122 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



ceafed to hate, and now I pity them. If I meet 

 with any unfortunate wretch, I try to aflift him by 

 my counfels : as one, pafTmg along the brink of a 

 torrent, ftretches out his hand to an unhappy crea- 

 ture drowning in it. I, however, have found in- 

 nocence alone attentive to my voice. Nature, to 

 no purpofe, allures to herfelf the reft of mankind ; 

 each one forms, in his mind, an image of her, 

 which he invefts with -his own paffions. He pur- 

 fues, through the whole of life, the vain phantom 

 which ftill mifleads him ; and he then complains 

 to Heaven of the illufion which he had pradlifed 

 upon himfelf. Amongft a great number of unfor- 

 tunate wretches, whom I have fometimes endea- 

 voured to bring back to Nature, I have not found 

 a fingle one who was not intoxicated with his own 

 miferies. They liftened to me, at firft, with at- 

 tention, in hopes that I v^^as going to affift them in 

 acquiring either glory or fortune, but perceiving, 

 that I only meant to teach them to do without 

 thefe things, they looked upon me myfelf as a mi~ 

 ferable wretch, becaufe I did not purfue their 

 wretched felicity : they condemned the folitary 

 ftyle of life which I led, pretended that they alone 

 were ufeful to Mankind, and endeavoured to draw 

 me into their vortex. But, though my heart is 

 open to all the World, my opinions are biafled by 

 no one. 1 frequently find enough within my own 

 brcaft to make me ferve as a leflbn to myfelf. In 



my 



