have been employed in perfonal ambition and aggrandizement; or, what is worle, for the aggrandizement of abfolute monarchs, whofe precarious fmiles were preferred to the fteady and dignified regards of true glory. A Charles of Sweden facrifices his people to animofity, pride, and revenge. A Richelieu lays his countrymen in chains at

the feet of their haughty fovereign. The moral philofopher exclaims, on a review on the great qualities of Julius Cæfar,

Curfe on his virtues! they've undone his country."

The great and good qualities of general Washington were difplay ed in a great and good caufe: the

would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labour to fubvert thefe great pillars of human happiness, thefe firineft props of the duties of men and citizens The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it fimply be asked, where is the fecurity for property, for reputation, for life, if the fenfe of reli gious obligation defert the oaths which are the inftruments of investigation in the courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the fuppofition, that national morality can fubfift without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education, on minds of a peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail, in exclufion of religious principles."

The legiflator and patriot proceeded to warn his countrynien against inveterate antipathies against particular nations. On this fubject he makes these remarkable obfervations, of which many will, no doubt, make, at the prefent moment, particular applications. "The nation, prompted by ill-will and refentment, fometimes impels to war the government, contrary to the bf calculations of policy. The government fometimes participates in the national propensity, and adopts, through paffion, what reafon would reject; at other times, it makes the animofity of the nation fubfervient to projects of hoftility, inftigated by pride, ambition, and other finifter and pernicious motives. The peace often, fometimes, perhaps, the liberty of nations, has been the victims.” On this point, of an equal and just regard for all nations; and, on the other hand, on the infidious wiles of foreign influence, general Wathington defcants at a greater length than on any of the other topics on which he touches; and, if poffibly, with greater carneftness. It is not difficult, from hence, to conjecture, what was at the time, the principle object of his folicitude-foreign influence, particularly that of the French republic.

The world has had many political teftaments; fome real, fome counterfeit none that breathes fuch pure morality, fuch fublime and found policy, as the addrefs and the example of general Washington. The style of his paternal letters and fpeeches, exhorting his countrymen to profurve union among themselves, and peace, good faith, and fincere good-will towards all nations, as well as the fentiments, iluning forth with mild radiance, not in fiery flame, were contrafted with certain pailionare perfuatives to war. How much to be preferred is found fenfe, fimplicity, and fincerity of intention, felf-command and moderation of temper, to the most shining talents and accomplishments without them! Yet, though we cannot rank general Washington in the firft clafs of literary geniuses, he was not deficient, but greatly above par, in toe moft ufetul kinds of knowledge, and alfo in the art of writing. His thoughts are clearly arranged; he manages with great fkill, the march of his hearer's or reader's fentiments and fpirits; his language is perfectly gramatical and pure, and altogether free from any provincial flang, and cockney er metropolitan barbariums, which, iluing from the houf, of commors and newspapers, has adulterated the English tongue, and threatens, in its progrefs, to render it to future ages unintelligible. A like obfervation may be extended to the writings of Dr. Frankland, Mr. Adams, and other American writers.

caufe of his country, and of the huHe purfued the nobleft ends by the nobleft means: the dig nity and happiness of mankind, by fublime genius and heroic courage.

mighty power of France: the ge neral maintained the independence of his countrymen, in oppofition to that of England: both were remarkable for coolnefs and caution; but remarkable alfo for firmnefs and intrepidity, under every circumftance of danger, and every critical moment of action. They never fhunned a decifive engagement from any other motive than that of prudence: nor were they wifer in council than brave in the field; though their final fuccefs was more owing to judicious retreat, and renewed preparations for actions, than to daring impetuofity. The character given to the pretender, in 1745, and applied to general Washington in his familiar letters to general Mercer, may, with equal propriety, be applied both to king William and to himself. They were the most cautious men in the world, not to be cowards; and the braveft, not to be rath. It may be added, that their fortitude, in the eye of true moral criticifni, fhone forth with greater fplendour, when veiled in the garb of caution, than when confeffed to the eyes of all, and covered with duft and blood in the field of battle.

The most diftinguished characters, in many inftances, have been found to have derived the enthufalm that prompted them to undertake and perfevere in the execution of great defigns from an admiration of other illuftrious cha racters, which infpired a defire of imitation. Achilles emulated Bacchus: Alexander, Achilles: Julius Cæfar, Alexander; and Frederick II. of Pruffia, with other heroes, Julius Cæfar. So too, Charles XII. of Sweden had Quintus Curtius, in his earlieft youth, always in his hands, and had learned his ftories of Alexander by heart. In like manner Guftavns III. the late king of Sweden, was inflamed with a love of glory, by contemplating the actions of both his paternal and maternal anceflors; particularly of Guftavus Vafa and Guftavus Adolphus, and of the renowned Pruffian monarch, who was his uncle. If general Washington was roufed to any grandeur of defign, or, in his publie conduct, political and military, had any model of imitation, it feems to have been king William III. prince of Orange, and king of England. The ground on which we hazard this conjecture is, his admiration frequently exprefled of that great prince, both in his letters and in private converfation, compared with the tenor of his own actions. The caufes and circumftances in which they were both engaged were fimilar: their conduct alfo fimilar. The prince maintains his unfhaken purpose, the eclat tained the independence of his of his virtue is lefs, but the proof countrymen, in oppofition to the of its conftancy greater: greater in

There is an active fortitude, and their is a paffive fortitude: the latter not certainly lefs, but in fome refpects fuperior to the former. In the conflict and agitation of danger, quickly to be over, or quickly to fpend its utmost fury, the mind of the patriot and hero is awakened by an excitement of his fpirits, and the attention and fympathy of all around him. In the calms of torpid filence, nay, and under the chilling blafts of reproach, whilft be flill re

the

the inverse ratio of the magnitude of the difficulties and dangers to be overcome, to the indifference with which they are regarded. It is the firmnels of both the heroes that forms the fubject of this brief parallel, after their retreats under innumerable difadvantages and hardhips, that, in the whole of their character, is the juft object of the greatest admiration.

foundnefs of their judgement, which readily difcerns certain common interefts and paffions, that tend to unite men in common fympathies and common purfuits. It was a common and ftriking trait in the characters of both king William II. and general Washington, that they both poffeffed the happy art of reconciling and uniting various difcordant parties in the profecution of common objects.

There was also a ftriking coincidence, not only between the cir-. But every parallel is foon termicumftances and fituation and the public conduct of these great men, political and military, but alfo, in fome points, between their natural tempers and difpofitions; particularly in an habitual taciturnity and referve. A degree of taciturnity is, indeed, infeparable from a mind intent on great and complicated defigns. Minds deeply occupied in the contemplation of great ends, and the means neceflary for their accomplishment, have as little leifare as inclination either to entertain others with their converfa tion, or to be entertained by them. Moft great men, when profoundly engaged in important affairs, are remarkably filent. Buonaparte, though naturally affable, in the midft of thofe circumitances of unprecedented novelty, complication, and alarm, in which it has been his deftiny to be placed, is, on the whole, referved and filent. Henry IV. of France, though naturally affable, humourgas, and facetious, became thoughtful and filent, when he found himfelf involved in projects of great difficulty as well as importance.

It is not by a multiplicity of words and common-place compliments that men attain an afcendency over the minds of other men; but by the weight of their character and the

nated, by the wonderful diversity which characterizes every individual of the human race. Washington had no favourites, but was warm in his affections to his own family and near relatives: William was not a little addicted to favouritifm; but cold and indifferent to the fincere attachment and devotion of his queen; a princefs, by whole right he was raifed to a throne, and a partner worthy any fovereign prince, for every accomplishment of mind and perfon. The calm, deliberate, and folid character of general Wathington did not exclude a turn to contrivance and invention. He was judicious, not dull; ingenious, not chimerical. In this refpect, his talents and turn, like his virtues, were carried to the line beyond which they would have ceafed to be talents and virtues, and no farther. He knew how to diftinguifh difficulties from impoffibilities, and what was within the bounds of human power, in given situations, from the extravagancies of a heated-and bold imagination. He was neither terrified by danger, nor feduced by repofe, from embracing the proper moment for action. He was mo. deft, without diffidence; fenfible to the voice of fame, without vanity; independent and dignified, without

pride.

CHRONICLE:

Dublin. LAST night, the house the like number on his landing at