$ ANNUAL REGISTER, 1790, 
hand, the abufes of abfolute autho- 
rity, and fets forth, in the charatter 
of the principal ‘perfonage, the 
happy effects which may be derived 
from a virtuous and intelligent fo- 
vereign, even amidft the horrors of 
oriental defpotifm. Iz Alfred he 
difplays the advantages of a limited 
monarchy, wherein the balance of 
power is ‘wifely diftributed ; and 
which, while it avoids the extremes 
of either, enjoys the benefits of both. 
In Fabius and Cato he defcribes, 
with an animation and {pirit worthy 
of ancient Rome, but with a partia- 
lity natural to a republican, the arif- 
tocratical government as moft 
friendly to the difplay of patriotifm, 
and moft congenial to the exertions 
of genius.. In :thefe romances he 
difcovers found principles of legifla- 
tion, great political fagacity, adeep 
infight into human nature, and a 
- moit extenfive acquaintance with 
hiftory. 
If we confider Haller as a man of 
piety and a Chriftian, we fhall ob- 
ferve him tracing, from a compre- 
henfive view of the creation in its 
grandeft-as well as in its minuteft 
parts, the zeceffary exiftence of a Su- 
preme Being, and the great princi- 
ples of natural religion. We thal] 
fee him demonftrating the divine 
origin of Chriftianity from a pro- 
found ftudy of the New Teftament, 
from the excellence of its morality, 
its manifeft influence over the hap- 
pinefs of mankind, and its tendency 
to meliorate our nature; and we 
fhall find him proving himfelf, both 
in his life and writings, a zealous 
friend and able advocate of the re- 
vealed doétrines. 
' Haller, at a very early period of 
his life, undertook the defence of 
natural and revealed religion on all 
occafions. In 1732 he declared, in 
Nis preface to his poetry, that he 
was firmly convinced of their truth; 
in 1747, he rejected with horror the 
dedication which La Metrie offered 
to prefix to his work entitled 
« I’ Homme Machine;? and he de- 
clared, in various literary journals, 
that he neither acknowledged as his 
friend, or his difciple, a man who 
entertained fuch impious notions. 
In a preface which’he publifhed in 
1751, to Formey’s abridgement of 
Crouzas’s “ Examen du Pyrrho- 
nifme,” he paints, in the ftrongeft 
colours, the dreadful effects of infi- 
delity both on féciety and indivi- 
duals. He alfo put foith, in the 
erman tongue, “ Letters to his 
Daughter, on the Truth of the 
Chriitian Revelation ;” he publifhed 
an, extract from Ditton’s * Truth of 
the Refurrection of Jefus Chrift,’” 
which he acknowledges to have firft 
cleared any doubts he might enter- 
tain on that fubject. He avows, at 
the fametime, that he received infi- 
nite fatisfaction from the ftudy of 
the New ‘Lettament, becaufe he was 
never more certain of holding con- 
verfe with the Deity, than wkea he 
read his «w// in that divine book. 
_In 1775, he finally gave to the 
public, alio inthe German language, 
«© Letters concerning feveral late 
Attempts of Freethinkers yet living 
againft Revelation.”” In this work 
the atithor examines and refutes the 
objections to Chriitianity, advanced 
in fo lively and cangerous a manner 
by Voltaire in his Que/tions furl En- 
cyclopédie. 
tion,” adds Sennebier, “ may be 
confidered as an. Index to the 
Doubts and Arguments again? the 
Chriitian Religion, the work of 
Haller may be entitled an Index to 
the Anfwers in favour of the fame 
Revelation, to be confulted by i 
- who 
« If this iatter publica-- 
Srey getaineh 
— 
Ri 
