NOTES. 435 



Thecourfe of the life of a People is fimilar to the courfe of 

 the life of a man, as the port of a tree refembles that of it's 

 branches. 



I had devoted my attention, in the text, to the moral progrefs 

 of political focieties, barbarifm, civilization, and corruption. I 

 had in this note caft a glance, no lefs important, on the natural 

 progrefs of Man ; childhood, youth, maturity, old-age ; hut 

 thefe approximations have been extended far beyond the proper 

 bounds of a fimple note. 



Befides, in order to enlarge his Horizon, a man muft fcramblc 

 up mountains, which are but too frequently involved in flormy 

 clouds. Let us re-defcend into the peaceful valleys. Let us 

 repofe between the declivities of Mount Lyceum, on the banks 

 of the Acheldus. If Time, the Mufes, and the Reader, Ihall 

 be propitious to thefe new Studies, it will be fufficient for my 

 pencil, and for my ambition, to have painted the meadows, the 

 groves, and the flicpherdefles of bleft Arcadia. 



THE END. 



