vexations of his mind, the diforders of his body, and his unpardonable neglect of health, had rendered his recovery impoffible. It was not until he had been many years tormented by phyficians, and racked by a painful malady, that he took up his pen; and his years increafed only to increase the visible effect of his mental and corporeal afflictions, which at length became so acute, that he frequently raved wildly, or fainted away un-der the excefs of his pains.

It is obferved by one of our refined critics, that "all Rouleau wrote during his old age is "the effect of madnefs." "Yes," replied his fair friend, with greater truth, "but he raved "fo pleasantly, that we are delighted to run mad " with him."

THE mind becomes more difpofed to feek its "Guardian Angel and its God," the nearer it approaches the confines of mortality. When the ardent fire of youth is extinguished, and the meridian heat of life's fhort day fubfides into the foft tranquillity and refreshing quietude of its evening, we feel the important neceffity of devoting some few hours to pious meditation before we close our eyes in endless night; and the very idea of being able to poffefs this interval of holy leifure, and to hold this facred communion with GOD, recreates

the

the mind, like the approach of spring after a dull, a dreary, and a diftreffing winter.

PETRARCH scarcely perceived the approaches of old age. By conftant activity he contrived to render retirement always happy, and year after year rolled unperceived away in pleasures and tranquillity. Seated in a verdant arbour in the vicinity of a Carthufian Monaftery, about three miles from Milan, he wrote to his friend Settimo with a fimplicity of heart unknown in modern times. "Like a wearied traveller, I increase "my pace in proportion as I approach the end of "my journey. I país my days and nights in read"ing and writing: thefe agreeable occupations "alternately relieve each other, and are the only "fource from whence I derive my pleasures. I "lie awake and think, and divert my mind by

༦ every means in my power, and my ardour in"creafes as new difficulties arife. Novelties incite, " and obstacles fharpen, my refiftance. The la"bours I endure are certain, for my hand is tired "of holding my pen: but whether I fhall reap "the harvest of my toils I cannot tell. I am ❝anxious to tranfmit my name to pofterity: but "if I am disappointed in this wish, I am satisfied "the age in which I live, or at least my friends, "will know me, and this fame fhall fatisfy me. My health is fo good, my conftitution fo robuft, "and

0 4

"and my temperament fo warm, that neither the "advance of years, nor the most serious occupa"tion, have power to conquer the rebellious

enemy by which I am inceffantly attacked. I "should certainly become its victim, as I have frequently been, if Providence did not protect "me. On the approach of spring, I take up arms

against the flesh, and am even at this moment "ftruggling for my liberty against this dangerous "enemy."

A RURAL retreat, however lonely or obfcure, contributes to increase the fame of thofe great and noble characters who relinquish the world at an advanced period of their lives, and pass the remainder of their days in rational Solitude: their luftre beams from their retirement with brighter rays than those which fhone around them in their earliest days, and on the theatre of their glory. "It is in folitude, in exile, and on the bed of "death," fays Pope," that the nobleft charac"ters of antiquity fhone with the greatest splen"dor; it was then they performed the greateft "services; for it was during those periods that "they became useful examples to the rest of "mankind." And Rouleau appears to have entertained the fame opinion. fays he, "to exhibit to the

"example of the life they

"It is noble,"

eyes of men an ought to lead..

"The

"The man who, when age or ill health has de"prived him of activity, dares to refound from "his retreat the voice of truth, and to announce "to mankind the folly of those opinions which "render them miferable, is a public benefactor. "I fhould be of much less use to my countrymen, "were I to live among them, than I can poffibly "be in my retreat. Of what importance can it "be, whether I live in one place or another, "provided I discharge my duties properly?"

A CERTAIN young lady of Germany, however, was of opinion that Rosseau was not entitled to praife. She maintained that he was a dangerous corrupter of the youthful mind, and that he had very improperly discharged his duties, by discovering in his Confeffions the moral defects and vicious inclinations of his heart. "Such a "work written by a man of virtue," faid fhe, "would render him an object of abhorrence: "but Rouffeau, whofe writings are calculated "to captivate the wicked, proves, by his ftory "of the Ruban volé, that he poffeffes a heart of "the blackeft dye. It is evident, from many

paffages in that publication, that it was vanity "alone which guided his pen; and from many "others, that he felt himself confcious he "was difclofing falfehoods. There is nothing, "in fhort, throughout the work, that bears the ❝ftamp

05

stamp of truth ;* and all it informs us of is, "that Madame de Warens was the original "from which he drew the character of Julia. "These unjustly celebrated Confessions contain, "generally speaking, a great many fine words, "and but very few good thoughts. If, inftead " of rejecting every opportunity of advancing "himself in life, he had engaged in fome in"duftrious profeffion, he might have been more "ufeful to the world than he has been by the publication of his writings."

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THIS incomparable criticism upon Rousseau merits preservation; for, in my opinion, it is the only one of its kind. The Confeffions of Rouffeau are a work certainly not proper for the

eye,

* Mr. Burke, in his very inftructive and profound Reflections on the French Revolution, fays, page 253,-" Mr. Hume "told me, that he had from Rouffeau himself, the fecret of his

principles of compofition. That acute, though eccentric, "observer had perceived, that, to strike and interest the public, "the marvellous must be produced; that the marvellous of the "heathen mythology had long fince loft its effect; that giants, "magicians, fairies, and heroes of roinance, which fucceeded, "had exhaufted the portion of credulity which belonged to "their age; that now nothing was left to a writer but that spe"cies of the marvellous which might ftill be produced, and "with as great an effect as ever, though in another way; that ❝is, the marvellous in life, in manners, in characters, and in extraordinary fituations, giving rife to new and unlooked-for ftrokes in politics and morals."