AFRICA. 571 
treat : I often walked about, with my eyes 
wandering from one fide to another, as If to 
difcover my loft way ; I opprefled the houfe 
with complaints, and, if I may ufe the expref- 
fion, furrounded it with my fighs. All was 
now fled ; the torrents, mountains, majeftic 
orefts, imprafticable roads, hordes of favages 
and their delightful huts, all were vanifhed. 
Every thing feemed to excite my regret, even 
to ferocious animals ; which, for the moment^ 
I imagined entertained fentiments of friendfliip 
and benevolence towards me. I do not know 
whether thefe whimfical ideas are common to 
other men ; but the more I refle£l on them, 
the more I am convinced that they belong to 
nature. Powerful charm of liberty ! invincible 
force, which I fhall carry with me to the grave! 
Thou transformedft into pleafures the moft la- 
borious fatigues, into amufements the greateft 
dangers, into delightful fpe£tacles the moft 
dlfmal objeds ; and thou ftrewedft my paths 
with the flowers of felicity and repofe, at a 
feafon and age when deftiny feemed to impel 
me to fearch for them elfewhere. With thefe 
two negroes I eat bread for the firft time 
during the fpace of a year, but I had almoft 
forgot the tafte of it. Though I at firft pro- 
B h z pofed 
