ANECDOTE OF EOISSY. 4^3 



ftart afide from their ferious ftudies ; and rufh into the 

 arms of the mufes — to ftarve in raptures. 



BoifTy, the author of feveral dramatical pieces, that 

 were received with applaufe, met with the common 

 fate of thofe who give themfelves up entirely to the 

 arts of the mufes. He laboured and toiled unremittedly 

 — his works procured him fame, but no bread. He 

 languilhed, with a wife and child, under the preffures 

 of the extremefr. poverty. 



But, melancholy as his lituation was, he loft nothing 

 of that pride which is peculiar to genius, whether great 

 or fmall ; he could not creep and fawn at the feet of a 

 patron. He had friends, who would have adminiftered 

 relief to him ; but they were never made acquainted 

 with his real condition, or had not friendly impetuolity 

 enough to force their affiftance upon him. 



BoifTy became a prey to diftrefs and defpondency. 

 The fnorteft way to rid himfelf at once from all his 

 mifery feemed to him to be death. Death appeared to 

 him as a friend, as a faviour and deliverer ; and gained 

 his affection. His tender fpoufe, who was no lefs 

 weary of life, liftened with participation when he de- 

 claimed with all the warmth of poetic rapture of delive- 

 rance from this earthly prifon, and of the fmiling prof- 

 peels of futurity ; and at length refolved to accom- 

 pany him in death. But fhe could not bear to think 

 of leaving her beloved fon, of five years old, in a world 

 of miferv and forrow ; it was therefore agreed to take 

 the child along with them on their palTage into another 

 and a better. 



They were now firmly refolved to die. But what 

 mode of death fhould they adopt ? They made choice 



E e 4 of 



