148 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



** which governs the Univerfe, and which Man, 

 '* infpired by a celeftial art, has learned to efta- 

 " blifli upon this Earth. Like the rays of the Sun, 

 ** they enlighten, they comfort, they warm ; it is 

 ** a flame altogether divine. Like fire, they direâ: 

 *' all Nature to our ufe. By means of them, we 

 " unite around us, men and things, times and 

 ** places. By them, we feel ourfelves recalled to 

 '* the rules of human life. They calm the paf- 

 ** fions ; they reprefs vice ; they roufe virtue, by 

 *' the facred example of thofe great men whom 

 " they celebrate, and whofe honoured images they 

 '* habitually prefent to us, crowned with refpeft. 

 " They are the daughters of Heaven, who defcend 

 " to Earth, in order to foothe the misfortunes of 

 *' the Human Race. The great Writers, whom 

 ** they infpire, have always appeared in times the 

 " moft difficult for human Society to fubfift, the 

 *' times of barbarifm and of depravity. My dear 

 *' fon, letters have afforded confolation to an in- 

 " finite number of men, far more miferable than 

 *' you are ; Xemphon, baniflied from his country, 

 *' after having brought back to it ten thoufand 

 *' Greeks ; Scipio Africams, exhaufted with the re- 

 ** lentlefs calumny of the Roman people j Luadhis, 

 ** fickened with their cabals ^ and Caiinat, flung 

 " with the ingratitude of a French Court. The 

 ** ingenious Greeks afîigned the feveral govern- 

 ** ment of our various intelledual powers to the 



** feveral 



