432 
tenfive; but the dwelling-houfe is very 
{pacious and convenient 5 having been built 
ona large fcale by Count Binau, the ce- 
lebrated author of a Hiftory of Germany. 
Wieland retained his eftate in his own 
bands, and has it cultivated under the di- 
reStion.of his fons : but has at firlt to con- 
tend with great economical difficulties. 
He is not rich; for he has always been 
very beneficent and liberal, and in the 
early part of his literary career was badly 
paid by the bookfellers who publifhed his 
works. For fome of his beft early poems, 
for his Amadis and his Mufarion, he 
{earcely 
Wieland has aflifted many diftreffed young 
poets an authors, in whom hethought he 
difcovered promifing talents, much more 
liberally than could have been expected 
froma man of his fortune; and frequent- 
ly paid more than their value for their 
contributions to the German Mercury, a 
periodical work which he publithes fince 
the year 17735 that he might thus gene- 
roufly relieve their diftrefles wizhout hurt- 
ing their feelings. Thus he received, with 
open arms the ex-monk Reinhold, who 
had made his efcape from Vienna; and at 
laft gave him one of his daughters in mar- 
riage. This is the fame Mr. Reinhold 
who is at prefent profeffor of philofophy 
at Kiel in Holftein. At a later period 
another monk fled to him from a Cifter- 
cian monaftery in Suabia ; and him too he 
fupported for fome years whilft ftudying 
philofophy at the univerfity of Jena. 
To orly a few favourites of nature 
it is given to arrive to fo advanced an 
age, with the powers ef their mind fo 
freth and unimpaired. Around him plays 
yet the funthine of a youthful gaiety and 
humour, which are communicated as by 
enchantment to a!] who. approach him. 
Under the fhow of old age his genius 
feems to enjoy an eternal {pring. Sim- 
plicity, mildnefs, and philanthropy are 
diftinguifhing traits in his character ; and, 
as in an angelic picture of Raphael, there 
beams forth in his countenance the tran- 
quil transfiguration of a perfected {pi- 
rit and of a fainted heart. ~ What chiefly 
caufes him vexation, is that mankind, in 
his opinion, are continually growing worle 
and more depraved. It is a remarkable 
circumftance, that this kind of fcepticifm 
is moftly obfervable in men of the nobleft 
minds. And there is a point of view in 
which it may be explained. The mea- 
fare by which a man judges the world 
without, is his own heart; and the nobler 
his cwn heart is, the greater are his de- 
mands from the world; andit may often 
i 
Account of Wisland, 
received a few hundred dollars. 
[Dec. x, 
happen, that the world feems to have gone 
backward and ftill to go backward in the 
path of morality ; whilft in faét it is only - 
he that has gone forward and ftill goes 
forward. Mankind at large cannot keep 
pace with the individual ftriving after per- 
tection, and fteadily purfuing his courfe 
without interruption. From the fame tur- 
bid fource of {cepticifm probably flow the 
rapid changes of opinion which his ene- 
mies objet to this great man with re- 
{pect to politics; as in 2 lucid moment 
his heart again becomes reconciled with 
mankind, but immediately after, perhaps 
on reading the next new{paper, again gives 
itfelt up to unbelief and defpair. A mind 
like his Autuates in a continual attrac- 
tion and repullion, love for and indigna- 
tion againft the human race, which in no 
age or country fhews a firm and ftable 
charaGter. Yes, who could believe it, fo 
firmly has this opinion laid hold of the 
mind of Wieland, that he is willing te 
facrifice to it even his own merit as an au- 
thor. If he be afked, why, notwithftand- 
ing his unbelief of the progrefiive amelio- 
ration of man, he fill employs his pen to- 
wards bettering him, and feems to with 
to promote that improvement the exiftence 
of which he denied; he replies: **I co 
not know how that happens; I cannot help 
writing ; it comes upon me like bleeding 
at the nofe, and I let it run.” 
Notwithftanding the extreme weaknefs 
of his frame, this fingular man Mill enjoys 
the moft perfect health : and the Goddeiies 
of Deftiny feem willing to add, under the 
benign influence of a country-air, many a 
ferenely chearful year to the life of their 
favourite. His labours are to him the 
bet medicine and refrefhment. On the 
other hand, a few idle hours are fufficient 
to bring a fit of ficknefs upon him. “No- 
thing in nature is fo hatetul and danger- . 
ous to him as the wind. 
Wieland has a numerous family: three 
fons and fix daughters. ‘Iwo of the fons, 
apply to rural economy and fuperintend. 
the cultivation of their father’s eftate 5 the 
third is purfuing his ftudies. Of the 
daughters, three are married, and two are 
widows, which latter refide with their chil- 
dren in their father’s houfe at Offmanttadt. 
An affecting picture it is, to conceive to 
onefelf the fond and happy father in the 
midft of his family in his peaceful retreat 
at Ofmanfiadt, free, and in the poffeffion 
ofa long-wifhed-for eftate: but fill more 
affecting itis, to fee this facra familia itfelf 
under the palms of -Ofimantiadt, where 
Love, Concord, and Content hold them 
entwined with theiy unfading | flowery 
wreaths. 
