and I must agree with Dr. Johnson, (Idler, No. 74) "that what is twice read, is commonly better remem"bered, than what is tranfcribed.

"

During two years, if I forget fome boyish excurfions of a day or a week, I was fixed at Laufanne; but at the end of the third fummer, my father confented that I fhould make the tour of Switzerland with Pavilliard: and our fhort abfence of one month (September 21ft - October 20th, 1755) was a reward and relaxation of my affiduous ftudies". The fashion of climbing the mountains and reviewing the Glaciers, had not yet been introduced by foreign travellers, who feek the sublime beauties of nature. But the political face of

the country is not less diversified by the forms and fpirit of fo many various republics, from the jealous government of the few to the licentious freedom of the many. I contemplated with pleasure the new profpects of men and manners; though my converfation with the natives would have been more free and instructive, had I poffeffed the German, as well as the French language. We paffed through most of the principal towns of Switzerland; Neufchâtel, Bienne, Soleure, Arau, Baden, Zurich, Bafil, and Bern. In every place we visited the churches, arfenals, libraries, and all the most eminent perfons; and after my return, I digested my notes in fourteen or fifteen fheets of a French journal, which I dispatched to my father, as a proof that my time and his money had not been mif- spent. Had I found this journal among his papers, I might be tempted to select some paffages; but I will not tranfcribe

tranfcribe the printed accounts, and it may be suf ficient to notice a remarkable spot, which left a deep and lafting impreffion on my memory. From Zurich we proceeded to the Benedictine Abbey of Einfidlen, more commonly ftyled Our Lady of the Hermits. I was aftonished by the profuse of tentation of riches in the pooreft corner of Europe; amidst a favage fcene of woods and mountains, a palace appears to have been erected by magic; and it was erected by the potent magic of religion. A crowd of palmers and votaries was proftrate before the altar. The title and worship of the Mother of God provoked my indignation; and the lively naked image of fuperftition fuggefted to me, as in the fame place it had done to Zuinglius, the most preffing argument for the reformation of the church. About two years after this tour, I passed at Geneva a useful and agreeable month; but this excurfion, and fome fhort vifits in the Pays de Vaud, did not materially interrupt my ftudious and fedentary life at Laufanne.

My thirst of improvement, and the languid ftate of science at Laufanne, foon prompted me to folicit a literary correfpondence with feveral men of learning, whom I had not an opportunity of per fonally confulting. 1. In the perusal of Livy, (xxx. 44.) I had been stopped by a sentence in a speech of Hannibal, which cannot be reconciled by any torture with his character or argument. The commentators diffemble, or confefs their perplexity. It occurred to me, that the change of a fingle letter, by fubftituting otio instead of odio, might VOL. I.

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reftore a clear and confiftent fenfe; but I wished to weigh my emendation in fcales lefs partial than my own. I addreffed myself to Mr. Crevier ", the fucceffor of Rollin, and a profeffor in the univerfity of Paris, who had published a large and valuable edition of Livy. His anfwer was fpeedy and polite; he praised my ingenuity, and adopted my conjecture. 2. I maintained a Latin correfpondence, at first anonymous, and afterwards in my own name, with Profeffor Breitinger" of Zurich, the learned editor of a Septuagint Bible. In our frequent letters we difcuffed many questions of antiquity, many paffages of the Latin claffics. I propofed my interpretations and amendments. His cenfures, for he did not fpare my boldnefs of conjecture, were fharp and strong; and I was encouraged by the confcioufnefs of my ftrength, when I could ftand in free debate against a critic of fuch eminence and erudition. 3. I correfponded on fimilar topics with the celebrated Profeffor Matthew Gefner of the university of Gottingen; and he accepted, as courteously as the two former, the invitation of an unknown youth. But his abilities might poffibly be decayed; his elaborate letters were feeble and prolix: and when I asked his proper direction, the vain old man covered half a fheet of paper with the foolish enumeration of his titles and offices. 4. Thefe Profeffors of Paris, Zurich, and Gottingen, were ftrangers, whom I prefumed to addrefs on the credit of their name; but Mr. Allamand", Minister at Bex, was my personal friend, with whom I maintained a more free and interesting correfpond.

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ence. He was a master of language, of science, and, above all, of difpute; and bis acute and flexible logic could fupport, with equal address, and perhaps with equal indifference, the adverfe fides of every poffible queftion. His fpirit was active, but his pen had been indolent. Mr. Allamand had expofed himself to much fcandal and reproach, by an anonymous letter (1745) to the Proteftants of France; in which he labors to perfuade them that public worship is the exclufive right and duty of the state, and that their numerous affemblies of diffenters and rebels were not authorized by the law or the gospel. His ftyle is animated, his arguments fpecious; and if the papift may feem to lurk under the mafk of a proteftant, the philofopher is concealed under the disguise of a papift. After fome trials in France and Holland, which were defeated by his fortune or his character, a genius that might have enligh tened or deluded the world, was buried in a country living, unknown to fame, and difcontented with mankind. Eft facrificulus in pago, rufticos decipit. As often as private or ecclefiaftical business called him to Laufanne, I enjoyed the pleasure and benefit of his converfation, and we were mutually flattered by our attention to each other. Our correfpondence, in his abfence, chiefly turned on Locke's metaphyfics, which he attacked, and I defended; the origin of ideas, the principles of evid ence, and the doctrine of liberty;

And found no end, in wandering mazes loft.

By fencing with fo fkilful a mafter, I acquired fome dexterity in the use of my philofophic weapons; but I was ftill the flave of education and prejudice. He had fome measures to keep; and I much fufpect that he never showed me the true colors of his fecret fcepticism.

Before I was recalled from Switzerland, I had the fatisfaction of feeing the most extraordinary man of the age; a poet, a hiftorian, a philofopher, who has filled thirty quartos, of profe and verse, with his various productions, often excellent, and always entertaining. Need I add the name of Voltaire? After forfeiting, by his own mifconduct, the friendship of the firft of kings, he retired, at the age of fixty, with a plentiful fortune, to a free and beautiful country, and refided two winters (1757 and 1758) in the town or neighbourhood of Lausanne. My defire of beholding Voltaire, whom I then rated above his real magnitude, was eafily gratified. He received me with civility as an English youth; but I cannot boast of any peculiar notice or diftinction, Virgilium vidi tantum.

The ode which he compofed on his first arrival on the banks of the Leman Lake, O Maifon d'Ariftoppe! O Jardin d'Epicure, &c. had been imparted. as a fecret to the gentleman by whom I was introduced. He allowed me to read it twice; I knew it by heart; and as my difcretion was not equal to my memory, the author was foon difpleafed by the circulation of a copy. In writing this trivial anecdote, I wished to obferve whether my memory was impaired, and I have the comfort of finding