tributed to his fuperior character. Let us follow him in his narrative after his return from Venice, after the reprefentation of the Devin du Village, and the Difcourfe on the Progrefs of Society and Arts. Driven from France, from Geneva, from Berne, from Bienne, from Motiere, from Neufchatel, received with fufpicion in other places, obliged to feparate from Hume, and to quit England, his life was a continual emigration. In thefe events, bis own exquifite fenfibility, his perverfe method of interpreting words and actions, were chiefly in fault: to a diffempered mind the fofteft mufic becomes the harshest found, and the tendereft green an infupportable glare. Such was the mind of Rouffeau: he would be independent; civility was infringing on that independence. He would be received with attention, and to neglect him was unpardonable. While his friends were unable to fteer between excentricities fo fingular and fo oppofite, his own heart was pained by reflecting on what appeared the mifconduct of thofe to whom he trufted; and in this ftate he wrote his Confeffions. We muft forgive him if his ink is tinged with gall, or if his colouring is unnatural. He tells us what he did, what he felt, with fimplicity and with truth. He is more diffufe and more elevated when he fpeaks of thofe he loved, whofe conduct he looked on without prejudice, and the remembrance of whom he cherishes with gratitude.

The favourites of Rouffeau are painted in the most flattering colours; and when he brings forward too inconfiderately an amiable woman, in a man ner that prevents us for a moment from mistaking his meaning, he pays due honour to her virtue, and by all his eloquence, endeavours to efface her ind fcretions, which probably did not arife to crimes. "We wre alone, fays he, in the grove, by moon-light, and after two hours of the moft tender, the moft lively converfation, fhe left

the fhade and the arms of her friend, as pure and uncontaminated as the entered it. Yet let no one imagine that I was as tranquil and infenfible as when converfing with Manon and Terefa. I have faid that at this time it was love; love in all its violence and with all its fury. I will not defcribe the agitations, the fhiverings, the palpitations, the convulfive motions, nor the faintings, that I conftantly felt. They may be judged of by the effect which the recollection alone had on me. On going near this fpot, I thought of the delightful reception which I should experience, of the kifs that waited my arrival. This kifs alone, this fatal kifs, which was yet diftant, fet my blood in fuch a flame, that my head was giddy, my eyes dim, and my trembling knees refused fupport me. I was even obliged to ftop and fit down; my whole frame was in an inconceivable diforder; 1 was ready to faint. I arrived feeble, weak, exhaufted, fupporting myfelf with difficulty; at the inftant I faw her every power was reftored, and I felt only, while near her, the importunity of inexhauftible, but ufelefs ftrength." Such was the heart of Rouffeau; and in a paroxyfm of a fever of this kind, he wrote the new Eloife, a work which promifed very different events from what it produced. He confeffes it with his ufual veracity. We fhall transcribe the paffage :

to

"Julia, at length appeared, and the fentiments of literary men were divided; but in the world there was but one opinion; and the women were fo much intoxicated with the book and with its author, that there was fcarcely one even in the highest ranks whom I might not have attempted the conqueft of with fuccefs. I have proofs of this which I will not transcribe, and which, without the neceffity of experience, will support my opinion. What made the women fo partial to me was, their being perfuaded

that

your fubjects want it. Take from my eyes the fword which dazzles and which pains them: It has already exceede its duty, and the fceptre is a bandoned. The duty of kings of your ftamp is great, and you are yet far from the goal, but the time preffes, and you have not a moment to lofe

in your pro refs to it. May I fee Frederick the juft and the redoubtable cover his fates with a numerous people, of which he may be the father, and J. J. Rouffeau, the enemy of kings, will then come to die at the foot of his throne.'

R1

IO de JANEIRO is faid to derive its name from being difcovered on St Januarius's day. It is the capital of the Portugueze fettlements in South America, and is fituated on the weft fide of a river, or bay. Except that part which fronts the water, the city is furrounded by high mountains, of the most romantic form the imagination can fafhion to itself any idea. The houfes are commonly two, and fometimes three ftories high, of which, even though inhabited by the most wealthy and refpectable familie, the lower part is always appropriated to fhops, and to the use of the fervants and flaves, (who are here extremely numerous) the family rather chufing to refide in the upper part, that they might live in a lefs confined air. To every houfe there is a balcony, with lattice-wok before it; and the fame before all the windows.

The churches are very numerous, elegant, and richly decorated; fome of them are built and ornamented in a modern fe, and that in a manner which proclaims the genius, tafte, and judgment of the architects and artists. Two or three of the hand fomet are at this time unfinished, or repairing; and they appear to go on but very flow'y, notwithstanding large fums are conftantly collecting for their completion. As they are erected, or repaired, by charitable contributions,

public proceffions are frequently made for that purpose: and the mendicant friars, belonging to them, likewife exert themtelves in their line. At these proceffions, which are not unfrequent, perfons of every age and defcription aflift. They ufually take place after it is dark, when those who are joined in it are dreffed in a kind of cloak, adapted to religious purposes, and carry a lanthorn, fixed at the end of a pole of a convenient length; fo that, upon thefe occafions, you fometimes fee three or four hundred moving lights in the ftreets at the fame time, which has an uncommon and a pleafing effect. Confiderable fums are collected by this mode. At the correr of every street, about ten feet from the ground, is placed the image of a faint, which is the object of the common people's adoration.

The town is well fupplied with water from the neighbouring mountains, which is conveyed over a deep valley by an aqueduct formed of arches, of a flupendous height. The principal fountain is clofe to the fea, in a kind of square near the palace, where ships water at a good wharf, nearly in the fame manner as at Teneriffe, and with equal expedition and convenience. On the oppofite fide of the fountain are cocks, from which the people in the neighbourhood are fupplied. This convenient and capi

tal

tal watering place is fo near the palace that, when difputes or contentions a rife between the boats crews of different fhips, the flaves, &c. they are, fuppreffed and adjusted by the foldiers on guard; who, in the Portugueze fervice, have great power, and often treat the people with no little feverity.

While we ftaid at this place, we made feveral fhort excurfions into the country, but did not go near the mines, as we knew the attempt would not only prove hazardous, but ineffectual.

From its complicated state, I could learn but few particulars relative to the government of Brazil. The viceroy is invested with great power and authority, fubject, in fome cafes, to an appeal to the court of Lisbon; but, like a wife and prudent ruler, he feldom exerts it, unlefs in inftances, where found judgment and true policy render it expedient and neceffa ry. He is a man of little parade, and appears not to be very fond of pomp and grandeur, except on public days, when it is not to be difpenf ed with. When he goes abroad, for amufement, or to take the air, his guard confifts of only feven dragoons; but on public eccafions, he makes his appearance in a grander file. I once faw him go in ftate to one of the courts of juft ce; and, though it was fituated not a hundred yards from his palace, he was attended by a troop of horse. His ftate carriage is tolerably neat, but by no means elegant or fuperb; it was drawn by four horfes, irregularly mottled.

Carriages are pretty common at this place; there is fcarcely a family of refpectability without one. They are mostly of the chaife kind, and drawn in general by mules, which are found to anfwer better than horfes, being more indefatigable and furerfooted, confequently better calculated to afcend their steep hills and mountains.

The military force of Brazil confifts of a troop of horse, which ferve as guards for the vicetoy, twelve regiments of regulars from Europe, and fix raifed in the country: thefe last enlift men of a mixed colour, which the former are by no means fuffered to do. Befides the foregoing, there are twelve regiments of militia always embodied. This whole force, regulars and militia, except thofe on outports and other needful duties, appear early in the morning, on every first day of the month, before the palace, where they undergo a general ufter, and review of arms and neceffaries. The private men, although they are confidered as perfons of great confe quence by the populace, are, on the other hand, equally fubmiffive and obedient to their officers. This strict difcipline and regularity, as the city is in a great measure under military orders, renders the inhabitants extremely civil and polite to the officers, who, in return, study to be on the moft agreeable and happy terms with them. A captain's guard (independent of the cavalry, who are always in readiness to attend the viceroy) is mounted every day at the palace.

On both fides of the river which forms the bay, or harbour, the country is picturefque and beautiful to a degree, abounding with the most luxuriant flowers and aromatic fhrubs. Birds of a lovely and rich plumage are feen hopping from tree to tree in great numbers, together with an endlefs variety of infects, whofe exquifite beauty and gaudy colours exceed all defcription. There is little appearance of cultivation in the parts we vifited; the land feemed chiefly pasturage. The cattle here are small, and when killed do not produce fuch beef as is to be met with in England; it is not, however, by any means fo bad as it is reprefented by fome travellers to be; on the contrary, I have seen and eat here tolerably good, fweet, and well-tafted beef. I never faw any

mutton

mutton: they have, indeed a few sheep, but they are small, thin, and lean. The gardens furnish moft forts of European productions, such as cabbages, lettices, parfley, leeks, white radishes, beans, peafe, kidney-beans, turnips, water-melons, excellent pumpkins, and pine-apples, of a small and indifferent kind. The country likewife produces, in the most unbounded degree, limes, acid and fweet lemons, oranges of an immenfe fize and exquifite flavour, plantains, bananas, yams, cocoa-nuts, cafhoo apples and nuts, and fome mangos. For the ufe of the flaves and poorer fort of people, the capado is cultivated in great plenty; but this cannot be done through a want of corn for bread, as I never faw finer flour than at this place, which is plentiful, and remarkably cheap.

The riches of this country, arifing from the mines, are certainly very great to go near, or to get a fight of thefe inexhaustible treasures, is impoffible, as every pafs leading to them is ftrongly guarded, and even a perfon taken on the road, unlefs he can give a clear and unequivocal account of himself and his bufinefs, is imprifoned, and perhaps compelled ever after to work in thofe fubterraneous cavities which avarice, or an ill-timed and fatal curiofity, may have prompted him to approach.

In addition to the above fource of wealth, the country produces excellent tobacco, and likewife fugar canes, from which the inhabitants make good fugar, and draw a fpirit called aquadente. This fpirit, by proper management, and being kept till it is a proper age, becomes tolerable rum. As it is fold very cheap, the commodore purchased a hundred pipes of it, for the ufe of the garr:fon, when arrived at New South Wales. Precious and valuable ftopes are alfo found here: indeed they are fo very plenty that a certain quantity only is fuffered to be collected annually. At the jewellers

and lapidaries, of which occupation there are many in Rio, I faw fome valuable diamonds, and a great number, of excellent topazes, with many other forts of ftones of inferior value. Several topazes were purchafed by my. felf and others, but we chofe to buy them wrought, in order to avoid impofition, which is not unfrequent when the ftones are fold in a rough state. One of the principal ftreets of this city is nearly occupied by jewellers and workers of thefe ftones; and I obferved that perfons of a fimilar profellion generally refided in the same street.

The manufactures here are very few, and thofe by no means extensive, All kinds of European goods fell at an immoderate price, notwithstanding the fhops are well ftored with them.

The Brazil, or native Indians, are very adroit at making elegant cotton hammocks, of various dyes and forms, It was formerly the cuftom of the principal people of Rio to be carried about in these hammocks, but that fashion is fucceeded by the use of the fedan chairs, which are now very common among them; but they are of a more clumfy form than thofe used in England. The chair is fufpended from an aukward piece of wood, borne on the fhoulders of two flaves, and e levated fufficiently to be clear of the inequalities of the street. In carrying, the foremost flave takes the pavement, and the other the street, one keeping a little before the other; fo that the chair is moved forward in a fide-long direction, and very unlike the procedure of the London chairmen. Thefe fellows, who get on at a great rate, never take the wall of the foot paffengers, nor incommode them in the finallest degree.

The inhabitants in general are a pleafant, chearful people, inclining more to corpulency than thofe of Portugal; and, as far as we could judge, very favourably inclined to the

English.