1796.] = Letters between Mad. Necker and Dr. Percival, 
clude—the late kin g of Pruffia, to whom 
all cotemporary monarchs were pigmies, 
though fufficiently Epicurean by princi- 
ple, did* he not in practice ,exercife ab- 
folute dominion over all voluptuous pro- 
Penfities, and was he not sotortou/ly indif- 
ferent to feminine allurements 2 
I know it would be poffible enough to 
adduce anumber of examples of an oppo- 
fite kind—for max is man—the love of 
pleafure is a part of his nature, andextra- 
ordinary efforts are requifite to bxing it 
under fubjection. But it is fuficient fr 
my purpote to have fhown, that there 
is no neceflary conneétion between {trong 
'propenfities to fenfual indulgence, and 
£xalted moral or intelle€tual faculties ; 
and thataman may eafily be as great a 
debauchee as Cefar, without being fu- 
pevior in underftanding to Heliogabalus: | 
& 5 ete 
whilft, on the other hand, he may be 
fober and continent, both by habit and 
difpofition, with the enterprife of a 
Frederick, and the fublimity of a New- 
ton. 
Od. 2. Toa. 
. Sa 
To the Editor of ithe Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, : 
PP HE fentiments of the late celebrated 
Mapame NECKER, on the ABOLI- 
TION of the sLAVE TRADE, cannot 
fail to be interefting to every friend of 
Juftice and humanity. I fend you, there- 
fore, for infertion in the next Number of 
your Magazine, the following extraét of 
a letter from that excellent and moft ac- 
complifhed woman; 
Extra of a Letter from MapamME Nec- 
KER 10 DR. PERCIVAL, of Manchefter ; 
dated Verfailles, March 9, 1789. 
‘ Vous ne faites pas de vceux plus ar- 
dens que moi pour la fuppreffion de la 
traité des negres. Vous avez beau- 
coup ecfit en ce genre; et jamais rien, 
je penfe, n’a fait plus @honneur a la 
‘nation Angloife : mais ce concours fi 
neceffaire de toutes les puiffances rend 
infructuenx jufques a prefent les voeeux 
de tous les particuliers, Je fuis bien 
{ure du coeur de M. Necker ; ce cceur 
embraffe tous les hommes, et ne con- 
noit point de bonheur plus grand fur 
Ja terre, que celui de contribuer 3 
rendre leur fort plus doux: mais il eft 
adminiftrateur, et il faut qu’il cherche 
a concilier les devoirs, et qu'il confi- 
dere le bien de la France avant celui 
de l'Afrique. Pour moi, que ne juge 
des chofes que parle fentiment, et qui 
n’ai de compte a rendre qu’a mon pro- 
/ 
‘* pre coeur, je tourne fans ceffe ma pen- 
ée vers une revolution, fans laquelle 
il me femble que nous ne pourrons ja- 
mais efperer d’etie Chretiens, nimeme 
d’etre hommes ; ou, pour grancher le 
mot, fans laquelle on peut nous ailimiler 
aux Ours et tigres, quifont lachaffe dans 
les forets. Continuez, genereux An- 
glois, 4 donner l’exempie de tout le 
bien qui fe fait fur la terre. Puiffions 
nous etre toujours vos rivaux, et jamais 
“¢ vos ennemis!”’ 
TRANSLA?rION.—* Your withes for 
the fupprefiion of the trade ih Negroes 
are not more ardent than mine. The 
“* Englifh have many treatifes upon this 
fubjeét ; and nothing, I think, ever 
did more honour to their nation. But 
a general concurrence of ali the Euro- 
pean governments being wanting to 
‘< effectuate the abolition, the wifhes of 
individuals have been hitherto render- 
‘ed fruitlefs. I can anfwer. for the 
‘* heart of M. Necker; a heart which 
** embraces the whole human race, and 
“< which knows no greater felicity upon 
“‘ earth, than that of contributing to 
«* make their lot more comfortable; but 
‘‘ he is a minifter of ftate; and he mutt 
“endeavour to give confiftency to his 
“‘ various duties, and ta confider the 
** good of France before that of Africa. 
“« For my own part, who judge of things 
‘¢ only by fentiment, and am accounta- 
‘« ble only to my own heart, I turn. my 
‘‘ thoughts inceflantly towards a revo 
‘* lution, without which, it appears to 
“* me, we can never hope to be Chrif- 
< (Mans, NOr even to bey men +)are ite 
“« fpeak plainly, without which we may 
** be juftly compared to bears and tigers, 
** which roam the foreft. Continue, 
‘“« generous Englith, to fet the example 
‘¢ of all the good. which is done in the 
‘* world. And may we be always your 
‘* rivals, and never your enemies !” 
In the courfe of correfpondence with 
Mapame NgEcKER, the following an- 
{wer was returned to thefe obfervations ¢ 
« Permit me again to folicit your influ- 
ence with M. Necker, in behalf of the 
poor Negroes. ‘The terms in which you 
{tate his comparative obligations toward 
France and Africa, are not ftriétly ac- 
curate. A great minifter is reponfible 
for the honour and probity of the people, 
whofe affairs he direéts; and no end, 
however legitimate, ought to be purfued 
by unjuftifiable means. But in nations, 
as amongft individuals, there fubfifts a 
high and magnanimous, as well as a 
fordid and ignoble intereft; and when- 
: AS: Z ever 
685) 



