438 ANNUAL REGISTER, 146). 
nal. To you, by endeavouring to 
break all bounds of your authority, 
and to advance your private emo- 
lument, nothing remains ‘but the 
ufelefs pity which accompanied you 
to the grave. 
- Both Agis and yourfelf have 
offered, and will continue to offer, 
’ amemorable example, and a terrible 
one, to pofterity; with this grand 
difference, That many kings like 
Charles there have been, and will 
be; but fuch as Agis,—not one. 
Modern Platonifm. 
; ODEFROI Izarn Marquis de 
Valadi, a young Frenchman 
‘of an énthufiaftic turn “of mind, 
having adopted a Pythagorean mode 
of life, refolved in the year 1788 
to vifit England, to be more at li- 
berty to profecute his Platonic re- 
veries, one of his firft cares, on ar- 
riving in the capital, was to vifit a 
gentleman of eminence in the liter- 
ary world, and to propofe to him 
the ftation of Chief of the Pythago- 
rean feét. Followers, he affured 
him, he could not fail to find in 
every quarter of the globe. Upon 
his refufal, Valadi intimated fome 
intention of 2ffuming the honour- 
able poft himfelf. “ But, in that 
cate,” faid the Englifhman, “ would 
it not be proper that you fhould 
underftand Greek ?”’—* True,’ an- 
fwered Valadi; ‘ I had forgot that : 
J will go and ftudy it at Glafgow.’ 
He fet-off for that place on foot ; 
“ftaid there fix months; and then 
returned to London, where he 
chanced to hear that Mr. Thomas 
Taylor, of Walwerth, was generally 
confidered as the principal Pytha- 
gorean in England. Valadi imme- 
diately purchafed his works ; and, 
after having perufed ‘them, * dif- 
patched the following feroll, which 
is highly characteriftic of his eccen- 
tricity and temper’ of mind ?— 
To Thomas Taylor, better named Lyfis, 
G. Izarn Valadi, of late a French 
Marquis, and Taniffaire, 
Sendeth Joy and Honour. 
12 Xére. 1788, vulg. era. 
“ O Thomas Taylor! mayeft 
thou welcome a brother Pythago- 
rean, led by a Saviour God to thy 
divine fchool! I have loved wifdom 
ever fince a child, and have found 
the greateft impediments, and been 
forced to great ftruggles, before 
I could clear my way to the fource 
of it; for I was born in a’ more 
barbarous country than ever was 
Illyria’ of old. My family never 
favoured my inclination to ftudy; 
and I have been involved -in fo 
many cares and troubles, that it 
cannot be without the intervention 
of fome friendly Deity that I have 
efcaped the vile ruft of barbarifm, 
and its attendant meannefs of foul. 
My good fortune was, that I met, 
eighteen months ago, an Englifh 
gentleman of the name of Pigott, 
who is a Pythagorean philofopher, 
and who eafily converted me to the 
diet and manners agreeable to that 
moft rich and beneficent deity, 
Mother Earth; to that heaven-in- 
fpired change [ owe perfeét heaith 
and tranquillity of mind, both of 
which I had long been deprived of. 
Alfo my own oath has acceded to © , 
the eternal oath (which mentions 
the golden commentator on G. V.) 
and I would more cheerfully depart 
from my prefent habitation on this 
Themis-forfaken earth, than defile 
myfelf evermore with animal food, 
: ftolen 
