72. STUDIES OF NATURE. 



The fingle jet d*eau of Saint-Cloud pleafes m© 

 more than all it's cafcades. However, though the 

 phj'fical image fhould not efcape, and lofe itfelf in 

 infinity, it may convey forrow thither, when it re- 

 flets the fame fentiment. I find, in Plutarchy a 

 noble effed of this progreflive confonance. '* Bru- 

 *' tus y' fays he, " giving all up for loft, and hav- 

 *' ing refolved to withdraw from Italy, paffed by 

 " land through Lucania, and came to Elea, which 

 " is fituated on the fea-lide. Portia being to re- 

 *' turn from thence to Rome, endeavoured to 

 ** conceal the grief which opprefled her, in the 

 " profpeét of their approaching feparation ; but,^ 

 ** with all her refolution and magnanimity, fhe 

 " betrayed the forrow which was preying on her 

 " heart, on feeing a pifture which there acciden- 

 ** tally caught her eye. The fubjed of the piece 

 " was taken from the Iliad, and reprefented the 

 " parting of Hedor and Andromache, when he was 

 " preparing to take the field, and at the inftant 

 " when he was delivering the infant Aflyanax into 

 *' the arms of his mother, while her eyes remain 

 " immoveably fixed on HeBar, The refemblance 

 ** which the pidure bore to her own diftrefs made 

 *' her burft into tears ; and feveral times a day the 

 " reforted to the place where it hung, to gaze at 

 " it, and to weep before it. This being obferve(^ 

 " by Acilius, one of the friends of BrmnSy he re- 

 peated 



