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words, in which a great prince delivered his dying charge to his fon; words which every young perfon ought to confider as addreffed to himself, and to engrave deeply on his heart: "Solomon, my fon, know thou the God of thy fathers; and ferve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind. For the Lord fearches all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. If thou feek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forfake him, he will caft thee off forever."

BLAIR.

CHAP. IX.

PROMISCUOUS PIECES.

SECTION I.

Earthquake at Calabria, in the year 1638.

AN account of this dreadful earthquake, is given by the celebrated Father Kircher. It happened whilft he was on his journey to vifit Mount Etna, and the rest of the wonders that lie towards the fouth of Italy. Kircher is confiderered, by scholars, as one of the greatest prodigies of learning.

"Having hired a boat, in company with four more, (two friars of the order of St. Francis, and two feculars,) we launched, from the harbour of Meffina, in Sicily; and arrived, the fame day, at the promontory of Pelorus. Our deftination was for the city of Euphemia, in Calabria; where we had some business to tranfact; and where we designed to tarry for fore time. However, Providence feemed willing to cross our defign; for we were obliged to continue three days at Pelorus, on account of the weather; and though we often put out to fea, yet we were as often driven back. At length, wearied with the delay, we refolved to profecute our voyage; and, although the fea feemed more than ufually agitated, we ventured forward. The gulf of Charybdis, which we approached, seemed whirled round in fuch a manner, as to form a vaft hollow, verging to a point in the centre. Proceeding onward, and turning my eyes to Ætna, I faw it caft forth large volumes of fmoke, of mountainous fizes, which entirely covered the ifland, and blotted out the very fhores from my view. This, together with the dread

ful noise, and the fulphurous ftench which was strongly perceived, filled me with apprehenfions, that fome more dreadful calamity was impending. The fea itself feemed to wear a very unusual appearance; they who have feen a lake in a violent fhower of rain, covered all over with bubbles, will conceive fome idea of its agitations. My furprise was still increased by the calmnefs and ferenity of the weather; not a breeze, not a cloud, which might be fupposed to put all nature thus into motion. I therefore warned my companions, that an earthquake was approaching; and after fome time making for the fhore, with all poffible diligence, we landed at Tropæa, happy and thankful for having escaped the threatening dangers of the fea."

"But our triumphs at land were of fhort duration; for we had scarcely arrived at the Jefuit's College, in that city, when our ears were stunned with a horrid found, refembling that of an infinite number of chariots, driven fiercely forward; the wheels rattling, and the thongs cracking. Soon after this a moft dreadful earthquake enfued; fo that the whole tract upon which we ftood, feemed to vibrate, as if we were in the scale of a balance, that continued wavering. This motion, however, foon grew more violent; and being no longer able to keep my legs, I was thrown proftrate upon the ground. In the mean time, the univerfal ruin round me redoubled my amazement. The crafh of falling houfes, the tottering of towers, and the groans of the dying, all contributed to raise my terror and despair. On every fide of me, I faw nothing but a fcene of ruin; and danger threatening wherever I fhould fly. I commended myself to God, as my laft great refuge. At that hour, O how vain was every fublunary happiness! Wealth, honour, empire, wifdom, all mere useless founds, and as empty as the bubbles of the deep! Just ftanding on the threshold of eternity, nothing but God was my pleafure; and the nearer I approached, I only loved him the more. After fome time, however, finding that I remained unhurt, amidst the general concuffion, I refolved to venture for fafety; and, running as faft as I could, I reached the fhore, but almost terrified out of my reafon. I did not fearch long here, till I found the boat in which I had landed; and my companions alfo, whose terrors were even greater than

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mine. Our meeting was not of that kind, where every one is defirous of telling his own happy escape; it was all filence, and a gloomy dread of impending terrors."

"Leaving this feat of defolation, we profecuted our voyage along the coaft; and the next day came to Rochetta, where we landed, although the earth ftill continued in violent agitations. But we had fcarcely arrived at our inn, when we were once more obliged to return to the boat; and, in about half an hour, we faw the greater part of the town, and the inn at which we had let up, dashed to the ground and burying the inhabitants beneath the ruins."

"In this manner, proceeding onward in our little veffel, finding no fafety at land, and yet, from the fmallness of our boat, having but a very dangerous continuance at fea, we at length landed at Lopizium, a caftle midway between Tropaa and Euphemia, the city to which, as I faid before, we were. bound. Here, wherever I turned my eyes, nothing but fcenes of ruin and horror appeared; towns and castles leveled to the ground; Strombalo, though at fixty miles diftance, belching forth flames in an unusual manner, and with a noife which I could distinctly hear. But my attention was quickly turned from more remote, to contiguous danger. The rumbling found of an approaching earthquake, which we by this time were grown acquainted with, alarmed us for the confequences; it every moment feemed to grow louder, and to approach nearer. The place on which we ftood now began to fhake moft dreadfully; fo that being unable to ftand, my companions and I caught hold of whatever fhrub grew next to us, and fupported ourselves in that manner."

"After fome time, this violent paroxyfm ceafing, we again ftood up, in order to profecute our voyage to Euphemia, which lay within fight. In the mean time, while we were preparing for this purpose, I turned my eyes towards the city, but could fee only a frightful dark cloud, that seemed to reft upon the place. This the more furprifed us, as the weather was fo very ferene. We waited, therefore, till the cloud had paffed away then turning to look for the city, it was totally funk Wonderful to tell! nothing but a difinal and putrid lake was feen where it ftood. We looked about to find tome one that could tell us of its fad catastrophe, but could fee na

perfon. All was become a melancholy folitude; a fcene of hideous defolation. Thus proceeding penfively along, in queft of some human being that could give us a little information, we at length faw a boy fitting by the fhore, and appearing ftupified with terror. Of him, therefore, we inquired concerning the fate of the city; but he could not be prevailed on to give us an anfwer. We entreated him, with every expreffion of tenderness and pity, to tell us; but his fenfes were quite wrapt up in the contemplation of the danger he had efcaped. We offered him fome victuals, but he feemed to loathe the fight. We ftill perfifted in our offices of kindnefs; but he only pointed to the place of the city, like one out of his fenfes; and then running up into the woods, was never heard of after. Such was the fate of the city of Euphæmia: and as we continued our melancholy course along the fhore, the whole coaft, for the fpace of two hundred miles, prefented nothing but the remains of cities; and men fcattered, without a habitation, over the fields. Proceeding thus along, we at length ended out diftressful voyage, by arriving at Naples, after having escaped a thousand dangers both at fea and land.”

SECTION II.

Letter from Pliny to Geminius.

GOLDSMITH.

Do we not fometimes obferve a fort of people, who though they are themselves under the abject dominion of every vice, how a kind of malicious refentment against the errors of others; and are most severe upon thofe whom they most refemble? yet, furely a lenity of difpofition, even in perfons who have the leaft occafion for clemency themfelves, is of all virtues the most becoming. The highest of all characters, in my estimation, is his, who is as ready to pardon the errors of mankind, as if he were every day guilty of fome himself; and, at the fame time, as cautious of committing a fault, as if he never forgave one. It is a rule then which we fhould, upon all occafions, both private and public, most religiously obferve; "to be inexorable to our own failings, while we treat those of the reft of the world with tenderness, not excepting even fuch as forgive none but themselves."

I fhall, perhaps, be afked, who it is that has given occaon to thefe reflections. Know then that a certain perfon

lately, but of that when we meet, though, upon fecond thoughts, not even then; left, whilft I condemn and expofe his conduct, I should act counter to that maxim I particularly recommend. Whoever therefore, and whatever he is, fhall remain in filence: for though there may be fome ufe, perhaps, in fetting a mark upon the man, for the fake of example, there will be more, however, in fparing him for the fake of humanity. Farewell.

SECTION III.

MELMOTH'S PLINY.

Letter from Pliny to Marcellinus, on the death of an amiable young woman.

I WRITE this under the utmost oppreffion of forrow the youngest daughter of my friend Fundamus is dead! Never furely was there a more agreeable, and more amiable young perfon; or one who better deferved to have enjoyed a long, I had almoft faid an immortal life! She had all the wifdom of age, and difcretion of a matron, joined with youthful fweetnefs and virgin modefty. With what an engaging fondnefs did fhe behave to her father! How kindly and refpectfully receive his friends! How affectionately treat all thofe who, in their refpective offices, had the care and education of her! She employed much of her time in reading, in which fhe difcovered great ftrength of judgment; the indulged herfelf in few diverfions, and those with much caution. With what forbearance, with what patience, with what courage did fhe endure her laft illness! She complied with all the directions of her phyficians; fhe encouraged her fifter, and her father; and, when all her ftrength of body was exhaufted, fupported herfelf by the fingle vigour of her mind. That indeed, continued, even to her laft moments, unbroken by the pain of a long illnefs, or the terrors of approaching death; and it is a reflection which makes the lofs of her fo much the more to be lamented. A lofs infinitely fevere and more fevere by the particular conjuncture in which it happened! She was contracted to a moft worthy youth; the wedding day was fixed, and we were all invited. How fad a change from the highest joy to the deepest forrow! How fall T exprefs the wound that pierced my heart, when I heard Fundamus himfelf, (as grief is ever finding out circumstances to aggravate its affliction,) ordering the money he had defign

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