322 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



Works of Nature are to thofe of Man. Thefe laft 

 begin to decay the moment that they appear ; the 

 others, on the contrary, carry in themfelves the 

 fpirit of life which propagates them. Time, which 

 deflroys the monuments of Art, ferves only to 

 multiply thofe of Nature. I perceived more real 

 benefits inclofed in a fmgle grain of feed, than is to 

 be found in Egypt in the treafuries of her Kings. 



I gave myfelf up to thefe divine and humane 

 fpeculations, and, in the tranfports of my joy, I 

 embraced Cephas^ who had given me fo juft an idea 

 of the real wealth of Nations, and of true glory. 

 My friend, at the fame time, obferved, that the 

 pilot was preparing to ftem the current of the 

 Seine, at the entrance of which v/e now were. 

 Night was approaching ; the wind blew from the 

 Weft, and the Horizon was overcaft. Cephas faid 

 to the pilot : " I would advife you not to enter 

 " into the river, but rather to caft anchor in that 

 *' port, beloved of Amphitrite, which you fee upon 

 ** the left. Liften to what I have heard related, 

 " on this fubjeâ:, by our ancient feers.~ 



" Seine^ the daughter of BacchnSy and a nymph 

 " of Ceres^ had followed into Gaul, the Goddefs 

 *' of Agriculture, at the time when (lie was feeking 

 " her loft daughter, Pro/erpine^ over the whole 

 ** Earth, When Ceres had finilhed her career, 



** Seine 



