CHARACTERS. 9 
who with impartially to difceufs both 
fides of this important queftion.”” 
When learning and philofophy, in- 
ftead ef being employed in fupport- 
ing fceptical tenets by artful fo- 
phiftry, thus lend their united affift- 
ance to the caufe of religion, they 
then truly become an honour to the 
poffeffor, and a benefit to fociety. 
Even this great and good man 
was not exempt from a too anxious 
folicitude for his welfare in.a future 
ftate. That deprefiion of {pirits, 
which ought juftly to be confidered 
as the etreéts of difeafe, and the 
warmth of his imagination conf{pir- 
ing perhaps with the narrow princi- 
ples.of Calvinifm, in which he had 
been educated, led him to reflect ra- 
ther on the ju/fice than the mercy of 
the Deity, and to bewilder himielf 
in the endlefs mazes of predeftina- 
tion and grace. In one of his de- 
{pending fits, he compared himfelf, 
as uncertain of falvation, to a man 
placed on the edge of a precipice 
without any fupport, and expecting 
every initant to fall. At another 
moment, animated with a paflion for 
fciene?, he breaks out, in a letter 
to his friend Bonnet, into the fol- 
-lowing exclamation, exprefiive of 
his'regret to quit a world which he 
had improved by his difcoveries, 
and which he might fil! further illa- 
minate by his zeal and application. 
« © my poor brain, which mutt re- 
turn to daft; and all the knowledge 
aud information which I nave been 
collecting with fuch unwearied la- 
dour, will fade away like the dream 
of an infant.’’ 
Thefe little weaknefles of a great 
mind overpowered by conttitutional 
irritability, and ftruggling againtt 
early prejudices, are more interett- 
ing to the man who feels and re- 
{pects the imperfections of human 
nature, even in its moft exalted ftate, 
than the moft pompous and exagge- 
rated accounts of uxerring wifdom, 
or uaiform virtue which never ex- 
ifted. And it isa pleafing fatisfac- 
tion to learn, that reafon and reli- 
gion rofe fuperior to the gloomy 
defpondency of ficknefs; and that 
Haller met death with the calmnefs 
of a philofopher, and the faith of a 
Chriftian. In the laft letter which 
he wrote, afew days before his de- 
ceafe, he {peaks indeed of the tre- 
mendous grandeur of eternity, but 
with hopes rather than with fears ; 
and locks back upon his paft life 
with fatisfa€tion: amidit a few com- 
plaints uttered on his painful fuffer- 
ings, he mentions his country with 
the mof ardent affection, and offers 
up his laft prayers for its preferva- 
tion and welfare. 
He continued his literary labours, 
and preferved bis fenfes and com- 
pofure to the laf{ moment ; he be- 
held his end approaching without 
fearand regret; «* My friend,” faid 
he to the phyfician who attended 
him, “I dic, my pulfe is topped,” 
and then expired. He died on the 
12th of December 1777, in the fe- 
ventieth year of his age.—Thus 
lived, and thus died, the great 
Haller; a man to whom Michaelis, 
the eminent orientalift, juitly ap- 
plies an obfervation which had been 
made on the genius of Ariftotle ; 
“ Neque celo, neque terré, neque 
mari quicquam relinguere voluit incog= 
nitum, indole preterea adeo mirgbili, 
ut ad fingula natum precipue dicas.” 
In his perfon Haller was tall and 
majeftic, of a ferious and exprefiive 
countenance; he had at times an 
open {mile, always a pleafing tone 
of voice, ufually low, and feldom 
elevated, even when he was moift 
agitated, He was fond of unbend- 
ing 
