STUDY xii; 



s^ 



fiothed with every horrid, attra6live grace, in die 

 eyes of her tremendous lover. 



It is, likewife, in the feafon of loving, that all 

 the affedions, natural to the heart of Man, unfold 

 themfelves. Then it is that innocence, candour, 

 Sincerity, modefty, generofity, heroifm, holy faith, 

 piety, exprefs themfelves, with grace ineffable, in 

 the attitude and features of two young lovers. 

 Love affumes, in their fouls, all the charadlers of 

 religion and virtue. They betake themfelves to 

 flight, far from the tumultuous aflemblies of the 

 city, from the corruptive paths of ambition, in 

 queft of fome fequeflered fpot, where, upon the 

 rural altar, they may be at liberty to mingle and 

 exchange the tender vows of everlafting affedlion. 

 The fountains, the woods, the dawning Aurora, 

 the conftellations of the night, receive by turns 

 the facred depofit of the oath of Love. Loft, at 

 times, in a religious intoxication, they confider 

 each other as beings of a fuperior order. The 

 miftrefs is a goddefs, the lover becomes an idola- 

 ter. The grafs under their feet, the air which they 

 breathe, the (hades under which they repofe, all, 

 all appear confecrated in their eyes, from filling 

 the fame atmofphere with them. In the widely 

 extended Univerfe, they behold no other felicity 

 but that of living and dying together, or, rather, 

 |bey have loft all fight of death. Love tranfports 



E 3 them 



