516 
his friend and phyfician, Michaelis, his 
health declined rapidly.. In the laf twelve 
or fourteen days of his life, his memory 
was confiderably impaired. He had been 
particularly diftinguifhed by the frength 
of that faculty ; and has frequently been 
known to write down, in his lectures, 
whole tables, containing dates of years, 
and other figures, merely from recollec- 
tion, and without a fingle error. This 
alteration, and the anxiety he felt hecanfe 
he was prevented from attending bis offi- 
cial duties, preyed on his mind, and weak- 
ened him more than his diforder. On the 
22d of Auguit, 1802, this venerable man 
expired, aged 78 years an 4 days. 
Curtius was a man of the moft exfenfive 
and various attainments; and his career 
as an author, an academical teacher,and 
a man, tended only to promote the welfare 
of his fellow creatures. His adopted 
country, Heffe, was particularly berefited 
by his Hittory and Statiftics of that pro- 
vince, publifhed at Marburg in 1793, and 
by numerous programmes which he drew, 
up. By his fmalier pieces, abounding in 
Original Poetry. 
[ jan. 1, 
critical inveftigations and new. views, he 
made many an important acceffion to the 
hittory of other European ftates, and to 
literature in general. His labours were 
Icng and menitorious: he ceuld rejoice 
over them at the termination of his ca= 
reer, and could behold, with pleasure, 
many a flourifhing plant of his own cul- 
tivation. All his feilow-citizens gave him 
the teftimony that he was a learned and 
rigidly upright man, religious in the moft 
exalted fenfe of the werd, juft and bene- 
volent, open andundifguifed. Huis calm, 
peaceful, and tranquil life; his indefati- 
gable attention to his duties, without of- 
tentation ; his manly (pirit, which equally 
difdained artifice and bafe fubmiffion, de- 
fexve to be held forth as patterns for imi- 
tation. By men, he was honoured as a 
mott refpeétable literary character; by 
youth, as an affectionate father and friend: 
the academy loft, in him, one of its 
brighteft ornaments; widows and orphans, 
tier overieer and proteétor; and huma- 
nity a venerable and ftrenuous advocate. 
Se ea ed 
ORIGINAL POETRY. 
ADDRESS TO HEALTH. 
WRITTEN DURING A VIOLENT sIcK- 
NESS. 
GWEET Nymph ! that with the ruddy face, 
The cheerful look, and fprightly pace, 
Whofe favourite haunt’s the fields, 
F’er lov’ in warbling groves to dwell, 
In filent woods, or flow’ry dell, 
>Midft charms that Nature yields ; 
Who fhunn’ft, with unremitted care, 
The city’s thick and febrile air, 
Its fmoke, its filth, and noife ; 
Where man, unwife, unthinking fil, 
Dares undergo a certain ill, 
In fearch of fancied joys: 
Oft on the mountain’s rugged fide, 
Where rocks on rocks majeftic ride, 
I’ve fough: thy fleeting form ; 
T’ve found thee in the vale below, 
Sparkling ’midst heaps of drifted fnow, 
: And inthe wint’ry ftorm. 
Again, when Summer’s milder reign 
Has clad in varied’charms the plain, 
Thou lov’ ft in ftreams to lave 3 
Oft plunging from the river’s fide, 
While Zephyrs rippled o’er its tide, 
I’ve found thee in the wave. 
And—for what fair was always true P 
If—as to fhew how much thy due, 
Thou for atime wert fhy; 
Yet when thro wilds and woods I woo’d, 
I foon regain’d the nymph I lov’d, 
°Twas but thy coquetry. 
The man that wins thee to his arms, 
Mutt feduloufly court thy charms ; 
Attention gains the prize. 
And if thou fly, let him purfue, 
Try to regain thy favour thro’ 
Thy handmaid Exercife. 
But when I made the town my choice, 
Lur’d for a time by Folly’s voice, 
In fearch of wealth, renown ; ‘ 
As thro’ my limbs diforder fpread, 
The feverith dream, the aching head, 
There told me Health was flown. 
Now pallid, wan, a mark for fcorn, 
Scarce drag I on a corpfe-like form, 
Tho’ once with vigour blef : 
In manhood’s prime, a blafted fprite, 
Unmann’d, unnerv’d, a loathfome fight, 
Each energy depreft. 
Rut, Diffipation, hence, adieu ! 
The tavern feaft, the bagnio’s crew, 
No more have charms for me ; 
The gay debauch can pleafe no more, 
The drunken riot, midnight roar, 
The fong with three times three. 
Henceforth to rural haunts I go, 
Thro’ fummer’s heat and winter’s fnow ; 
Thy fmiles, O let me thare; - 
And thou, as well-known fcenes I hail, 
Frefh firength with every breath exhale, 
Once more fhalt be my care, 
Then often in the morning’s grey, 
While fouthern gales bring in the day, _ 
The 
