PAUL AND VIRGINIA. II9 



my life, in folitude, without a wife, without chil- 

 dren, and without flaves. 



Next to the rare felicity of finding a female 

 partner perfeftly fuited to a man, the leaft unhappy 

 liruation in life is that of living alone. Every one 

 who has had much reafon to complain of Man- 

 kind, feeks for folitude. Nay, it is very remark- 

 able, that all Nations, rendered miferable by their 

 opinions, their manners, or by their governments, 

 have produced numerous claffes of citizens, en- 

 tirely devoted to folitude and to celibacy. Such 

 were the Egyptians in their decline, and the Greeks 

 of the Lower Empire ; and fuch are, in our own 

 days, the Indians, the Chinefe, the modern Greeks, 

 the Italians, and the greateft part of theeaftern and 

 fouthern Nations of Europe. Solitude, in fome 

 degree, brings Man back to his natural ftate of 

 happinefs, by removing the misfortunes of focial 

 life. In the midft of our focieties, torn afunder 

 by fo many prejudices, the foul is in a ftate of per- 

 petual agitation; it is continually revolving, within 

 itfelf, a thoufand turbulent and contradidory opi- 

 nions, by which the members of an ambitious and 

 miferable fociety are aiming at mutual fubjedion ; 

 but, in folitude, it lays afide thofe extraneous illi - 

 lions which difturb it, and refumes the fimple fen- 

 timent of itfelf, of Nature, and of it's Author. 



I 4 Thus, 



