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absurd accusations against my wife and myself. I feel no disposition to make any exculpation in the affair; for I would have no reason to blush, were the charges true. Certain it is, I have not had the smallest cognizance of what has been passing in Poland, nothing was ever confided to me; and I have been quietly living on my estates in Gallicia for two years, disgusted with every thing I see, and afflicted at the abominable finish they are making to the eighteenth century. I thank God that he has formed me but little calculated to be affected at these reverses of fortune. I exclaim with Horace,

Si celeres quatit

Pennas, resigno quæ dedit.

Od. 1. iii. 29.

"I will say nothing further respecting myself: I would be led into a long history, did I indulge my pen. I am so selfish as to believe that we both view things in the same light. Indeed, such is the delirium which agitates Europe at present, that all conclusions, drawn from calculations on political matters, must be in the inverse proportion of common sense. Heads, so well organized as that of my friend Mazzei, cease to be of any service but to the proprietor, and are only regarded like fine productions of the chisel, which are admired by all, but used by none. I am determined to foresee nothing. The aberrations of the most sagacious mind are incalculable. Adamino, who loves you so much, indolent and capricious as he is, resides with me. The fire of age,

and the consciousness of talents, urge him to action; but the cxcellence of his character, and his good sense, calms all his movements. He submits himself to reason, and waits till his hour is sounded. I tell him that he is yet reserved for times which will know his worth. I know not exactly what will become of me, or where I shall pass the winter. If circumstances prevent me from returning into Gallicia, probably I shall be with you in Italy. The pleasure of your company, my dear friend, will contribute much to render me happy.

"With the most cordial friendship, yours,
"A. CZARTORYSKI."

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"Vienna, 28th June, 1794. "THE news of the illness of count Rzewaski has certainly reached you. He did not present me your letter till his convalescence; and this is the reason why my answer is so tardy. My dear and good sir, how grateful my heart is for the friendship you cherish for me, in every circumstance. The agreeable quarters you have prepared for me, in your house, redouble the desire I feel to see you. But how can I assign a time when I can put into execution my intended visit? You know every thing which has occurred since the 24th of March. Nothing is more unstable than the face of public affairs. Although my father has interested himself in no manner, he has been an object of the most cruel vengeance. He is obliged to submit to fresh indignities and new privations, day after day. If it were not that I dread to add to the afflictions of my father, and the whole family, I would have long since repaired to the spot, where so many duties call me. Were we never to act, without weighing the probability of success, there would be no longer either virtue, duty or honour in the world. The situation which I am in would excite your pity. When I behold my country, I am overwhelmed with sadness and inquietude: when I reflect on myself, I feel remorse and shame. I endeavour to console myself, that it is for my father and his family I am guilty. We do not yet despair of our country. I cannot say more by post. Adieu, my worthy friend. My mother and sisters charge me with a thousand compliments. Do not deprive me of the pleasure of believing that I still heart.

retain your

"Yours,

"A. CZARTORYSKI.”

In 1802, Mazzei repaired to St. Petersburg, and laid a memorial before the emperor Alexander of his services to the king of Poland. He was pensioned, at his request, and received twelve hundred rubles annually, which, in addition to a large estate, left hin by a rich kinsman, enabled him to spend the remainder of his days in affluence. He was twice married; and has a daughter, now living, by his second wife, He died 17th March, 1816, in the eighty-fifth year of his age.

In person, Mazzei was rather below the middle size. His habits were rigidly temperate; he rose early, and drank no spirituous liquors. He possessed great vivacity of spirits, was gay, cheerful, and full of "the milk of human kindness." His knowledge of human nature was profound. His acquirements, although philosophical, were principally confined to politics; in which he greatly excelled. He was ardent in his friendships, hospitable, and humane to the poor. Besides his work on America, he wrote several economical tracts, which are replete with sound sense, and evince a strong, discriminating mind. He was a zealous republican, and a confessed enemy to intolerance in church and state.

R.

FOR THE PORT FOLIO.-MISCELLANEA.

SUICIDE. In an order issued by Bonaparte when he was first consul, there are these remarkable expressions against suicide. "To abandon one's self to chagrin, and to kill one's self in order to escape from it, is to abandon the field of battle without having conquered." On an attentive examination of the history of this crime, I believe it will appear, 1st, That the distinguished suicides of antiquity, were urged to self-destruction either by despair, or by a criminal selfishness; that they were greatly blamed by the wisest of their contemporaries, and that their deaths were always unfortunate for their country: 2d, That almost all the suicides, ancient or modern, have been atrocious criminals, men without morals or principle, or females misled by the violence of their passions; and lastly, That the writings of the apologists of this offence against God and man have greatly increased the number of the offenders. Among the papers of Mr. Budgell, the unfortunate friend of Addison, who put an end to his life to escape from misfortune, one was found containing these words, in his own hand writing:-" What Cato did, and Addison approved, cannot be wrong." It is not true, however, that Addison approved of suicide. The sentiments he attributes to the stoic Cato, whose false philosophy permitted self-murder, should not be considered as the sentiments of Addison himself.

FINE ARTS. Our country has produced so many excellent artists, that the patronage of the fine arts should be an object of general attention, and even of national pride. As it is not in my power to give to these distinguished persons that solid support which the favourites of the muses require at least as much as the dullest of the Baotian tribe, I shall beg leave to offer them a few hints for subjects worthy of being illustrated by their pencils.

I. The charity sermon of St. Vincent De Paul, for the relief of infants abandoned by their parents. Ladies of various ages are seated opposite to the preacher's desk, near to which some nurses are seen with infants in their arms. The moment for the painter to select is that in which some of the children were heard to cry; upon which the preacher suddenly exclaimed,—“ Do you hear, ladies, those innocent creatures? their tears implore your protection: their language is more eloquent than mine."-The result was the establishment of the great foundling hospital of Paris.

II. The lovely Berengere, queen of Castile, in the presence of the Moorish knights: These valiant men had made war against Castile, and attacked the citadel in which the queen then happened to be. It had hardly any other defence than the renown of her beauty and her virtues. She proposed to capitulate. The enemy answered by a proposal of peace, the only condition of which was, that she should appear unveiled before the Moorish army. The condition was accepted. Berengere appears on the rampart in magnificent and graceful robes. Near her are some of the ladies of her court. Her dignified and placid brow denotes her satisfaction at the restoration of peace, while a smile of ill-concealed cxultation betrays the triumph of conscious beauty. The gallant knights march before her, and enjoy the reward of their victory in beholding and admiring her unrivalled charms.

III. The castle of Pontorson defended by a nun, the daughter of the famous Duguesclin. The English troops attacked this castle by surprise at the dawn of day. They place a scaling ladder unobserved against the wall. The heroine alone discovers them. She imme:iately threw down the ladder, and gave the alarm. The English soldiers fall into the ditch, and the castle is saved.

IV. Love in vain admonished by Wisdom. The countenance of the angry and pouting Cupid shows that the rogue is incorrigible.

V. The last subject we shall suggest is from. Miss Bailey's admired drama of the Family Legend.-The heroine of the play to be exhibited exposed upon a rock; the tide rising, seems to make her destruction inevitable. Her whole form and attitude express the terrors of her mind. The painter, we presume, may be as sparing as he pleases of drapery. Indeed it would not violate probability to suppose that the cruel and merciless wretches who exposed her to a dreadful, and as they thought, a certain death, should have left her no drapery at all. The adoption of this supposition would enable the painter to display his knowledge of

anatomy, and compose a much more interesting portrait.

Hymen is represented with but a single torch. Would it not be more appropriate to furnish this amiable divinity with two torches, the flames of which should both be united into one pure and steady blaze?

The works of Jeremy Taylor deserve the careful perusal of every theological scholar, as well as every admirer of the good old vigorous style of writing. The following passage is characteristic of his best manner:-" He that is no fool, but can consider wisely, if he be in love with this world, we need not despair but that a witty man might reconcile him with tortures and make him think charitably of the rack, and be brought to dwell with vipers and dragons, and entertain his guests with the shrieks of mandrakes, and screech owls, or to admire the harmony that is made by an herd of ravening wolves, when they miss their draught of blood in their midnight revels. The groans of a man in a fit of the stone, are worse than all these, and the distractions of a troubled conscience are worse than those groans: and yet a careless merry sinner is worse than all that. But if we could from one of the battlements of heaven espy how many men and women at this time lie fainting and dying for want of bread; how many young men are hewn down by the sword of war: how many poor orphans are now weeping over the graves of their father, by whose life they were enabled to cat; if we could but hear how many mariners

VOL. III.

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