SttDY xti, 47 



Of the ricafure of Solitude. 



Once more, it is melancholy which renders foli"- 

 tude lo attradive. Solirude flatters our animal in- 

 fhinâ:, by inviting us to a retreat ^o much more 

 tranquil, as the agitations of our life have been 

 more reftlefs^ and it extends our divine inftinâr, 

 by opening to us pcrfpedives, in which natural 

 and moral beauties prefent themfelves with all the 

 attradlion of fentiment. From the effect of thefe 

 contrafts, and of this double harmony, it comes 

 4:0 pafs, that there is no folitude more foothing 

 than that which is adjoining to a great city; and 

 no popular feftivity more agreeable than that which 

 ÎS enjoyed in the bofom of a folitude. 



OF THE SENTIMENT OF LOVE. 



Were love nothing fuperior to a phyfical fenfation, 

 I would wifli for nothing more than to leave two 

 lovers to reafon and to ad, conformably to the 

 phyfical laws of the motion of iLe blood, of the 

 filtration of the chyle, and of the other humours 

 of the body, were it my objeâ; to give tjie groffeft 

 libertine a difguft for it. It's principal ad: itfelf 



is 



