ficient to confirm all her father had before infinuated to her. She immediately returned to London, and told her father, that, as she was fully convinced of Philander's falfhood, The was ready to give her hand to Mr. Richmore, if he perfevered in his former refolution. Her father, overjoyed at her compliance, took no notice of her elopement; and a few days after her fate was united for ever to that of Mr. Richmore. It is easy to conjecture, that the received but little fatisfaction from her marriage: but her mifery was foon after greatly increafed, when Philander fully exculpated himself, T and made it appear, that the lady, PHILALETHES. REFLECTIONS upon the HEART of MAN. HERE is not a greater obftacle to the pleasures of men, than the violent defire which excites them to feize all that offer: nothing leads more certainly to mifery than a refolution to indulge one's felf in every fort of pleasure. An indifference for pleasure fecures us from a variety of inquietudes; and, in our prefent ftate of probation, man fhould afpire to no higher happiness than an exemption from pain. Philofophy amufes us with hopes of felicity; but it deceives us: the most it can do is to make us wife. The world cannot afford us an example of a perfon who has perfevered in wifdom for a long time. The example of Solomon himself is fuffi cient to convince us of this truth. It is not easy to determine what is the greatest weakness of human na, ture; but certainly pride is the moft univerfal. Self-intereft holds the next place, and it is evident that it derives its fource from felf-love. January 1761. What is the reafon that we meet with fo many excellent leffons of virtue, and fo few examples of the practice of it? Why do thofe, who think it fo amiable, discover fo little regard for it? This is a contradic tion which the greateft philofophers would find it hard to reconcile. Certain it is, that the vaineft hope that can enter into the heart of man is, that he can diveft himself of all his weakneffes. In this refpect, the ftoicks were the moft prefumptuous of mortals. Nothing, indeed, can be more aftonishing than to meet with fo many weakneffes and infirmities in the fame being, that makes fo many noble, fublime, and juft reflections. It is hardly poffible to conceive, how man fhould unite views fo extended, to a life fo fhort and limited, and the inordinate defire of prying into things intirely ufelefs, to a profound ignorance of what is most important. Opinion is the most powerful D' caufe IF T is a juft obfervation of the younger Pliny, that those are not always the greatest actions which are attended with the most extenfive reputation, and moft loudly celebrated by the voice of fame. There cannot be a stronger proof of the reasonableness of this affertion, than the great renown which both Socrates and Cato acquired by their deaths yet thefe, to a perfon void of partiality, and free from narrow prejudices to antiquity, will appear in a light very different from that in which they are generally viewed. It has been juftly obferved, concerning Socrates, by a modern author, that he was not put to death for affecting the unity of the Godhead; but for having, very indifcreetly, made himself enemies a-mongst perfons poffeffed of great credit and influence; and it is no lefs true, that his death was rather an effect of obstinacy, or vain-glory, than a proof of heroifm. It is well, known, that means were offered him to make his efcape out of prifon, which he rejected, alledging, that he had always approved of the laws of his country, and, fince he had been condemned by them, was in duty bound to undergo the punifhment they prefcribed. But his innocence he conftantly maintained; and his ftaying to fuffer death, whilst he knew himself void of crime, may be looked upon as confpiring with his enemies to his own deftruction. It feems therefore highly probable, that the defire of fignalizing himfelf by a glorious death was the motive by which he was actuated; and if fo, his phrenzy muft appear equal to that of Empedocles, who leapt into one of the volcanos of Etna, in order to immortalize his name. His action may indeed be accounted for in a different manner, and that from his own principles. In his apology he declares human life to be fo wretched a ftate, that the philofopher, though he does not chuse to lay violent hands upon himself, is ready to embrace the firft opportunity of quitting so undefirable a fituation. But a man that rushes upon death, when he has it in his power a Cæfar; and he would, by fo doing, have had as just a claim to the glorious name of patriot, as by restoring the commonwealth. But fuch influence had a falfe notion of honour upon his mind, that he put an end to his life when his country had moft occafion for it. to preferve his life, can be confidered in no other light than that of fuicide for if he who gives a sword to one who he knows has an intention to kill, is as much guilty of murder as he whose arm perpetrates the crime, the man that expofes himself to be put to death by others, is as properly a fuicide as he that dies by his own hand. Thus, in whatever point of view we confider this action, it must appear altogether undeferving of the high encomiums which have been lavished upon it, both by antients and moderns. If we afcribe it to vainglory, it must appear contemptible and ridiculous. If we ascribe it to difguft of life, it must appear cowardly and mean-fpirited; and the greatest admirers of this philofopher will find it hard to affign any other motive for his throwing away a life, which he might have faved. Cato's putting an end to his life, has been represented as an extraordinary inftance of heroism, and a proof that he could not bear to furvive the liberty of his country; but was, in reality, the effect of a stoical pride, which made it infupportable to him to acknowledge a fuperior. Cuneta terrarum fubacta præter atrocem animum Catonis. "Cæfar had conquered all the world; but could not fubdue the haughty foul of Cato." HOR. This sonduct, however, appears fo far from deferving praise, that it will hardly admit of an excufe. Though he could not preferve the liberty of his country, he might have been serviceable to it, in checking and mitigating the tyranny of Suicide, the practice of which was frequent among the Stoicks, is warmly pleaded for by Seneca, who reprefents it as an effect of the higheft fortitude and magnanimity; yet 'it is felf-evident that it had its fources in vanity, and that they had recourse to it because it enabled them to put an end to the drama, when they could no longer shine upon this sublunary ftage. It is hoped, that fuch confidera tions as thefe may help to undeceive young perfons, who, led away by the force of prejudice, are liable to: form erroneous opinions both of characters and actions. Nothing, indeed, can be aftronger inftance of the contradictions fo fre: quently difcoverable in human, af- · fairs, than that the deaths of Socrates and Cato fhould be fo often reprefented to them as glorious and praife-worthy, when, exclufive of the arguments that might be al ledged against them from the fug-. geftions of reason, they are altogether inconfiftent with the fpirit of the religion we profefs. An intire acquiefcence in the will of God is the bafis of Chriftianity; whereas he that deprives himself of life af ferts a claim to independency, and renounces his allegiance to the Sovereign of the universe. ་ MR. HISTORY OF CANADA. [Continued.] R. de Montmagny had nothing to object to fuch reasonable obfervations. He expreffed his approbation of what the Indian had faid, and obferved, in his turn, that a peace with the Iroquois would be, at leaft, as advantageous to the nation of Hurons as to the French colony. In the mean time, father de Brebeuf having profeffed an eager defire to return to his church, from whence he had come down the river to Quebec, upon the most preffing occafion, he fupplied him and two new miffionaries with a guard, or escorte, for his protection. Thus fecured, they arrived in fafety among the Hurons; who, being af fembled in council, refolved to fend the two prisoners to the French governor. He had already releafed the other, whom the Algonquins had put into his hands. The cantons of the Iroquois, in order to manifeft their inclination to peace, fent back to him the Frenchman, called La Couture, who had accompanied father Jogues in his captivity; and with him came deputies from the cantons, vefted with full powers to treat, and even conclude a pacification. As foon as Mr. de Montmagny understood they were arrived at Trois Rivieres, he went thither, and gave them audience in the fort, the area of which was covered with fail-cloth, by way of doing them the greater honour. He himself fat in an elbow-chair, furrounded by his officers, and all the principal inhabitants of the colony; and the deputies of the Iroquois, being five in number, were, at their own re queft, feated on a matt at his feet, in order to fhew their respect for Ononthio, whom they ever dignified with the appellation of father. The Algonquins, Mountaineers, Attikanacquis, and other Indian tribes, ftood oppofite to the governor; but the Hurons mixed with the French. The middle space was left unoccu pied, that they might have room to perform their evolutions; for these conferences are a kind of comedies, where many fenfible remarks are made, with a thousand ridiculous gefticulations. The Iroquois had brought along with them seventeen great belts of Wampumt, and hung them in order upon a string, stretched between two poles, which they had fixed for the purpose. The previous ceremony being adjusted, the orator of the cantons rofe, and prefenting one of the belts of Wampum to Mr. de Montmagny, expreffed himself to this effect: + Wampum is a kind of bead, formed of fhells, and firung in rows, fo as to form the belt. Every belt is confidered as a new subject, on which the orator is to dijplay his eloquence. an oar; then he panted as if he had been out of breath: then he paused, as if to recover ftrength. He afterwards, in imitating a man carrying a burden, feemed to ftrike his toe against a ftone, and walked limping along, as if he had been grievoufly hurt. After all this mimickry, he added, " Truly, father, I don't know what was become of thy dif cretion, to fend away one of thy children thus alone, without affiftance. I did not behave in that man be! which they pronounced with a kind of cadence, hawked, as it were, from the very bottom of their breafts. At the fame time they ran about the place, skipping and dancing with the most ludicrous buffoonry. The orator, having frequently thrown up his eyes to heaven, and rubbed his arms, as if he had been anointing himself for wrestling, refumed his first compofure, and his fpeech, in these words: "With this belt I thank thee, father, for having faved the life of our brother. Thou ha'ftner to Couture; but faid to him, fnatched him from the jaws of the Come, nephew, follow me; I will Algonquins: but wherefore didft refore thee to thy family, at the thou let him depart alone? If his hazard of my life." canoe had been overfet, who would have helped him to have fet it to rights? If he had been drowned, or perished by any other accident, thou wouldft have heard nothing of peace, and perhaps blamed him for a fault which thou thyfelf hadft committed?" In pronouncing thefe words, he hung his belt upon the cord, took another, and tying it round Couture's arm, "Father, (faid he) this belt brings home thy fubject; but I was far from faying to him, Nephew, take a canoe, and return home to thy own country. I fhould never have enjoyed peace of mind, until I had heard of his fafe arrival. Our brother, whom thou fenteft back, fuffered a great deal, and ran many hazards. He was obliged to carry his own bundle, to fwim all day, drag his canoe over rapid riffs, and be always on his guard against furprize." The words he accompanied with the moft fignificant geftures: fometimes he mimicked the action of a man working a canoe with a pole; fometimes he seemed to tug hard at 1 The other belts were ufed in like manner, to confirm the different parts of his difcourfe: one was to level and mend the roads, another to calm the river, a third to bury the hatchet: the reft were to render propitious their future intercourse; to promote mutual feafting; to eftablifh an alliance among all the nations; to forward the defign they had to bring back the fathers Jogues and Breffani; to teftify the longing defire they had to fee thefe holy miffionaries; to demonstrate the fayourable reception they fhould meet with among the cantons; and to exprefs their gratitude for the releafe of the three Iroquois prifoners.. The orator, after having performed this important part for three whole hours without intermiffion, was the first to join in the dancing and finging, which concluded their first conference. It is not the cuftom of the Indians to make propofals and hear anfwers at one fitting: the chevalier de Montmagny, therefore, appointed another day for his reply, when the affembly was as numerous as at their |