CIVA RA CT ERS” 
of early rising; to which I have 
always adhered, with some regard 
to seasons and situations ; but it is 
happy for my eyes and my health, 
that my temperate ardour has never 
been seduced to trespass on the 
hours of the night. During the 
last three years of my residence at 
Lausanne, I may assume the merit 
of serious and solid application; 
but I am tempted to distinguish the 
last eight monihs of the year 1755, 
as the period of the most extraor- 
dinary diligence and rapid progress. 
In my French and Latin transla- 
tions | adopted an excellent me- 
thod, which, from my own suc- 
cess, I would recommend to the 
imitation of students. I chose 
some classic writer, such as Cicero 
and Vertot, aitd most approved for 
purity and elegance of style. I 
translated, fcr instance, an epistle 
of Cicero into French; and after 
throwing it aside, till the words 
and phrases were obliterated from 
my memory, I re-translated my 
French into such Latin as I could 
find; and then compared each sen- 
tence of my imperfect version, with 
the ease, the grace, the propricty of 
the Roman orator. A similar ex. 
periment was made on several pages 
of the Revolutions of Vertot; I 
turned them into Latin, returned 
them after a suflicient interval into 
my own French, and again scruti- 
nized the resemblance and dissimi- 
litude of the copy and the original. 
By degrees I was less ashamed, by 
degrees I was more satisfied with 
myself; and I persevered in the 
practice of these dcuble transla. 
tions, Which filled several books, 
till I had aequired the knowledge 
of both idioms, and the command 
at least of a correct style. This 
useful exercise of writing was ac- 
[335 
companied and succeeded by the 
more: pleasing occupation of read- 
ing the best authors. ‘The peresal 
of the Romanclassics, was at once 
my exercise and reward. Dr. Mid- 
dleton’s History, which I ther ap- 
preciated above its true value, na~ 
turally direéted me to the writings 
of Cicero. The most perfect edi- 
tions, that of Olivet, which may 
adorn the shelves of the rich, that 
of Ernesti, which should lie on the 
table of the learned, were not in 
my power. For the familiar 
epistles I used the text and English 
commentary of bishop Ross: but 
my general edition was thatof Ver- 
bergius, published at Amsterdam in 
two large volumes in folio, with an 
indifferent choice of various notes. I 
read with application and pleasure, 
all the epistles, a// the orations, and 
the most important treatises of rhes 
toric and philosophy ; and as I read, 
I applauded the observation of Quin- 
tillian, thatevery student may judge 
of his own proficiency, by the sa~ 
tisfaétion which he receives from 
the Roman orator. I tasted the 
beauties of language, I breathed 
the spirit of freedom, and I im- 
bibed from his precepts and exam- 
ples the public and private sense of 
aman. Cicero in Latin, and Xe» 
nophon in Greek, are indeed the 
two ancients whom 1 would first 
propose to a liberal scholar; not 
only for the merit of their style and 
sentiments, but for the admirable 
lessons which may be applied al. 
most to every situation of public 
and private life. Cicero’s Epistles 
may in particular afford the models 
of every form of correspondence, 
from the careless effusions of ten. 
derness and friendship, to the well. 
guarded declaration of discreet and 
dignified resentment. After finishs 
ing 
r 
