338 ExtraSJifrom the Port-folio of a Man of Letters. [Nor. 1, 



tlie luftre they (hed on a memory I fo mwch 

 cVierilh I 



During the laft fifteen rDonihs of his 

 hftadminiftration, Mr. Necker fuftained a 

 continual llruggle with the executive 

 power, as well out of the Conflituent Af- 

 i'embly as in the m;dll of it : and his fitua- 

 tion became every day fo much the more 

 difadvantageous, as the violent men who 

 furrounded the court, had excited fufpi- 

 cions there of his intentions ; and as he had 

 lolt tlie guidance of thofe wham he had en- 

 gaged to defend. Much may be faid 

 about firmnefs of charafter, and with rca- 

 fon it may be confidered as an important 

 quality in thofe who govern : but in the 

 firfl place I think it eafy to prove (that in 

 1789 and 1790 fuch was the fermentation 

 of men's minds, that no moral power 

 could have allayed it, and fecondly, it is 

 impoffilile to pofl'efs a confiftent charafler 

 for another. A man may lend his mind, 

 he may lend iiis refourccs, but there is 

 fomething fo individual in charafter, that 



it can only ferve for himfelf. The per- 

 fonal a<5lion of the King is not necelTary 

 in the conftitution of England, but in the 

 other monarchies of Europe, above all in 

 the midft of a great political crifis, a mi. 

 niller never can fupply the energy of a 

 King : and the fpeeches he compofes for 

 him, often ferve only to expole the con- 

 trail that exifts between what it is intended 

 he ftiould appear, and what he really 

 is. 



I muft alfo allow that my father, frugal 

 by principle of all meafures of violence 

 and force, repugnant by difpofition to all 

 the refources of corruption, had no other 

 arms againit the faflious than reafon ; but 

 if he had rcforted to other maxims, Hill I 

 firmly believe that, in the exifting circum- 

 fiances, the King only could have defended 

 the King, and that the .voids of a minifter 

 who was known to be without influence at 

 court, could not have (he power of a finglc 

 word pronounced on the throne. 

 ('To be continued.) 



Extracts from the Portfolio of a Man of Letters. 



CONCERNING A MAXIM OF SWIFT. 



THERE aie feve.al apothegms which 

 ficm being neatly exprefred areeafily 

 remembered, from being eafily remem- 

 bered are freqviently repeated, ar.d from 

 heiri''- frequenily repealed are extenlively 

 believed, inilcpendently of their confo- 

 nance with fai51. Of this kind is Swift's 

 Ibmewhat miianthropic remark, " Men 

 aie grateful in the faine degree as they are 

 relentful." In con(equcnce of a perfonal 

 occii:rence, I have been for twenty years 

 in the h.ihit of trying this maxim upon 

 the individuals within my range of obler- 

 vationj but I have haiJly ever found it 

 to fit. I am come to tliink that refent- 

 iT(t.nt is rather proportioned to the irrita- 

 bjiity, but gratitude fo the tenacity of the 

 memory; that thole who acquire quickly 

 are ufually refentful, and thofe who retain 

 diftiiiiSlly arc ufually grate'ul. I invite 

 a comparifon of this very different pofi- 

 lion with experience. Relt;ntment is a 

 more fuddtn anil violent emotion ; grati- 

 t'ltie a more permanent and gentle im- 

 preifi m. Courageous, felfi.'h, and rude 

 natures are more prone to refentnient ; 

 CiUiious, benevolent, and refined natures 

 iiX<t more prone to gratitude ; men are the 

 moie refentful, women the more grateful 

 creatures. To ref-ntment the antithetic 

 emotion is fondnefs, which has alio its ex- 



cefllsand its tranfiency: to gratitude the 

 antithetic emotion is envy, which has alfo 

 itsmcaiiircdnefs and its perfeverance. 



ON THE EPIGRAM. 



Sulzer compares an epigram with a mo- 

 nument and its infcription. The firft 

 half, he fays, (hould indicate fome inte- 

 reiting objeit i and the fecond half make 

 an impreffive refleftion upon it. This 

 diftich forms a complete epigram in hit 

 idea : — 



" Infelix Dido! nulil bene nupta marito : 

 Hoc pereuiite, fugis ; hoc fugiente, peris." 

 Poor Dido 1 ftiil in either hufband croit ; 

 Whofe dea'h thy flight, or flight thy death 

 has coll. 



It firft announces the celebrated Dido as 

 an example of matrimonial misfortune, 

 and then defines with pointed precifion in 

 what the misfortune conllfted ; the incipi- 

 ent verle is os it were the itatue, and the 

 concluding vcrfe a charaileriltic motto. 



The following epigram wants the firft 

 half; it is neceiVary to give it a fuper- 

 fcription ; but it is neat. 



On a tvoody IJJurd. 

 Hie Cytherea tuo poleras cum Marte jacere ; 

 Vulcanus prohibetur aquis, Sol pellitur um- 

 bris. 



Here with her IWars may Venus faf?!y dwell ; 

 Vulcan the waves, and Sol the flwdes repel. 

 There 



