating, that as existence was now of no value to him, he meant to destroy himself; that he was perfectly calm and sane; that he did it for the express purpose of punishing the men who had contrived to ruin him; and, as the policy would be void by this act, he charged him to let his suicide be known to all with whom his life had been assured. In the evening he walked to the Thames, where he took a wherry with a waterman to row him, and when they were in the middle of the current, plunged suddenly into the stream, to rise no more. The underwriter who had received the letter, communicated it to the other insurers; and when a claim was made by the gamblers, they saw that they had been duped by the Yorkshire squire, although at the fearful price of self-murder. CHAP. IX. GAMBLING IN ASSURANCES ON WALPOLE--GEORGE II.--THE JACOBITE PRISONERS--THE GERMAN EMIGRANTS--ADMIRAL BYNG--JOHN WILKES--YOUNG MR. PIGOT AND OLD MR. PIGOT--LAPLAND LADIES AND LAPLAND REIN-DEER.--INSURANCE ON CITIES.--GAMBLING ON THE SEX OF D’EON--PUBLIC MEETING--DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE CITIZENS.--TRIAL CONCERNING D’EON--LORD MANSFIELD’S DECISION.