PAUL AND VIRGINIA. I47 



" into defpair. All labour difgnfts me, and fo- 

 " ciety is a burthen. Would to God, that war 

 *^ would break out in India, that I might haften 

 " thither, and throw myfelf into the jaws of 

 " death." 



" My Ton," replied I, *' that courage which 

 ** makes us rulh on to meet death, is the courage 

 ** of only a fingle moment. It is often excited by 

 " the vain applaufe of man. There is a fpecies 

 " of courage more rare, and ftill more neceffary, 

 " which enables us daily to fupport the misfor- 

 " tunes of life, without a witnefs, and without 

 ** praife ; what I mean is patience. It reds not 

 " on the opinion of another, nor on the impulfe 

 " of our own paffions, but on the will of God. 

 ** Patience is the courage of virtue." 



'* Ah, then," cried he, '"^ I have no virtue ! 

 ^' every thing overwhelms me, and finks me into 

 ** defpair." *' Virtue," repUed I, *' always equal, 

 " confiant, and invariable, is not the portion of 

 ** Mankind. In the conflift of fo many paffions 

 *' by which we are agitated, our reafon is troubled 

 *' and obfcured ; but there are pharofes by which 

 " we can rekindle the flame ; I mean Letters. 



" Letters, my fon, are an affiftance fent to us 

 " from Heaven. They are rays of that Wifdom 



L 2 ** which 



