546 
cabinets might fee their fortunes with in- 
difference, or might even cabal againft 
them: but the people, true philofophers, 
the benevelent and humane in every con- 
dition, ard particularly ail the enthufiaitic 
admirers of manly. fortitude and gallant 
enterprize, were ardent in their wifhes for 
the final fuccefs of the Corficans. Paoli, 
their leader, was celebrated as a hero and 
a lawgiver, worthy of the moft illu*trious 
times of Grecian or of Roman liberty. 
Rouffeau, the warm friend of Corfican 
freedom, had received Paoli’s invitation 
to become the hiftorian and the affiftant- 
legiflator of the rifing republic. The 
fame of Paoli and the Corficans had 
greatly interefted the curiofity of Bofwell, 
as a young Scottifh Whig, even before he 
faw Routleau. Rouffeau’s converfation 
completed the charm. The Genevan phi- 
lofopher was too cautious, however, to 
give Bofweil more than an indireé letter 
of introduétion to the Corfican genera. 
With this, and fuch other recommenda- 
tions as he could procure, our traveller 
made his way to Paoli’s head-quarters. 
Pleafed with the vifit of an admirer who 
was a man of fafhion, a Briton, a young 
enthufaft for liberty, the Corlicans re- 
ceived Bofwell with kindnefs and refpect, 
and ‘entertained him with liberal bofpi- 
tality. He was too poltie and good-na- 
tured, too much an enthufiaft for freedom, 
not to exprefs himfelf to be more than 
pleafed with all that he experienced, and 
all he faw. General Paoli, who was truly 
aman of a keen and comprehenfive under-~ 
ftanding, with a heart pregnant with he- 
roic and patriotic fentiments, feems to. 
have been not lefs fenfible to admiration 
and praife, than almoft a!l other great 
men whofe hearts have been frankly un-. 
. folded to the world, are known to have 
commonly been. Bofwell flattered the 
General, and the General flattered him in 
return. The legiflature, the adminitira- 
tion of juftice, the arms, the vigilance for 
defence, the modes of induftry, the fami- 
liar manners of the Corficans, every thing 
in truth that could be perceived by a few 
lively fuperficial glances; but, above ail, 
the converfation, the figure, the looks, the 
gefures of Paoli, were obferved by the 
young Scotfman with the enthufiaim of an 
admirer, and with the care of one that 
meant to treafure up his prefent. obferva- 
tions for future ufe, Paoli, and his Cor- 
ficans, could not help expreffing,. in Bof- 
well’s hearing, their wifhes, that they 
might obtain the protection and. aid of 
Britain: and. Bofwell, in the Don-Quix- 
ofte-like fervour.of his im»gination, was 
Memoir of Fames Bofwell, E/q. 
almoft moved, when thefe wifhes met his — 
{July 1, 
ear, and when he faw himfelf lodged, 
fealted, and attended*in ceremonious ftate, 
to believe himfelf a Britifh ambaffador, 
deputed to declare Britain the tutelar di- 
vinity of Corfican freedom. To flatter, 
him in.a manner the moit intoxicating, it 
was fuppofed by fome wife-headed politi- 
cians on the Continent, that it was not for 
nothing {uch a man as Bofwell could have 
gone among the Corfican favages ; and all 
the newfpapers of Europe foon told, that 
he had adventured thither as the fecret 
agent of the Britif’ court. 
tired from the court of Paoli, he was po- 
litely received, and entertained with cour- 
teous hofpitality, by the French. officers 
on the ifle: he returned at laft to. the Ita- 
lian continent, vain of his expedition, and 
gratefully boafting of all the favours and 
-honours which it had procured him. 
He did not now prolong the time of his 
abfence from his native country. Taking 
his way through France, he had foon the 
pleafure of prefenting himfelf to his old 
frieads in London. His temper and man- 
ners were fiill as conciliating as formerly ; 
his brifknefs of talk was now fomewhat 
fuftened ; his politenefs was improved by 
a graceful polifh, which the converfe of 
elecant ftraggers had naturally communi- 
cated: and, as it is not fo much from 
fiudy as from the obfervation of nature, 
and from mingling m fociety, that the 
travelier’s proper improvements are to be 
obtained; Bofwell had profited in the ac- 
quifition of knowledge, much more than 
nine-tenths of the young men of fortune: 
from Britain are commonly wont to profit 
in the fame courle of fathionable travel : 
he could boaft, too, of having kept, in his 
abfence, fome of the bef company in 
Europe; and, whenever any of the wits or 
the heroes of the Continent were mention- 
ed, might {peak of them almoft as fami- 
liar acquaintance. None of ail his friends 
in London welcomed his return with more 
cordial kindnefs than Johnfon. From the 
Continent he had held an epiftolary cor-_ 
refpondence with this Coryphzus — of 
Englihh philology; and from Jobnfon had- 
received feveral letters filled with fuch 
benignity and wifdom, as but few of the 
wits or philofophers of the Continent had 
hearts and underitandings to fupply. 
He foon haftened down to Scotland. - 
His father and his Scottifh. friends were 
fufficiently charmed with his new acquire- 
ments, and ftill partial to his genius and 
merits.. A while he was bufied in paying » 
his compliments, in difplaying his im- 
provements, and in receiving fiatteries and» 
congra- 
After he re= © 
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