to pafs the remainder of his days amidst the careffes of his friends, and the comforts of his family, in this city. He accordingly requested Zimmerman to fettle his affairs at the univerfity, and to accompany Madame Haller and her household to the new abode which had been previously provided at Berne for their reception. This embaffy he performed with a pleasure flowing not only from the happiness he anticipated from the company and conversation of this agreeable and friendly family, but from a cause which was perhaps ftill more interesting to his heart. In the family of Haller lived a young lady, nearly related to him, whofe maiden name was Meley, and whofe hufband, M. Stek, had been fome time dead. This lady, befides a found and highly cultivated understanding, refined taste, a quick and lively fancy, and a very brilliant imagination, poffeffed, what is perhaps fuperior even to these endowments, thofe polite and elegant manners, that amiable mildness and ferenity of temper, and that winning foft

hefs of voice, which render the fex fo irresistibly charming, and insure the happinefs of a husband. Zimmerman, whose devotion to study had not extinguished the tender fenfibilities of his heart, became deeply enamoured of her charms. He offered her his hand in marriage; and, after paffing fome time in the gen. tle affiduities of love, they were united at the altar in the bands of mutual affection. During the fhort time Heaven permitted her to blefs his arms, he experienced in her fondness a foft refuge from worldly cares, and a fecure afylum for his afflictions.

Soon after his union with this amiable woman, the fituation of Phyfician to the town of Brugg became vacant, which he was invited by the inhabitants to fill. The regular falary annexed to this appointment was extremely fmall, confidering the extent and population of the town; but there is fomething particularly fafcinating to a fentimental mind in the place of early infancy; and when -Zimmerman confidered the number of

relations and friends by whom he would benfurrounded, he relinquifhed all the pleasures and advantages he enjoyed at Berne, and returned to the place of his nativity, with a view to fettle himself there for life. The practice which he immediately acquired throughout the town and furrounding country was, like that of his friend Dr. Hotze, of Richterfwyl, of whofe amiable character and delightful fituation he has drawn so pleas ing a picture in the following Effay, more extenfive than profitable. His time, however, was not fo entirely engroffed by the duties of his profeffion as to prevent him from indulging his mind, always eager to acquire new information, in the pursuits of literature; and he read almost every work of reputed merit, whether of Phyfic, Morals, Philofophy, Belles Lettres, Hiftory, Voyages, or even Novels and Romances, which the various preffes of Europe from time to time produced. The novels and romances of England, in particular, afforded him great delight. The thoughts and opini

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ons which occurred to him during this courfe of reading, he frequently com mitted to writing in the form of effays, and inferted many of them in a periodical paper called The Monitor, which was then published by the Philological So ciety at Zurich.

In the course of time Zimmerman added to the character of husband the pleafing relation of father, and enjoyed, in the birth of a fon, and afterwards of a daughter, all that could fill the bofom of the fondeft parent with joy; health, competency, and domeftic comfort. The company of his wife's mother alfo, a woman of extraordinary understanding, and fingular endowments, and who formed a part of his household, contributed not a little to increase his felicity.

But perfect felicity is not the lot of man; and Zimmerman, though furrounded by every enjoyment which is ufually conceived to beftow happinefs, fuffered á fecret uneafinefs to prey upon his mind: The amufements which Brugg afforded were extremely confined; and he frer

quently fighed for the enjoyment of that general fociety in which he had found fo much fatisfaction and delight at Berne, at Gottingen, and at Paris. It is true. that he had many amiable friends at Brugg, but they had all their own concerns to attend to, and had little time to devote to the company of any individual. A man of letters requires a public library and periodical publications to refort to, new acquaintances to converfe with, profeffional affociates to whom he can communicate his various discoveries; all of which Zimmerman was in a great measure deprived of at Brugg; and the want of thefe refources made fuch a deep impreffion on his mind, that he fell into a ftate of nervous languor, or rather into a peevish dejection of fpirits, and, neglecting all public fociety, devoted himself almoft entirely to a retired and fedentary life. His family was almoft the only company he converfed with; ftudy and compofition the fole amufement of his leifure hours; and a correfpondence with a few diftant friends,

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