456 
and augmentation of the corporeal pow- 
ers, and the better exertion of their 
force: in the fecond; he propofed to 
Show, that natural ‘philofophy has a 
powerful tendency to embellith and im- 
Prove cur mind, and augment°’the num- 
ber of our qa : amafements, white 
it is-replete with ben ss elects, re- 
ene the fociety at large. To mani- 
fet the invalidity of op‘aions, merely 
iy porheeen he undertook, in the third 
place, to examine, whether there were 
not truths within the compafs of hu- 
man know ledee, to which the moft 
fceptical philiof opher muft be compelled 
to yield his confent, and which might 
ferve as the bafis of all our reafonings 
concerning: man and his various relations. 
He then would have direéted his atten- 
tion to a firft caufe, and have manifefted 
how greatly the -idea of a deity, and 
.fupreme law-giver, favoured che con- 
clufions which reafon had drawn from 
the nature and properties of things ; 
but it is deeply to be re ees etted that his 
healrh, impaired by incefant labour, 
would not permit him to complete rhe 
defion. 
His lat publication was the Palinge- 
_ néfis, which treats pf the prior exiftence 
and future ftate of living beings. 
‘Of -his publications in natural hiftory, 
thofe deemed die mot excellent, are, his 
Treatife on the be& Means of preferving 
Infeéts and Fifh, in~ Cabinets of Na- 
tural Hiftory; a Differtation on’ the 
Loves of the Plants: fundry pieces on 
the Experiments of Spallanzani, con- 
cerning the Reproduction of the Head 
of the Snail; a Differtation on the Pisa, 
or Surinam toad ; and different Treatifes 
on Bees. 
In the year 1783, he was eleéted hono- 
rary member of the Academy of Sciences, 
at Paris: and of the Academy of Sciences 
and the Belles Lettres, at Berlin. 
Much of his time was employed ina 
very: extenfive correfpondence- with 
fome of the moft celebrated natural phi- 
Jofophers and others. ‘Of this number 
were Keaunur; De Geer, the Reaumur 
of Sweden; Du Hame/; the learned Hal- 
ler; theex xperim 1éntal phil ofopher Spalian- 
sani; Van Swieten; MV a ?an3; and that 
ornament of Switzerland, the great Lam- 
StS 
bert. He entertained, however, the ut- 
moft averfion to  controverfy. Hie 
thought that no advantage to be, ob- 
tained by it could ‘compenfate for 
-the lofs,of that repofe w ae 1 he valued, 
With Newton, as the rem provfus fubjtan- 
tralem. He never seteredt remarks that 
were -made to the prejudice of his writ- 
5: 
Original i i of Bonnet. 
[June, 
ings, but left the decifion with the pub-- 
lic: yet, ever ready to acknowledge | his 
errors, he was Guccely thankful to every 
one who contributed to the perfection of 
his works. He was ufed to fay, that one 
confefion, I was in tbe wrong, is of More 
value than a thoufand ingenious confuta- 
tions. 
Uis literary occupations, and the care 
he was obliged to take of his health, 
prevented him from travelling. He de- 
lighted in retirement, and every hour 
was occupied in the improvement of his 
minds. The laft twenty-five years of his 
life were {pent in the fame rural fitua- 
tion where he had paffed the greater 
part of his early days; yet, notwith- 
ftanding the purfuit of literature was his 
fupreme delight, he never refufed to 
fulpend his ftudies, when the. good of 
his country feemed to demand his feryices. 
He was choten, in 1752, member of- 
the Grand Council, in the republic of 
Geneva; and he affifted regularly at 
their deliberations, till the year 1758, 
where he diftinguifhed himfelf by his 
BOERS: his m Boderation, united with 
firmnefs ; by his good fenfe and penetra- 
tion, in cafes of difficulty; and by the 
zeal with which he endeavoured to re- 
claim his fellow citizens to that ancient 
fimplicity of manners which had been 
fo conducive to the welfare of the flate, 
and to the love of virtue, fo effential to 
the exiftence of - genuine liberty. His 
conduét, in every tafe, was confiftent 
with his prineiples. - 
to accumulate wealth, but remained fa- 
tisfied with a Mee fi equal to so) mo- 
derate wants, oe to the exercife of his 
benevolence. ‘Fhe perfeé correfpond- 
ence between his extenfive knowledge 
and virtuous deeds, procured him uni- 
verfal efteem. 
In the year 1788, evident fymptoms 
of an Aydrops pecoris Tmanifefted them- 
felves; and fror« this time he gradually 
declined. He fuftained his indifpofition 
with unremitted cheerfulnefs and coms 
pofure. After various fluétuations, 
ufual in that complaint, he died, on the 
20th of May, 1793, in the feventy- 
‘Ried year of his age; retaining his pre- 
fence of mind to the laft foment; ad- 
minifters ing comfort to» furrounding’ 
friends and relatives; and atten Dias to 
alleviate the ies ‘of his difconfolate 
wife, in whofe arms he expired. * 
Ys a demonftration of the high value 
placed upon his labours and talents, by 
the literarl, we have nly to remark, 
that he was-member of moft of the 
learned focieties of Europe. 
q 
He took no Pale 2 
