I8l6.] Collections from American LiteratHr^ 32?^ 



Bot imply leaving one's Cduntry, but commenttd in a nota to the xi>ii», 



only a compulsory situation in it. chapter of Gibbon. 



BF.LIGION OF AM MI ANUS MAUCKLLIM'S. VINCHNT DE PAUL. 



Ammianus Maiccilinus was born at A'incent dc Paul, a I'rench Catliolia 



Antioch about the year .345, and bc;;T.ii priest, was born in 157G, and o.-irly dis- 



his military eareer under Constantins. tinguished for pulpit oratory, and for Wa 



He accompanied Julian's expedition zeal and skill in founding charitable in- 



into Farthia, and retired finally to stitulions. He successfully established 



Rome, where he composed a continu- a mission for the reforuiuticm of f^alley- 



ation of 'i'ai:itus, extending to the death slaves ; a foundling hospital for forsaken 



«f Valcns in 370. Gibbon, iu the xxvi. children ; and a nunnery of nurses, 



chapter, observes, that he composed bound by vow to visit and attend tlt^ 



the history of his own times without sick poor gratis. He also [)rf'ached ser- 



indulging the prejudices and passions raons, and obtained colleelions, in bo- 



Mhicli usually alR'ct the mind of a co- half of the lunatic asylums at Kicetrc, 



temporary. And, in fact, he alternately atid at the Salpetriere. Moreover, ia 



blames tlie anti-christiau mysticism of the local infirmaries at Marseilles, antl 



Julian, and the Christian mysticism of at Saintreine. he rendered repeated and 



the orthodox Constantins, of whom he lasting services. Suc^li men are th« 



says, christianam religionem absolutam saints of humanity, whom every chureti 



€t simpliccm anili stipcrstitlotie confim- should concur iu canonizing for imita- 



dens, yc. This passage implies in the lion ; iuid an apostle of this kind is no\r 



writer some attachment to a simpler mueli wanted in our o\\ n country, in or« 



form of Christianity than that of Co!i- der to revive that public bcnelicence, 



stantius, and indicates the disciple of which is silently growing torpid to ll)» 



Paul of Samosata. hileresls of several very useful hospitals 



SAINT URSULA. and intirmaries. Perniiious exertions. 



Our correspondent Q. in vol. 43, to distribute mystical books, and cotivert 



p. 107, enquires for the legend of Saint heretical nations, are absorbing the snb- 



iJrsula, and the eleven thousand virgins, scriplions and industry of ostentatious 



In Usher's Anticpnties of the British pietists, and defrauding the suf-'erer at 



Church, p. 107 and 108, he may find home of the aid for which he Ian? 



refercuces to his purpose, which are guislies. 



COLLECTIONS FROM AMERICAN LITERATURE. 



THIC .SUSQUEHANNAH COUNTY. 



SUSQUEIIANNAII county, iu the 

 state of Pennsylvania, is situated 

 on the line dividing that coinmonwealth 

 from the state of New York. It is about 

 thirty-four miles in length, by twenty- 

 Jour miles in breadth, and contains up- 

 wartls of liulf a million of acres; the j)0- 

 pulation is about fifteen hundred taxa- 

 Wes, or betvveeu seven and eight thou- 

 sand souls. There is perhafts no county 

 in the state of Petmsylvania that con- 

 tains a greater proj)ortion of good land 

 ■ — the soil is a loam, about eighteen 

 inches deej): the produce of the land is, 

 in general, abundant, both in grain and 

 fcruss, especially the latter. The timber 

 is of great variety, but jirincipally beech, 

 sugar niaple, hemlock, ash, birch, lin- 

 den, cherry, chestnut, oak, and white 

 pine. No country abounds more with 

 »il)rings and streams ; the water is re- 

 markably go(jd. The eountiy is une- 

 Tcn, being formed into hills and dales, 

 with very little interval or flat land; 

 U{cic «t u<j swamps^ uo stajnaut wa- 



ters, no musquetoes. A fever and 

 ague, or intermitteuf fever, is unknowij 

 throughout that |)art of tlie state oi;" 

 Pennsylvania in which the beech eonslit 

 tntes th(; [iredoininant timber. 



There is one turnpike finished, and 

 three others conimenci-d in Susquehan- 

 iiah county. The one fhiislied begins at 

 the (ireat Bend of the Susqucluuniali 

 river, over which there is a bridge, and 

 extends to New burgh, on the North Ri- 

 ver, in the state of New York. Of tli» 

 others, one passes from the north-west 

 part of the county to IVIilford, on tliw 

 Delaware river; this, when finished, will 

 connect the Oswego turnpike, in the 

 stale of New York, v\ith the one lead- 

 ing through New Jersey, and form the 

 most direct conuuimication betweeu 

 the city of New York and the western 

 jiarts of that state. Another road is laid 

 from the twenty-eighth uiile-stone on 

 the state line to \V'ilkesbarr6, where it 

 intei'serts the turn|)ik(; road leading to 

 llaston, on tlie wa\ to Philadelphia. An- 

 other lurnpijic is laid from W like.sbarro 



t«. 



