ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

which united their souls, and formed the greatest portion of their felicity.

The angel of darkness, with all his artifice, was never able to discover the entrance into this world! Notwithstanding his ever watchful malice, he never found out the means to spread his poison over this happy globe. Anger, envy, and pride, were there unknown; the happiness of one appeared the happiness of all! An ecstatic transport incessantly elevating their souls at the sight of the magnificent and bountiful hand that collected over their heads the most astonishing prodigies of the creation.

The lovely morning, with her humid saffron wings, distilled the pearly dew from the shrubs and flowers, and the rays of the rising sun multiplied the most enchanting colours, when I perceived a wood embellished by the opening dawn.

The youth of both sexes there sent forth hymns of adoration towards heaven, and were filled at the same time with the grandeur and majesty of God, which rolled almost visibly over their heads; for, in this world of innocence, he vouchsafed to manifest himself by means unknown to our weak understandings.

All things announced his august presence; the serenity of the air, the dyes of the flowers, the brilliancy of the insects: a kind of universal sensibility spread over all beings, and which vivified bodies that seemed the least susceptible of it, every thing bore the appearance of sentiment; and the birds stopped in the midst of their flight, as if attentive to the affecting modulations of their voices.

But no pencil can express the ravishing countenance of the young beauties whose bosoms breathed love. Who can describe that love of which we have not any idea, that love for which we have no name, that love, the lot of pure intelligent beings, divine love, which they only can conceive and feel? The tongue of man, incapable, must be silent! The remembrance of this enchanting place suspends at this moment all the faculties of my soul.

The sun was rising-the pencil falls from my hand. Oh! Thomson, never did your muse view such a sun! What a world and what magnificent order! I trod, with regret, on the flowery plants, indued, like that which we call sensitive, with a quick and lively feeling; they bent under my foot, only to rise with more brilliancy: the fruit gently dropped, on the first touch, from the complying branch, and had scarcely gratified the palate, when the delicious sensation of its juices was felt glowing in every vein: the eye, more

piercing, sparkled with uncommon lustre; the ear was more lively; the heart, which expanded itself over all nature, seemed to possess and enjoy its fertile extent: the universal enjoyment did not disturb any individual: for union multiplied their delights, and they esteemed themselves less happy in their own fruition than in the happiness of others..

The sun did not resemble the comparative paleness and weakness which illuminates our gloomy terrestrial prison; yet the eye could bear to gaze on it, and, in a manner, plunge itself in a kind of ecstasy in its mild and pure light: it enlivened at once the sight and the understanding, and even penetrated the soul. The bodies of those fortunate persons became, as it were, transparent: while each read in his brother's heart the sentiments of affability and tenderness with which himself was affected.

There darted from the leaves of all the shrubs that the planet enlightened a luminous matter which resembled at a distance all the colours of the rainbow: its orb, which was never eclipsed, was crowned with sparkling rays that the daring prism of Newton could not divide. When this planet set, six brilliant moons floated in the atmosphere: their progression, in different orbits, each night formed a new exhibition. The multitude of stars, which seem to us as if scattered by chance, were here seen in their true point of view, and the order of the universe appeared in all its pomp and splendor.

In this happy country, when a man gave way to sleep, his body, which had none of the properties of terrestrial elements, gave no opposition to the soul, but contemplated in a vision bordering on reality, the lucid region, the throne of the Eternal, to which it was soon to be elevated. Men awakened from a light slumber without perturbation or uneasiness: enjoying futurity by a forcible sentiment of immortality, being intoxicated with the image of an approaching felicity, exceeding that which they already enjoyed.

Grief, the fatal result of the imperfect sensibility of our rude frames, was unknown to these innocent men: a light sensation warned them of the objects that could hurt them: and nature removed them from the danger, as a tender mother would gently draw her child by the hand from a pit-fall.

I breathed more freely in this habitation of joy and concord: my existence became most valuable to me: but in proportion as the charms which surrounded me were lively, the greater was my sor

row when my ideas returned to the globe I had quitted. All the calamities of the human race united as in one point to overwhelm my heart, and I exclaimed piteously-" Alas! the world I inhabit❝ed formerly resembled yours: but peace, innocence, chaste pleasures, soon vanished. Why was I not born among you? What a "contrast! The earth that was my sorrowful abode is incessantly "filled with tears and sighs: there the smaller number oppress the "greater: the demon of property infects what he touches, and what he covets."

DUKE OF MEDINA CELI.

In consequence of the defeat at Saragossa, and the very low state to which France was reduced, Philip V. apprehended he should be obliged to relinquish his pretensions to the throne of Spain. Amongst others, it was suspected, that the Duke of Medina Celi was in the interest of his competitor, Charles. To render so powerful a prince inactive, would be almost equal to a victory; but the method to effect it seemed difficult, especially in the exhausted state to which Philip was reduced. Sir Patrick Lawless, an Irish gentleman, then a colonel in the French service, charged himself singly to secure the person of the Duke. Having previously concerted all his measures, he repaired to the ducal palace, as charged with a special commission from Philip. He invited the duke to take a walk on a fine terrace, in order to converse the more freely. As the conversation was interesting, they insensibly rambled to a considerable distance from the suite of the duke, until they came to a passage which led to the high road, where the colonel had a carriage in waiting. Lawless in a few words told his highness, that he must directly, and without the least appearance of restraint, take a seat in the coach; as he had engaged, at the hazard of his head, to bring him to Madrid, where he would find Philip ready to receive him with open arms. The determined tone with which these words were uttered, the appearance of the man, and above all, his character for resolution and bravery, induced the duke to resort to the only alternative. They soon arrived at Madrid, where he met with a most gracious reception. The battle of Almanza, which happened some time after, made the duke deem his visiter his preserver, as well as that of his immense estate. Lawless was raised in a short time to VOL. IV. 2 A

[ocr errors]

the rank of lieutenant-general, and governor of Majorca; and in the course of a few years, Philip appointed him his ambassador to the court of Versailles.

PHILIP II. KING OF SPAIN.

COUNT Egmont advised this prince to break with France, in order to prevent the troubles that were beginning to rise in Flanders: he answered, "I had rather lose all Flanders, than so scandalously violate the agreement I have made with my brother the most christian king, and so young as he is too."

On his death-bed he gave his successor this advice:-" Keep your dominions, if possible, in perpetual peace; give them good ministers, rewarding the good and punishing the bad."

He often dissembled those injuries done to him which he either could not or would not revenge; observing, that it was a great part of prudence occasionally to pretend not to be well informed of certain things.

At his first coming to the crown, he ordered his judges, in all doubtful cases between him and any of his subjects, to be always sure to decide against the sovereign.

On receiving the news of the destruction of the celebrated Spanish armada, he merely said, "I sent my fleet to fight the English, not the winds: the will of God be done!"

Philip was present at an Auto-da-fé, where several persons were to be burnt for heresy. One of them, Don John de Cesa, as he was passing by him, exclaimed, "Sire, how can you permit so many unfortunate persons to suffer! How can you be witness of so horrid a sight without shuddering!"-Philip replied coolly, If my son, sir, were suspected of heresy, I should give him up myself to the inquisition. My detestation of you and your companions is so great that I would not hesitate to act myself as your executioner, if no other could be found.

Soon after he had imprisoned his son, Don Carlos, he wrote to Pius the Fifth to inform him, that Don Carlos, from his earliest youth, had so vicious a ferocity of disposition, that it had ever disdained all his paternal instructions!

DOMESTIC REVIEW.

MEMOIRS OF A LIFE CHIEFLY PASSED IN PENNSYLVANIA WITHIN THE LAST SIXTY YEARS, WITH OCCASIONAL REMARKS ON THE GENERAL OCCURRENCES, CHARACTER AND SPIRIT OF THAT EVENTFUL PERIOD,-Printed at Harrisburgh.

ACCIDENT threw this book in our way, and curiosity to see what sort of biographical work that might be which issued from a printing press on the late wild banks of the Susquehanna, induced us to take a glance at it; with very little expectation, however, of meeting any thing that could sustain us unwearied though a volume of three hundred and seventy-eight pages, and those by no means short ones. A life confined to Pennsylvania, and passed, as the starting-post of the book seemed to indicate, in the sequestered parts of the state, promised little of the strange occurrences, the whimsical conjunctures, or the checkered incidents, which, by agitating the mind and interesting the heart, remunerate a reader for the labour of perusal. A cottage, a parsonage, and an amiable family, might no doubt exist on the banks of the Susquehanna, as well as in the village of Wakefield; the genius to describe them too belongs exclusively to no climate, nor did it leave the world along with Goldsmith; but in a state of society so little complex as that which still blesses this state, could hardly, we thought, supply adventure for'a very amusing biography of sixty years' duration.

It often chances, however, that where least is expected, most is found; and so it happened in this instance,-for we had not perused above a dozen pages when we found ourselves attracted with a force we have not for a long time been in the habit of experiencing; and before we had proceeded much farther, were so completely spell-bound, that we could not tear ourselves away till the unwelcome intruder of the night,-the watchman,-proclaimed that he "scented the morning air." The succeeding day bringing along with it its demands of necessary labour, obliged us to postpone the perusal of the residue; nor has it been in our power, without neglecting a more imperious duty, to proceed to the end of this meritorious publication: we cannot, therefore, speak of it so fully as we wish and intend to do; and yet we cannot prevail upon ourselves to withhold from this number a few words respecting the impression It made upon us; reserving for a future day, a more particular de

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »