the thickest groves and most fequeftered fhades. Superftition imputed his lonely propensity, not to disappointment, discontent, or hatred of mankind, but to a higher caufe; a wifh filently to communicate with some protecting deity. A rumour was circulated, that the goddess Egeria, captivated by his virtues, had united herself to him in the facred bands of love, and, by enlightening his mind, and ftoring it with fuperior wifdom, had led him to divine felicity.* The Druids also, who C 2 dwelt

* Numa Pompilius, though defcended from a noble Sabine family, was ftill more distinguished for his piety than his birth; and though he had married the daughter of Tatius, the regal fortunes of his father-in-law had not allured him to defert his patrimonial farm. The difpofition of his confort had proved fimilar to his own; and after her decease, at a distance from courts, he confoled himself in rural retirement by the mild precepts of philofophy: but his sequestered virtues had not eluded the penetration of the Romans; and amidst the privacy, of his much-loved groves, he was, in less than a year after the death of Romulus, furprized by a deputation from the fenate, who hailed him with the unwelcome title of King. "His mind (fays Plutarch) was naturally difpofed to virtue; and he ftill farther fubdued "it by difcipline, patience, and philofophy; not only purging it ❝of the groffer and more infamous passions, but even of that am"bition and rapaciousness which was then reckoned honourable; "perfuaded that true fortitude confifts in the conquest of appetites by reafon on this account he banished all luxury and splen "dour from his house; and both the citizens and strangers found "in him a faithful counsellor and an upright judge." His inclination to Solitude, and his custom of retiring into the fecret places of the foreft of Aricia, gave rife to feveral popular opinions;

"

and,

dwelt among the rocks, in woods, and in the most folitary places, are fuppofed to have inftructed the infant nobility of their respective nations in wif dom and in eloquence, in the phenomena of nature, in aftronomy, in the precepts of religion, and the myfteries of eternity. The profound wisdom thus bestowed on the characters of the Druids, although it was, like the ftory of Numa, the mere effect of imagination, discovers with what enthu fiafm every age and country have revered those venerable characters, who, in the filence of groves, and in the tranquillity of Solitude, have devoted their time and talents to the improvement of the human mind, and the reformation of the species.

GENIUS frequently brings forth its finest fruits in Solitude merely by the exertions of its own intrinfic powers, unaided by the patronage of the great, the adulation of the multitude, or the hope of mercenary reward. Flanders, amidst all the horrors of civil difcord, produced painters as rich in fame as they were poor in circumftances. The celebrated

and, among others, was that above related, which he, in order to procure a divine fanction to his laws, declared to be true. It is on this subject justly observed by an elegant hiftorian, that "although the integrity of the fage may be impeached in coun"tenancing fiction, yet the pious fraud of the monarch may be "palliated, if not vindicated; and policy will pardon that de"ceit which is exercised to reform the manners, and to restrain "the paffions, of a lawless and barbarous people."

celebrated Corregio had fo feldom been rewarded during his life, that the paltry payment of ten piftoles of German coin, and which he was obliged to travel as far as Parma to receive, created in his mind a joy fo exceffive, that it caused his death.* The self-approbation of conscious merit was the only recompence these great artists received; they painted with the hope of immortal fame; and pofterity has done them juftice.

PROFOUND meditation in Solitude and filence, frequently exalts the mind above its natural tone, fires the imagination, and produces the most refined and fublime conceptions. The foul then taftes the purest and most refined delight; and almost loses the idea of existence in the intellectual pleasure it receives. The mind on every emotion darts through space into eternity; and raised, in this free enjoyment of its powers by its own enthufiafm, ftrengthens itself in the habitude of contemplating the nobleft fubjects, and of adopting the most heroic purfuits. It was in a folitary C 3 retreat,

*The payment to him was made in quadrini, a species of copper coin. The joy which the mind of Corregio felt in being the bearer of fo large a quantity of money to his wife, prevented him from thinking either of the length of his journey, or of the exceffive heat of the day. He walked twelve miles with so much hafte and anxiety to reach home, that, immediately on his return, he was feized with a violent pleurify, of which he died.

retreat, amidst the shades of a lofty mountain near Pyrmont, that the foundation of one of the moft extraordinary achievements of the prefent age was laid. The King of Pruffia, while on a visit to the Spa, withdrew himfelf from the company, and walked in filent folitude among the most sequeftered groves of this beautiful mountain, then adorned in all the rude luxuriance of nature, and to this day diftinguished by the appellation of "The Royal Mountain."* On this uninhabited fpot, fince become the feat of diffipation, the youthful Monarch, it is faid, first formed the plan of conquering Silefia.

SOLITUDE teaches with the happiest effect the important value of time, of which the indolent, having no conception, can form no estimate. A man who is ardently bent on employment, who is anxious to live not entirely in vain, never obferves the rapid movement of a stop-watch, the true image of transitory life, and most striking emblem of the flight of time, without alarm and apprehenfion. Social intercourfe, when it tends to keep the mind and the heart in a proper tone, when it contributes to enlarge the sphere of knowledge, or to banish corroding care, cannot, indeed, be confidered a facrifice of time. But where focial intercourfe, even when attended with these happy

* Konigsberg.

happy effects, engages all our attention, turns the calmness of friendship into the violence of love, transforms hours into minutes, and drives away all ideas, except those which the object of our affection inspires, year after year will roll unimproved away. Time properly employed never appears. tedious; on the contrary, to him who is engaged in usefully discharging the duties of his station according to the best of his ability, it is light, and pleasantly tranfitory.

A CERTAIN young Prince, by the assistance of a number of domeftics, feldom employs above five or fix minutes in dreffing. Of his carriage it would be incorrect to say that he goes in it; for it flies. His table is superb and hospitable, but the pleasures of it are short and frugal. Princes, indeed, seem difpofed to do every thing with rapidity. This Royal Youth, who poffeffes extraordinary talents, and uncommon dignity of character, attends in his own person to every application; and affords fatisfaction and delight in every interview. His domestic establishment,engages his most scrupulous attention; and he employs feven hours every day without exception, throughout the year, in reading the best English, Italian, French, and German authors. It may therefore be truly said, that this Prince is well acquainted with the value of time.