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Rome; and this plan, in the last twenty-feven months of my refidence at Laufanne (January 1756 -April 1758), I nearly accomplished. Nor was this review, however rapid, either hafty or fuperficial. I indulged my felf in a fecond and even a third perufal of Terence, Virgil, Horace, Tacitus, &c. and ftudied to imbibe the fenfe and fpirit moft congenial to my own. I never fuffered a dithcult or corrupt paffage to escape, till I had viewed it in every light of which it was fufceptible: though often difappointed, I always confulted the most learned or ingenious commentators, Torrentius and Dacier on Horace, Catrou and Servius on Virgil, Lipfius on Tacitus, Meziriac on Ovid, &c.; and in the ardour of my inquiries, I embraced a large circle of hiftorical and critical erudition. My abftracts of each book were made in the French language: my obfervations often branched into particular effays; and I can ftill read, without contempt, a differtation of eight folio pages on eight lines (287-294) of the fourth Georgic of Virgil. Mr. Deyverdun, my friend, whofe name will be frequently repeated, had joined with equal zeal, though not with equal perfeverance, in the fame undertaking. To him every thought, every compofition, was inftantly communicated; with him I enjoyed the benefits of a free con verfation on the topics of our cominon ftudies.

"But it is fcarcely poffible for a mind endowed with any active cu riofity to be long converfant with the Latin claffics, without afpiring' to know the Greek originals, whom they celebrate as their mafters, and of whom they fo warmly recommend the ftudy and imitation;

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Vos exemplaria Græca Nocturnâ verfate manu, verfate diurnů. "It was now that I regretted the early years which had been wafted in fickness or idleness, of mere idle reading; that I con demned the perverse method of our fchoolmafters, who, by firft teaching the mother language, might defcend with fo much eafe and perfpicuity to the origin and etymology of a derivative idiom. In the nineteenth year of my age I determined to fupply this defect; and the leffons of Pavilliard again contributed to fmooth the entrance of the way, the Greek alphabet, the grammar, and the pronunciation according to the French accent. At my earneft requeft we prefumed to open the Iliad; and I had the pleafure of beholding, though. darkly and through a glafs, the true image of Homer, whom I had long fince admired in an Englifh drefs. After my tutor had left me to myfelf, I worked my way through about half the Iliad, and afterwards interpreted alone a large portion of Xenophon and Herodotus. But my ardour, deftitute of aid and emulation, was gradually cooled, and, from the barren task of fearching words in a lexicon, I withdrew to the free and familiar converfation of Virgil and Tacitus. Yet in my refidence at Laufanne I had laid a folid foundation, which enabled me, in a more propitious feafon, to profecute the study of Grecian literature.

"From a blind idea of the ufefulness of fuch abstract science, my father had been defirous, and even preffing, that I should devote fome time to the mathematics; nor could I refufe to comply with fo reafonable a wifh. During two winters I attended the private lectures of

monfieur

monfieur de Tray torrens, who explained the elements of algebra and geometry, as far as the conic fections of the marquis de l'Hôpital, and appeared fatisfied with my diligence and improvement. But as my childish propenfity for numbers and calculations was totally extinct, I was content to receive the paffive impreffion of my profeffos lectures, without any active exercife of my own powers. As foon as I understood the principles, I relinquished for ever the purfuit of the mathematics; nor can I lament that I defifted, before my mind was hardened by the habit of rigid demonftration, fo deftructive of the finer feelings of moral evidence, which muft, however, determine the actions and opinions of our lives. I liftened with more pleafure to the propofal of ftudying the law of nature and nations, which was taught in the academy of Laufanne by Mr. Vicat, a profeffor of fome learning and reputation. But, inftead of attending his public or private course, I preferred in my clofet the leffons of his mafters, Without be and my own reafon. ing difgufted by Grotius or Puffendorf, I ftudied in their writings the duties of a man, the rights of a citizen, the theory of justice (it is, alas! a theory), and the laws of peace or war, which have had fome influence on the practice of modern Europe. My fatigues were alle viated by the good fenfe of their commentator Barbeyrac. Locke's Treatife of Government inftructed me in the knowledge of whig principles, which are rather founded in reafon than experience; but my delight was in the frequent perufal of Montefquieu, whofe energy of ftyle, and boldnefs of hypothefis, were powerful to awaken and fti

ulate the genius of the age. The

logic of De Croufaz had prepared
me to engage with his mafter Locke,
and his antagonift Bayle; of whom
the former may be used as a bridle,
and the latter applied as a fpur, to
the curiofity of a young philofo-
pher. According to the nature of
their refpective works, the schools
of argument and objection, I care-
fully went through the Effay on
Human Understanding, and occa-
fionally confulted the moft inte-
refting articles of the Philofophic
Dictionary. In the infancy of my
reafon I turned over, as an idle
amuftment, the most serious and im-
portant treatise in its maturity, the
moft trifling performance could not
exercife my taste or judgment; and
more than once I have been led by
a novel into a deep and inftructive
train of thinking. But I cannot
forbear to mention three particular
books, fince they may have re-
motely contributed to form the
hiftorian of the Roman empire. 1.
From the Provincial Letters of
Pafcal, which almost every year I
have perufed with new pleafure, I
learned to manage the weapon of
grave and temperate irony, even on
fubjects of ecclefiaftical folemnity.
2. The Life of Julian, by the Abbé
de la Bleterie, firft introduced me
to the man and the times; and I
fhould be glad to recover my first
effay on the truth of the miracle
which stopped the re-building of
the Temple of Jerufalem.
Giannone's Civil Hiftory of Na-
pie, I obferved with a critical eye
the progrefs and abuse of facerdo-
tal power, and the revolutions of
Italy in the darker ages. This va
rious reading, which I now con-
ducted with difcretion, was digeft-
ed, according to the precept and
model of Mr. Locke, into a large
common-place book; a practice,
Quily
however, which I do not ftrenu

In

1

oufly recommend. The action of the pen will doubtless imprint an idea on the mind as well as on the

time; and I must agree with Dr. Johnfon, (Idler, No. 74.) that what is twice read, is commonly

paper: but I much queftion whe-better remembered, than what is

ther the benefits of this laborious

method are adequate to the waste of

tranfcribed."

MANNERS OF NATIONS.

SKETCH of the MANNERS of the INHABITANTS of PARAMARIBO, the
Capital of SURINAM, and of the PLANTERS on the Eftates in the
Country.

[From the first and fecond Volumes of CAPTAIN STEDMAN'S NAR-
RATIVE of a FIVE YEARS' EXPEDITION against the REVOLTED
NEGROES of SURINAM.]

ARAMARIBO is a very lively

"PARAM, AR Trois being gene-
rally crouded with planters, failors,
foldiers, Jews, Indians, and negroes,
while the river is covered with ca-
noes, barges, &c. conftantly paffing
and repaffing, like the wherries on
the Thames, often accompanied
with bands of mufic; the fhipping
alfo in the road, adorned with their
different flags, guns firing, &c.;
not to mention the many groupes
of boys and girls playing in the
water, altogether form a pleafing
appearance; and fuch gaiety and
variety of objects ferve, in fome
meafure, to compenfate for the
many inconveniences of the cli-
mate. Their carriages and drefs
are truly magnificent; filk embroi-
dery, Genoa velvets, diamonds, gold
and filver lace, being daily worn,
and even the mafters of trading
fhips, appear with buttons and
buckles of folid gold. They are
equally expenfive at their tables,
where every thing that can be called
delicate is produced at any price,
and ferved up in plate and china
of the newest fashion, and moft ex-
quifite workmanship. But nothing
difplays the luxury of the inhabi-
tants of Surinam, more than the

number of flaves by whom they are

attended, often twenty or thirty in one family.

White fervants are feldom to be met with in this colony.

"The current money, as I have already ftated, are ftamped cards of different value, from five fhillings to fifty pounds: gold and filver is fo fcarce, that the exchange premium for fpecie is often above ten per cent.

A bafe Dantzic coin, called a bit, value fomething lefs than fixpence, is alfo current in Surinam. English and Portuguese coin are fometimes met with, but moftly ufed as ornaments by the Mulatto, Samboe, Quaderoon, and negro girls. The negro flaves never receive any paper money, for as they cannot read, they do not underftand its value: befides, in their hands, it would be liable to many accidents, from fire or children, and particularly from the rats, when it becomes a little greafy.

"This town is well fupplied with provifions, viz. butchers' meat, fowls, fifli, and venifon. Vegetables, in particular, the country abounds with: befides the luxuries peculiar to this climate, they import whatever Europe, Africa, and Âfia,

can

can afford. Provifions, however, are exceflively dear in general, efpecially thofe imported, which are moftly fold by the Jews and mafters of fhips. The firft enjoy extraordinary privileges in this colony; the latter erect teinporary warehouses for the purpofe of trade, during the time their fhips are loading with the productions of the climate. Wheat flour is fold from four-pence to one fhilling per pound; butter two fhillings; but chers' meat never under one fhilling, and often at one fhilling and fix-pence; ducks and fowls from three to four fhillings a couple. A fingle turkey has coft me one guinea and a half; eggs are fold at the rate of five, and European potatoes twelve for fix-pence. Wine three fillings a bottle. Jamaica rum a crown a gallon. Fish and vege tables are cheap, and fruit almoft for nothing. My black boy, Quaco, has often brought me forty oranges for fix-pence, and half a dozen pine-apples for the fame price; while limes and tamarinds may be had for gathering, Houfe rent is exceffively high. A fmall room unfurnished cafts three or four guineas a month; and a houfe with two apartments on a floor lets for one hundred guineas yearly. Shoes fell for half-a-guinea a pair; and a fuit of cloaths, with filver binding, has coft me twenty gui

neas."

"The whites or Europeans in this colony, and who refide principally in the town, are computed at five thousand, including the garrifon. The negro flaves at about feventy-five thoufand. The military mount guard every morning at eight o'clock, in the fortrefs; but the fafety of the town is entrusted to the burghers or militia, who keep watch during the night. At fix

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o'clock in the morning, and the fame hour in the evening, the morning and evening guns are fired by the commanding fhip in the harbour; at the evening fignal, all the flags are inftantly lowered on board the different vessels; their bells are fet a ringing, whilft the drums and fifes beat the tattoo through the town. The watch is then fet, and no negro of either fex is allowed to appear in the streets or on the river, without a proper pafs figned by his owner; without this he is taken up, and infallibly flogged the next morning. At ten at night, a band of black drums beat the burgher, or militia retreat, through the ftreets of Paramaribo.

"At this time the ladies begin te make their appearance, who are particularly fond of a téte-à-tête by moonlight, when they entertain with fherbet, fangaree, and wine and water; befides the most unreferved and unequivocal converfation concerning themselves, as well as the peculiar qualifications of their husbands, and the fituation of their female flaves, whom they propofe the acceptance of to the gentlemen they converfe with, at fo much per week, according to their own eftimation. Sometimes, placing half a dozen of them in a row, the lady fays, Sir, this is a callebafee, that is a maid, and this

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is not. Thus are they not only unreferved in their converfation, but alfo profufe in their encomiums upon fuch gentlemen as have the honour of their inftructive company, and whofe perfon or figure meets with their approbation.

"They are alfo rigid difciplinarians, as the backs of their poor, flaves, male and female, fufficiently testify. Thus every country has its cuftoms, and from thefe cu toms exceptions are to be inade; for I དྷྭ have

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