Of the Murder Considered As One of the Fine Arts

De Quincey starts from the real crimes committed by John Williams to construct a single text, on the principles of murder, not in order to regulate the practice but to clarify the trial. It indicates such useful advice as, for example, that "the subject chosen to be assassinated should be in good health. Assassinate, yes, but with art. And with one of the best samples of literature in the English language.