in the attainment of the first rudiments of

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education, and, unfortunately, many obstacles and difficulties tended to check the progress of knowledge. In his father's house he was entrusted to the care of an indigent ecclesiastic, a mere pedant, and destitute of politeness and discernment. In the public schools also which he attended his instruction was entirely confined to the first elements of the Greek and Latin tongues. The mode of instruction was entirely confined to set forms, partaking more of stiffness than accuracy; the memory was overcharged with a load of phrases, rules, and terminations, and the teacher never thought of infusing into the mind the simples to, and principles of thinking and writing.

His young mind, thus almost overwhelmed, sought amusements more congenial to itself, and at a very early period he shewed a decided attachment for all the arts of imitation he often employed his leisure hours in modelling various images in wax, such as groups of men, of animals, and other figures; and though he returned from school without any

great share of words and rules, le seldom failed to bring home with him some new fis gures of wax, with which he took delight in amusing his little sister. Every leisure hour, and every penny he could muster, were devoted to this favourite pursuit.

Another employment was soon introduced to young Gessner, which divided his attention with the former. By accident the history of Robinson Crusoe fell into his hands. Im mediately the little sculptor became an au thor. Another Crusoe sprang from his invent tion, and every scrap of paper he could prepare was filled with the wondrous history: all his Robinsons were incessant smokers, and lightnings and tempests, &c. flashed and roared in every page; but this indulgence of his juvenile fancy was soon checked; for his preceptor discovering the secret, instead of deriving from thence the means of directing his taste and disposition, deemed it only as an obstruction to the study of the ancient languages, or rather to the slavish task of learning by heart the vocabulary and rudiments. He, therefore, endeavoured to beat

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down so alarming a disposition by the force of the most disagreeable impressions; in consequence of which, the first fruits of our young author were commemorated in a mahner suited to disgust him for ever as a writer. These measures were insufficient to extinguish the spark of genius in an ardent mind; he still continued his authorship, but with more caution; and a multiplicity of new islands and new Crusoes sprang from his fertile brains.

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The effect which these occupations had on his progress in the study of languages became every day more perceptible, and the injury which it did to his advancement from one class to another, more remarkable. Complaints of his incapacity and stupidity became stronger and more frequent, and caused to his family the most sensible mortification.

The author of a panegyric on Gessner, published at Paris in 1774, asserts that Bodmer himself, that Socrates of this country, who knew how to waken the genius of so many, was totally deceived in young Gessner. He

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assures us, that his father having, introduced him to him, and requested him to try, if it were possible to bring forth a spark of talents; Bodmer, after a slight examination, sent him back with an assurance, that there was no ground to hope that he could learn any thing but to read and write, and the first rules of arithmetic. On the other hand, Mr. Simler, the inspector, known as a literary man by his very curious collection of documents, relative to the ecclesiastical history of Swisserland, raised the dejected spirits of the family of Gessner by the most consoling hopes; he said, that he perceived in this youth talents which must sooner or later develope themselves, and raise him far above his companions.

The parents of young Gessner seeing all their endeavours to advance him at school fail, determined at length to try an expedient.

A clergyman in the country, the father of the Canon Vogueli, had, by the education be gave his own son, merited the favourable

opinion which had been entertained of his knowledge in scholastic learning, and of his

talent for teaching. To his house young Gessner was sent as a boarder. Under a superintendance more mild and more enlightened, his mind elevated itself to better resolutions.

His studies with the son of his host became very useful to him; young Vogueli was not only a passionate admirer of the ancients, he had also a taste for all the branches of elegant literature, and read with much eagerness the best writers of Germany, particularly the poets. It was through him that Gessner became acquainted with the works of Brock. He perused this book with the greatest avidity, and even spoke of the author with the warmest gratitude, considering him as the first friend of his poetical life. It cannot be doubted that this exact painter of nature was his first guide in the beauties of description, in that fidelity of design which gives to all his pictures a character so new and so true. But he copied from him only as an artist of genius.