206) 
cause of his country, and of the hu- 
man race. He pursued the noblest 
ends by the noblest means: the dig- 
nity and happiness of mankind, by 
sublime genius and heroic courage. 
The most distinguished charac- 
ters, in many instances, have been 
found. to have derived the enthu- 
siasm that prompted them to un- 
dertake and persevere in the exe- 
cution of great designs from an 
admiration of other illustrious cha- 
raéters, which inspired a desire of 
jmitation. Achilles emulated Bac- 
chus: Alexander, Achilles: Julius 
Czsar, Alexander; and Frederick II. 
of Prussia, with other heroes, Julius 
Cesar. So too, Charles XII. of 
Sweden had Quintus Curtius, in 
his earliest youth, always in his 
hands, and had learned his stories 
of Alexander by heart. In like 
manner Gustavus ITI. the late king of 
Sweden, was inflamed with a love of 
glory, by contemplating the aétions 
of both his paternal and maternal 
ancestors 5 particularly of Gusta- 
vus Vasa and Gustavus Adolphus, 
and of the renowned Prussian mo- 
narch, who was his uncle. If gene- 
ral Washington was roused to any 
grandeur of design, or, in his pub- 
lic conduét, political and military, 
had any model of imitation, it seems 
to have been king William ITI. 
prince of Orange, and king of 
England. The ground on which 
we hazard this conjeéture is, his 
admiration frequently expressed of 
that great prince, both in his 
letters and in private conversation, 
compared with the tenor of his own 
ations. The causes and circum- 
stances in which they were both 
engaged were similar: their con- 
duct also similar. The prince main- 
tained the independence of his 
countrymen, in opposition to the 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1796. 
mighty power of France: the ge- 
neral maintained the independence 
of his countrymen, in opposition to 
that of England: both were remark- 
able for coolness and caution; but 
remarkable also for firmness and 
intrepidity, under every circum- 
stance of danger, and every criti- 
cal moment of a¢tion. They never 
shunned a decisive engagement from 
any other motive than that of pru- 
dence: nor were they wiser in caun- 
cil than brave in the field ; though 
their final success was more owing 
to judicious retreat,and renewed pre- 
parations for aétions, than to daring 
impetuosity. The charaéter given 
to the pretender, in 1745, and ap- 
plied to general Washington in his 
familiar letters to general Mercer, 
may, with equal propriety, be ap- 
plied both to king William and to 
himself. They were the most cau- 
tious men in the world, not to be 
cowards: and the bravest, not to 
be rash. It may be added, that their 
fortitude, in the eye of true moral ~ 
criticism, shone forth with greater 
splendour, when veiled in the garb 
of caution, than when confessed to 
the eyes of all, and covered with dust 
and blood in the field of battle. 
There is an ative fortitude, and- 
there isa passive fortitude: the latter . 
not certainly less, but in some re- 
speéts superior to the former. In 
the conflict and agitation of dan- 
ger, quickly to be over, or quickly 
to spend its utmost fury, the mind 
of the patriot and hero is awakened 
by an excitement of his spirits, and 
the attention and sympathy of all 
around him. In the calms of torpid 
silence, nay, and under the chilling 
blasts of reproach, whilst he still ree 
tains his unshaken purpose, the eclat 
of his virtue is less, but the proof 
of its constancy greater : Be 
the 
