STUDY XIII. 291 



mortal. But I fpeak of thofe of a fitnple and ob- 

 fcure parifh-drudge, to whom no one pays any 

 manner of attention. He is under the neceffity, 

 in the firft place of facrificing the pleafures, and 

 the liberty, of his juvenile days, to irkfome and 

 painful ftudies. He is obliged to fupport, all the 

 days of his life, the exercife of continency, like a 

 cumberfome cuirafs, on a thoufandoccafions which 

 endanger the lofs of it. The World honours thea^ 

 trical virtues only, and the vidlories of a fmgle mo- 

 ment. But to combat, day after day, an enemy 

 lodged within the fortrefs, and who makes his ap- 

 proaches under the difguife of a friend ; to repel 

 inceflantly, without a witnefs, without glory, with-- 

 out applaufe, the mod impetuous of paffions, and 

 the gentleft of propenfities — this is not eafy. 



Conflits of another kind await him, from with- 

 out. He is every day called upon to expofe his 

 life to the attack of epidemical diftempers. He 

 is obliged to confefs, with his head on the fame 

 pillow, perfons attacked with the fmall-pox, with 

 the putrid and the purple fever. This obfcure for- 

 titude appears to me very far fuperior to the cou- 

 rage of a foldier. The military man combats in 

 the view of armies, animated with the noife of can- 

 non aiid drums; he prefents himfelf to the flroke 

 of death as a hero. But the prieft devotes himfelf 

 to it as a vidim. What fortune can this lall pro- 



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