Page images
PDF
EPUB

a man may live in obscurity and liberty. There it is possible to be poor without being despised. The afflicted person is there decoyed out of his misery, by the public gaiety; and the feeble there feels himself strong in the strength of the multitude. Vol. iii. p. 6.

We are taught to be well read in books, in pictures, in algebra, in heraldry, and not in men. Connoisseurs are rapt with admiration at sight of a Savoyard's head, painted by Greuze; but the Savoyard himself is at the corner of the street, speaking, walking, almost frozen to death, and no one minds him. That mother, with her children around her, forms a charming group; the picture is invaluable: the originals are in a neighbouring garret, without a farthing whereupon to subsist.

This chimney-sweeper, those soldiers, and that general, are equally men; and, while birth, pride, and the demands of social life establish infinite differences among them, religion places them on a level; she

[blocks in formation]

humbles the head of the mighty, by shewing them the vanity of their power; and she raises up the head of the unfortunate, by disclosing to them the prospects of immortality: she thus brings back all men to the equality which nature had established at their birth, and which the order of society had disturbed. p. 8.

Our moping, melancholy old men consider themselves as useless to the world;

they no longer perceive any

tive before them but death.

other perspec

Ah! paradise and life are still upon the earth, for him who has the power of doing good.

There is, it must be admitted, much depravity among the lower orders; but there are various methods which may be employed to find out such as are good and honest: and with them I commence my researches after pleasure. A new Diogenes, I am set out in search of men. As I look only for the miserable, I have no occasion to use a lantern. p. 9.

Persons employed in the culture of vegetables, are, in general, a better sort of people. Plants have their theology impressed upon them. I one day, however, fell in with a husbandman who was an atheist. It is true, he had not picked up his opinions in the fields, but from books. He seemed to be exceedingly well satisfied with his attainments in knowledge. I could not help saying to him at parting: "You have really gained a mighty point, in employing the researches of your understanding to render yourself miserable." p. 10.

The night itself cannot conceal virtue. One day, I happened to be at a village festival, not far from Paris. After dinner, the company betook themselves to walking up and down the fair, and amused themselves with throwing pieces of small money among the peasantry, to have the pleasure of seeing them scramble and fight, in picking them up. For my own part, following the bent of my solitary humour, I walked apart in another direction. I observed a

little girl selling apples. To no purpose did she extol the excellence of her goods; no customer appeared to cheapen them. "How much do you ask for all your apples?" said I to her. "All my apples ?" replied she, and at the same time began to reckon with herself. "Three-pence," said she. "I take them at that price, returned I, on condition you will go and distribute them among these little Savoyards, whom you see there below:" this was instantly executed. The children were quite transported with delight at this unexpected regale, as was likewise the little merchant at bringing her wares to so good a market. I should have conferred much · less pleasure on them had I given them the money. Every one was satisfied, and no one humbled. The great art of doing good consists in doing it judiciously. Religion instructs us in this important secret, in recommending to us to do to others what we wish should be done to us.

I sometimes betake myself to the great road, like the ancient patriarchs, to do the honours of the city to strangers who may

happen to arrive. I recollect the time when I myself was a stranger in strange lands, and the kind reception I met with when far from home. p. 13.

I perceive a German travelling on foot; I accost him, I invite him to stop and take a little repose at my habitation. He communicates to me the occasion of his journey. I interrupt him to make my inquiries after my friends Count Munich, Villebois, Bosquet, Taubenheim, &c. Most of them are dead he tells me, the rest are superannuated; and retired from all public employment. Oh! how melancholy it is, I exclaim, to travel from one's country, and to make acquaintance with estimable men abroad, whom we are never to see more! Oh! how rapid a career is human life! Happy the man who has it in his power to employ it in doing good! My guest favours me with a short detail of his adventures: I pay the closest attention, from their resemblance to

my own.

His leading object was to deserve well of his fellow-creatures, and he has

« PreviousContinue »