KARAMSIN’S TRAVELS THROUGH PRUSSIA, &Cc. 
moment they saw Lavater, they ran and kiss- 
ed his’ hands. He approached the patient, 
and asked her how she did. ‘* I am dying! 
Tam dying!” she replied, but was unable 
to say more. Her eyes were fixed on her 
bosom, which heaved with inward convul- 
sion. lLavater sat down beside her, and be- 
an to prepare her for her departure. ** Thy 
Soar is come ;” said he, ‘* thy Saviour 
awaits thee. Be not thou afraid of the grave! 
Not thou, but only thy mortal body, will be 
deposited in it. In the moment when thy 
eyes are closed to the light of this life, the 
orious morning of an eternal and better 
fife will shine upon thee. Be thankful to 
God that thou hast attained a good old age, 
and hast seen thy children and grand chil- 
dren grow up, matured in honesty and virtue. 
They will for ever bless thy memory, and 
will once embrace thee with raptures in the 
mansion of the blessed. ‘There, there, we 
shall all form but one happy family.” 'These 
last words he uttered in a tremulous ‘voice, 
and wiped hiseyes. He-then prayed, blessed 
the dying sinner preparatory to her exit, 
and took his leave. He kissed the children, 
told them not to weep, and at his departure 
gave them some money.” 
~ * On Saturday evening Lavater shuts 
Aimself in his closet, to consider of his ser- 
mon, and which he completes in an hour. 
Th fact it cannot be a difficult task, if all his 
‘sermons are like that which I heard to-day. 
* The Saviour has taken all our sins upon 
himself; for which he is entitled to our 
| Warmest gratitude.” “These thoughts, which 
he enlarged upon and embellished, comprised 
the whole substance of his discourse, excla- 
mations, and declamation !—nothing more! 
I must confess I expected something of a 
superior kind.” » 
By a ludicrous mistake, the Zurich 
volunteers obtained a compliment from 
M. Karamsin, which all the praises that 
British volunteers have received, and 
may hereafter receive, can never equal. 
~ «J went with Mx. T. to see the Zurich 
litia exercised. Almost all the inhabitants 
of Zurich were present, for it is to them an 
incommon spectacle. A circumstance oc- 
@trred here rather grating to my feelings : 
Professor Breitinger, whom I had not yet 
sen since my return from Schaffhausen, 
[ me amidst the crowd, just as the ma- 
Reeuvres were finished ; and, after the usual 
lompliments, asked. me how I liked what I 
d seen? Conceiving that he alluded to the 
Fall of the Rhine, my imagination instantly 
recalled that scene, in all its magnificence ; 
e earth trembled beacaih me; the roaring 
Was tremendous ; and I replied with ecsiasy 
nd enthusiasm, ‘* Oh! who can ever find 
| words to describe this magnificent spectacle ! 
e can only gaze in silent astonishment !” 
i were our volunteers,” replied he 
ith a bow, and left me.” 
99 
At Murten is the charnel-house, 
where are kept the bones of the ban- 
ditti, who were led on by the duke of 
Burgundy, in 1476, to desolate Switzer- 
land, and extinguish its liberties. ‘They 
were attacked on the shore of the lake 
of Murten, by the united and valiant 
mountaineers, and of the whole host of 
30,000 men, the leader alone escaped 
the fate which they deserved. Upon 
this honourable trophy M. Karamsin 
makes the following observations, which 
we can indeed excuse in the sentimental 
slave of an autocrat, though we are una- 
ble to read them with patience. 
«« T started at the melancholy sight of 
these proofs of our perishable nature. And, 
ye Swiss, can ye exult over these lamentable 
trophies? Were not the Burgundians, as 
men, your brethren ?.Had you bathed with 
your tears the remains of these thirty thou- 
sand unfortunate fellow-creatures, and com- 
mitted them to the earth, accompanied by 
your benediction ; had you erected in the 
field of tiamph a sable monument, with 
this inscription---Here the Swiss fought for 
their.country. - They conquered, but teurs 
mingle with their songs of triumph !—then 
should I have bestowed the tribute of unre- 
served praise! Hide this monument of bar- 
barism ; and, if ye pride yourselves in the 
name of Swiss, forget not that you have the 
still nobler appellation of men.” 
Tt is not in human nature that a free 
people should feel regret for the de- 
struction of foreigners, whose sole ob- 
jects in the invasion of their territory, are 
rapine and subjugation. The tears that 
mingle with the songs of triumph for 
liberty secured, are tears of unalloyed 
rapture: in that heavenly moment, when 
the father glories in his fallen son, when 
wounds are badges of honour, when all 
private feelings are absorbed in the pub- 
lic welfare, when each individual ceases 
to be a man and feels only that he is a 
Greek, a Swiss, a Briton! how can the 
prostrate Persian or Burgundian be con- 
sidered as any thing but a slaughtered 
wolf? 
Among other celebrated characters 
in Switzerland, whom our traveller had 
an opportunity of visiting, was the ex- 
cellent Bonnet, an old man, but.** whose 
eyes still sparkled with fire, whose voice 
was still sound and harmonious; ina 
word, Bonnet, from whom a second 
Palingenesie might be expected.” Our 
limits will not allow us to quote the 
interesting particulars which M. V.aram- 
sin relates concerning this good man; 
we cannot, however, avoid mentioning 
H?2 
