STUDY XIII, 101) 



ritable Ladies do. The Emperor has beftowed 

 the moft diftingiiiflied privileges on it's members ; 

 and the Courts of Juftice pay the utmoft deference 

 to their requefts. Such a fociety, employed in 

 adiing well, would merit, among us, at leaft pre- 

 rogatives as high as thofe vvhofe attention is re- 

 ftricfled to fpeaking well ; and by drawing forward 

 into view the virtues of our own obfcure citizens, 

 would defcrve, at the leaft, as highly of their Coun- 

 try, as thofe who do nothing but retail the fen- 

 tences of the fages, or, what is not lefs common, 

 the brilliant crimes, of Antiquity. 



Scrupulous care ought to be taken not to give 

 to fuch an aflfociation, the form of an Academy or 

 Fraternity. Thanks to our mode of education, 

 and to our manners, every thing that is reduced to 

 form among us, corps, congregation, feft, party, 

 is generally ambitious and intolerant. If the men 

 which compofe them draw nigh to a light, which 

 they themfelves have not kindled, it is to extin- 

 guilh it ; if they touch upon the virtue of another, 

 it is to blight it. Not that the greateft part of the 

 members of thofe bodies are deftitute of excellent 

 qualities individually; but their incorporation is 

 good for nothing, for this reafon fimply, that it 

 prefents to them centres different from the com- 

 mon centre of Country. What is it that has ren- 

 dered the word fo dear to humanity, theatrical 



VOL. IV. p and 



