PAUL AND VIRGINIA. I79 



" terminate in her own happinefs, and in your's. 

 " The invitations of a rich and old relation ; the 

 " advice of a fenfible Governor ; the approbation 

 " of a whole colony ; the exhortations and the au- 

 " thority of an ecclefiaftic, have all concurred in 

 ** deciding the fate of Firginia. Thus, we rufh on 

 " to our own deftruétion, deceived by the very 

 *' prudence of thofe who govern us. It would, 

 ** doubtlefs, have been better not to believe them, 

 *' nor to truft to the opinions and the expeftations 

 ** of a deceitful World. But, after all, of fo many 

 " men, whom we fee thus bufily employed in thefe 

 " plains ; of fo many others, who go, in quefb of 

 ** fortune, to the Indies, or who, without leaving 

 " their own homes, enjoy at their eafe, in Europe, 

 ** the fruit of the labours of the people here, there 

 *' is not fo much as one, who is not deftined to 

 ** lofe, fome day, that which he holds mod dear ; 

 *' greatnefs, fortune, wife, children, friends. The 

 ** mod of them have fuperadded to their lofs, the 

 ** reflection of their own imprudence. But as for 

 ** you, when you retire within yourfelf, you find 

 ** nothing to reproach yourfelf with. You have 

 " maintained unfliaken fidelity ; in the flower of 

 ** youth, you have poffefled the prudence of a 

 ** fage, in not departing from the fentiment of 

 *■* Nature. Your views, alone, were perfedly le- 

 ** gitimate, becaufe they were pure, fimole, and 

 " difinterefted, and becaufe you had facred rights 



N 2 " over 



