THE best writers are perhaps the most liable to faults of a certain kind, in like manner as fertile ground is, where no grain is fown, fertile of weeds. Strong weeds fpeak a rich foil, nearly as much as strong corn; yet they ought to be rooted up that they may not injure the harvest.

A

CCORDING to your defire, I now fend you the Confeffions of Rouffeau, perhaps the most fingular production that ever faw the light. Nothing can more strongly prove the near alliance of great genius with madness.

I KNOW of no work that can be mentioned as parallel to Rouffeau's; except Cardan's account of his own life. I know not indeed which is the most extravagant, Cardan's account of his feeing little brazen armies combat round his feet as he lay in bed of a morning, and the like prodigies to be found in the very curious work De Vita propria; or Rouffeau's vifions of his future happinefs with Madame Warens, and other day dreams.

A PARALLEL in the manner of Plutarch might I think with eafe be inftituted between the two works. Rouffeau was of great reputation, fo was Cardan: Rouffeau fuperabounds,

with

with extravagant egotifm as well as the other: Rouffeau is fometimes almoft fublime, fo is Cardan; witness this paffage of the IX Chapter of the latter on fame. Scribes, inquam, quo'modo legenda: et de qua re præclara, et adeo tibi nota, ut defiderare legentes poffint? Quo • ftylo, qua fermonis elegantia ut legere fuftineant? Sic ut legant? Nonne ævo præterlabante in fingulos dies fiet auctio ut prius fcripta contemnantur, nedum negligantur? At durabunt aliquot annis? Quot? Centum? • Mille? Decies mille? Oftende exemplum vel unum inter tot millia. Atque omnino cum • defitura fint etiam fi per reditus mundus renovaretur, ut Academici volunt, non minus · quam fi ut initium habuit et finem accepturus • eft, nil interest an poft decimam diem, an • decem millia myriadum annorum. Nihil utrumque, et ex æquo ad eternitatis fpatium."

&c.

SOME of Cardan's Præcepta ad Filios, fubjoined to his life, are likewife very good. Such as

LATE vivite quando licet; curæ enim

• hominem atterunt non liberant.' p. 271.

I

• NOLITE

• NOLITE opes effundere nec contemnere: funt enim inftrumenta omnium bonorum.” p. 276.

Quæ facturus es nemini dixeris: ne impe‹ diaris vel invidearis.' p. 278.

LETTER

MONG our tranflations from the

A Eaftern languages, I am furprized that

none hath yet appeared in English of the two. great works of Mufladin Sadi, the Orchard, and The Rofary, or Flower-garden, as they are quaintly intitled. The original Persian I must confefs my ignorance of; but the latter tranflated into Latin by a Georgius Gentius, in 1655, now lies before me, and confidered as an Eastern production of the Thirteenth century hath no fmall merit. I know not if the first be yet tranflated.

THE author of Les Saifons, Poeme, Paris 1769, I believe M. S. Lambert, hath well tranflated a number of Sadi's apologues. apologues. As I cannot find all his tranflations in the Rosary, I take it that he hath given fome of them from the other work, called The Orchard. Knowing your fondness for the Eaftern apologue, I inclofe my tranflations of a number of them from both works for your amusement.

APO