in the ardour of my enquiries, I embraced a large circle of historical and critical erudition.” After having cultivated, with this commendable in duftry, an acquaintance with the Latin writers, Mr. Gibbon afpired to the knowledge of the Greek originals, whom they celebrate as their mafters, and of whom they fo warmly recommend the ftudy and imitation." The leffons of Pauilliard (fays he) again contributed to smooth the entrance of the way; the Greek alphabet, the grammar, and the pronunciation according to the French accent. At my earnest request, we prefumed to open the Iliad; and I had the pleasure of beholding, though darkly, and through a glafs, the true image of Homer, whom I had long fince admired in an English drefs. After my tutor had left me to myself, I worked my way through about half the Iliad, and afterwards interpreted, alone, a large portion of Xenophon and Herodotus. But my ardour, deftitute of aid and emulation, was gradually cooled; and, from the barren task of searching words in a Lexicon, I withdrew to the free and familiar converfation of Virgil and Tacitus. Yet in my refidence at Lausanne, I had laid a folid foundation, which enabled me, in a more propitious feafon, to profecute the ftudy of Grecian literature." At this period Mr. Gibbon attended alfo fome mathematical lectures; but, for fuch abftract studies, confeffes that he entertained no peculiar relish. To the ftudy of the law of nature and nations he devoted himfelf with far greater intenseness. Grotius, Puffendorf, Locke, and Montefquieu, engroffed a large portion of his time." But I cannot forbear (adds Mr. Gibbon, to mention three particular books, fince they may have remotely contributed to form the hiftorian of the Roman empire. 1. From the Provincial Letters of Paf cal, which almost every year I have perufed with new pleasure, I learned to manage the weapon of grave and temperate temperate irony, even on fubjects of ecclefiaftical folemnity. 2. The Life of Julian, by the Abbe de la Blaterie, first introduced me to the man and the times; and I fhould be glad to recover my first essay on the truth of the miracle which stopped the rebuilding of the Temple of Jerufalem. 3. In Giannone's Civil Hiftory of Naples, I obferved with a critical eye, the progrefs and abufe of facerdotal power, and the revolutions of Italy in the darker ages. Mr. Gibbon then tells us, that this various reading was digefted, according to Mr. Locke's plan, into a common-place book. But he does not recommend this mode of proceeding to others; thinking, with Dr. Johnson-" that what is twice read is commonly better remembered than what is tranfcribed." As a reward and relaxation of his affiduous studies, Mr. Gibbon's father now confented that he should make a month's tour through Switzerland, accompanied by his tutor. Accordingly they visited its principal towns, and infpected every object, natural and artificial, which could either excite or gratify curiofity. The Benedictine Abbey of Einfidlen left a deep and lafting impreffion on Mr. G.'s memory. "The title and worship of the Mother of God provoked my indignation, and the lively naked image of fuperftition fuggefted to me, as in the fame place it had done to Zuinglius, the most preffing argument for the reformation of the church." Mr. G. having enriched his mind with the treasures of knowledge, commenced a correfpondence on literary topics with fome of the moft learned men of the age. These were, M. Crevier, the fucceffor of RollinProfeffor Breitinger, of Zurich, the learned editor of the Septuagint Bible-Profeffor Matthew Gefner, of the university of Gottingen-and Mr. Allamand, minifter of Bex, who is spoken of in terms of high commendation. In the next paragraph of Mr. G.'s Memoirs, we are informed of his introduction to Voltaire, that most extraordinary man, who was at once a poet, an histo rian, and a philofopher. "My defire (obferves Mr. G.) of beholding Voltaire, whom I then rated above his real magnitude, was eafily gratified. He received me with civility as an English youth; but I cannot boaft of any peculiar notice or diftinction Virgilium vidi tantum. The highest gratification which I derived from Voltaire's refidence at Laufanne was the uncommon circumftance at hearing a great poet declaim his own productions on the ftage. He had formed a company of gentlemen and ladies, fome of whom were not deftitute of talents. A decent theatre was framed at Monrepos, a country-houfe at the end of a fuburb; dreffes and scenes were provided at the expence of the actors; and the author directed the rehearsals with the zeal and attention of paternal love. In two fucceffive winters his tragedies of Zayre, Alzire, Zulime, and his fentimental comedy of the Enfant Prodigue, were played at the theatre of Monrepos. Voltaire reprefented the characters beft adapted to his years-Lufignan, Alvarez, Benaffar, and Euphemon. His declamation was fashioned to the pomp and cadence of the old ftage, and he expreffed the enthusiasm of poetry rather than the feelings of nature." After this curious account of Voltaire, Mr. G. arrefts the attention by an interesting description of his early love. We cannot refrain from tranfcribing it for the entertainment of our readers. "I hefitate, (fays Mr. G.) from the apprehenfion of ridicule, when I approach the delicate fubject of my early love. By this word I do not mean the polite attention, the gallantry, without hope and defign, which has originated in the fpirit of chivalry, and is interwoven with the texture of French manners. I understand by this paffion the union of defire, friendship, and tendernefs, which is inflamed by a fingle female, which prefers her to the reft of her fex, and which feeks her poffeffion as the fupreme or the fole happinefs of our being. I need not blush at recollecting the object of my my choice, and though my love was disappointed of fuccefs, I am rather proud that I was once capable of feeling fuch a pure and exalted fentiment. The perfonal attractions of Mademoifelle Lufan Curchad were embellished by the virtues and talents of the mind. Her fortune was humble, but her family was refpectable. Her mother, a native of France, had preferred her religion to her country. The profeffion of her father did not extinguish the moderation and philofophy of his temper, and he lived content with a small falary and laborious duty in the obfcure lot of Minifter of Craffy, in the mountains that feparate the Pays de Vaud from the country of Burgundy. In the folitude of a fequeftered village he bestowed a liberal and even learned education on his only daughter. She furpaffed his hopes by her proficiency in the fciences and languages, and in her fhort vifits to fome relations at Laufanne, the wit, the beauty, and erudition of Mademoiselle Curchad, were the theme of univerfal applaufe. The report of fuch a prodigy awakened my curiofity-I faw and loved. I found her learned without pedantry, lively in converfation, pure in fentiment, and elegant in manners; and the firft fudden emotion was fortified by the habits and knowledge of a more familiar acquaintance. She permitted me to make her two or three vifits at her father's houfe. I paffed fome happy days there in the mountains of Burgundy, and her parents honourably encouraged the connection. In a calm retirement the gay vanity of youth no longer fluttered in her bofom; the liftened to the voice of truth and paffion, and I might prefume to hope that I had made fome impreffion on a virtuous heart.-At Craffy and Laufanne I indulged my dream of felicity, but on my return to England I foon difcovered that my father would not hear of this strange alliance, and that without his confent I was myfelf deftitute and helpless. After a painful struggle I yielded to my fate: I fighed as as a lover, I obeyed as a fon; my wound was infenfibly healed by time, abfence, and the habits of a new life. My cure was accelerated by a faithful report of the tranquillity and cheerfulness of the lady herfelf; and my love fubfided in friendship and efteem." This lady however became afterwards the wife of the celebrated Necker, and is lately deceased. Mr. G. then proceeds to obferve concerning his literary improvement at Laufanne.-"Whatfoever have been the fruits of my education, they must be afcribed to the fortunate banifhment which placed me at Laufanne. I have fometimes applied to my own fate the verfes of Pindar, which remind an Olympic champion that his victory was the confequence of his exile; and that at home, like a domeftic fowl, his days might have rolled away inactive or inglorious—— Thus, like the crefted bird of Mars, at home And wafted with inteftine wars, Inglorious had'st thou spent thy vig'rous bloom, Expell'd thee from thy native Crete, And driven thee, with more glorious toils, WEST'S PINDAR. At length Mr. Gibbon, in the fpring of the year 1758, left Laufanne, and returned home. After having been abfent from England four years, ten months, and fifteen days. Here terminated the fecond period of his life, in which he laid the foundation of his future fame. We have been the more copious in our extracts, because Mr. G.'s own account of himself is of a very interefting nature, and expreffed in language which makes a pleafing impreffion on the mind. We are next to behold him as an author, pouring forth the ftores of knowledge with which his mind had been thus amply replenished; and by |
