fis STUDIES OF NATURE. 



equitable, attached nobility only to places ren- 

 dered illuflrious by virtue. An aged tree, a well, 

 a rock, objecfls of ftability, appeared to them as 

 alone adapted to perpetuate the memory of what 

 was worthy of being remembered. There is not, 

 all over Afia, an acre of land, but what is digni- 

 fied by a monument. The Greeks and Romans 

 who ifliied out of it, as did all the other Nations 

 of the World, and who did not remove far from 

 it, imitated, in. part, the cuftoms of our firft Fa- 

 thers. But the other Nations which fcattered 

 themfetves ovej: the reft of Europe, where they 



I fliall be carefully on my guard againft adding any refle£lion$ 

 of my own on this fubjeft, except this fimplc obfervation, that 

 the adlion of the Samaritan is far fuperior to that of the Hernou- 

 ten ; for, though the fécond makes a great facrifice, he is in fome 

 fort determined to it by force : a field muft of neceffity have been 

 fubjefled to forage. But the Samaritan entirely obeys the im- 

 pulfe of humanity. His aélion is free, and his charity fponta- 

 neous. This ilrifture, like all thofe of the Gofpel, contains, in 

 a few words, a multitude of clear and forcible inftruftions, re- 

 fpeding the duties inculcated in the fécond table of the Law. It 

 would be impoflible to replace them by others, were imagination 

 itfelf permitted to diftate them. Weigh all the circumftances of 

 the reftlefs and perfevering charity of the Samaritan. He drefles 

 the wounds of an unfortunate wretch, and places him on his own 

 horfe ; he expofes his own life to danger, by flopping, and 

 walking on foot, in a place frequented by thieves. He after- 

 wards makes provifion, in the inn, for the future, as well as for 

 the prefent, neceffities of the unhappy man, and continues his 

 journey, without expelling any recompenfe whatever from the 

 gratitude of the perfon whom he had fuccoured. 



were 



