luxury and diffipation, pitched upon Corfica, as a place which nobody else had feen, but where he fhould find what was to be feen no where elfe, a people actually fighting for liberty, and forming themselves, from a poor inconfiderable, oppreffed nation, into a flourishing independent state.'

The out-fet of our author's journal bears no date; but we conclude from circumstances, that he fet out on his tour in 1764. When he arrived in Switzerland, (for he went thither, and proceeded to Rome, &c. before he went to Corfica) he vifited the celebrated J. J. Roufleau.

This philofopher was then living, fays Mr. B. in romantic retirement, from whence, perhaps, it had been better for him never to have defcended. While he was at a distance, his fingular eloquence filled our minds with high ideas of the wild philofopher. When he came into the walks of men, we know alas! how much these ideas fuffered.'

The above remark is very juft, and the cenfure implied in it is equally delicate both with refpect to Rousseau who was our author's friend, and to Mr. Hume who is his countryman. We need fay nothing more on this head, as the differences that happened between these two eminent philofophic geniuses, during Mr. Rouffeau's refidence in England, are fo recent, fo generally known, and have been fo particularly noticed in our Reviews.

Mr. Boswell was very courteously received by the citizen of Geneva; who having fome correfpondence with the Corficans, fince their application to him for affiftance in forming a body of laws to be established in their ifland, he gave our author a recommendation to fome of the principal people there.

We fhall (for the prefent) pafs over our author's travels in Corfica, with the particulars of the hofpitable entertainment he met with at the feveral places vifited by him before he was introduced to Paoli; and proceed immediately to his description of that illuftrious perfonage; and his account of the converfation he had the honour to hold with him.

When, fays he, I first came within fight of Sollacaro, where Paoli was, I could not help being under confiderable anxiety. My ideas of him had been greatly heightened by the converfations I had held with all forts of people in the island, they having reprefented him to me as fomething above humanity. I had the ftrongeft defire to fee fo exalted a character; but I feared that I fhould be unable to give a proper account why I had prefumed to trouble him with a vifit, and that I fhould fink to nothing before him. I almost wished yet to go back without feeing him. Thefe workings of fenfibility employed my mind till I rode through the village and came up to the house where he was lodged.

Leaving my fervant with my guides, I paft through the guards, and was met by fome of the general's people, who conducted me into an antichamber, where were feveral gentlemen in waiting. Signor

Boc

Boccociampe had notified my arrival, and I was fhewn into Paoli's room. I found him alone, and was ftruck with his appearance. He is tall, ftrong, and well made; of a fair complexion, a fenfible, free, and open countenance, and a manly, and noble carriage. He was then in his fortieth year. He was dreft in green and gold. He used to wear the common Corfican habit, but on the arrival of the French he thought a little external elegance might be of ufe to make the government appear in a more refpectable light.

He asked me what were my commands for him. I prefented him a letter from Count Rivarola, and when he had read it, I fhewed him my letter from Rouffeau. He was polite, but very referved. I had stood in the prefence of many a prince, but I never had fuch a trial as in the presence of Poli. I have already said, that he is a great phyfiognomift. In confequence of his being in continual danger from treachery and affaffination, he has formed a habit of ftudioufly obferving every new face. For ten minutes we walked backwards and forwards through the room, hardly faying a word, while he looked at me, with a steadfast, keen and penetrating eye, as if he fearched my very foul.

I was

This interview was for a while very fevere upon me. much relieved when his referve wore off, and he began to speak more. I then ventured to address him with this compliment to the Corficans. "Sir, I am upon my travels, and have lately vifited Rome. I am come from feeing the ruins of one brave and free people : I now see the rife of another."

'He received my compliment very graciously; but observed that the Corficans had no chance of being like the Romans, a great conquering nation, who fhould extend its empire over half the globe. Their fituation, and the modern political fyftems, rendered this impoffible. But, faid he, Corfica may be a very happy country.

Some of the nobles who attended him, came into the room, and in a little we were told that dinner was ferved up. The general did me the honour to place me next him. He had a table of fifteen or fixteen covers, having always a good many of the principal men of the island with him. He had an Italian cook who had been long in France; but he chofe to have a few plain fubftantial dishes, avoiding every kind of luxury, and drinking no foreign wine.

I felt myself under fome constraint in such a circle of heroes. The general talked a great deal on history and on literature. I foon perceived that he was a fine claffical scholar, that his mind was enriched with a variety of knowlege, and that his converfation at meals was inftructive and entertaining. Before dinner he had spoken French. He now spoke Italian, in which he is very eloquent.

'We retired to another room to drink coffee. My timidity wore off. I no longer anxiously thought of myfelf; my whole attention. was employed in liftening to the illuftrious commander of a nation.

'He recommended me to the care of the Abbé Roftini, who had lived many years in France. Signor Colonna, the lord of the manor here being from home, his houfe was affigned for me to live in. I was left by myself till near fupper time, when I returned to the ge

neral'

neral, whofe converfation improved upon me, as did the fociety of thofe about him, with whom I gradually formed an acquaintance.

Every day I felt myfelf happier. Particular marks of attention were fhewn me as a fubject of Great Britain, the report of which went over to Italy, and confirmed the conjectures that I was really an envoy. In the morning I had my chocolate ferved up upon a filver falver adorned with the arms of Corfica. I dined and fupped conftantly with the general. I was vifited by all the nobility, and whenever I chofe to make a little tour, I was attended by a party of guards. I begged of the general not to treat me with fo much ceremony; but he infifted upon it.

One day when I rode out I was mounted on Paoli's own horfe, with rich furniture of crimson velvet, with broad gold lace, and had my guards marching along with me. I allowed myself to indulge a momentary pride in this parade, as I was curious to experience what could really be the pleasure of flate and diftinction with which mankind are fo ftrangely intoxicated.

When I returned to the continent after all this greatness, I used to joke with my acquaintance, and tell them that I could not bear to live with them, for they did not treat me with a proper respect.

My time paffed here in the most agreeable manner. I enjoyed a fort of luxury of noble fentiment. Paoli became more affable with.. me. I m de myfelf known to him. I forgot the great distance between us, and had every day fome hours of private conversation with him.

From my first fetting out on this tour, I wrote down every night what i had obferved during the day, throwing together a great deal, that I might afterwards make a felection at leifure.

• Of thefe particulars, the most valuable to my readers, as well as to myself, must furely be the memoirs and remarkable fayings of Paoli, which I am proud to record.

Talking of the Corfican war, "Sir, faid he, if the event prove happy, we shall be called great defenders of liberty. If the event prove unhappy, we thall be called unfortunate rebels."

The French objected to him that the Corfican nation had no regular troops. We would not have them, faid Paoli. We thould then have the bravery of this and the other regiment. At preient every single man is as a regiment himfelf. Should the Corticans be formed into regular troops, we fhould lofe that perfonal bravery which has produced fuch actions among us, as in another country would have rendered famous even a Marifchal.

• I asked him how he could poffibly have a foul fo fuperior to intereft. "it is not fuperior, faid he; my interefl is to gain a name. I know well that he who does good to his country will gain that: and I expect it. Yet could I render this people happy, i would be content to be forgotten. I have an unspeakable pride, "Una fuperbia indicibile." The approbation of my own heart is enough."

Pe faid he would have great pleafure in fecing the world, and enjoying the fociety of the learned, and the accomplished in every country. I alked him how with thefe difpofitions, he could bear to be confined to an island yet in a rude uncivilized flate; and inftead of participating Attick evenings, "noctes cœnaque Deum,"

be

be in a continual courfe of care and of danger. He replied in one line of Virgil,

Vincet amor patriæ laudumque immenfa cupido

This uttered with the fine open Italian pronunciation, and the grace. ful dignity of his manner, was very noble. I wished to have a statue of him taken at that moment.

I asked him if he underflood English. He immediately began and spoke it, which he did tolerably well. When at Naples, he had known feveral Irish gentlemen who were officers in that fervice. Having a great facility in acquiring languages, he learnt English from them. But as he had been now ten years without ever fpeaking it, he spoke very flow. One could fee that he was poffeffed of the words, but for want of what i may call mechanical practice, he had a difficulty in expreffing himself.

I was diverted with his English library. It confifted of fome broken volumes of the Spectator and Tatler, Pope's Effay on Man, Gulliver's Travels, a history of France in old English, and Barclay's apology for the Quakers.'

Our Author promifed to fend him fome English books; and he adds, in a note, that he has fince furnished Paoli with the works of Harrington, Sidney, Addifon, Trenchard, and other writers in favour of liberty. He alfo fent him the Spectator, Tatler, and Guardian; and the works of Mr. Johnfon, author of the Rambler, &c.

He convinced me, continues Mr. B. how well he underflood our language; for I took the liberty to fhew him a memorial which I had drawn up on the advantages to Great Britain from an alliance with Corfica; and he tranflated this memorial into Italian with the greatest facility. He has fince given me more proofs of his knowledge of our tongue by his anfwers to the letters which I have had the honour to write to him in English, and in particular by a very judicious and ingenious criticism on fome of Swift's works.

He was well acquainted with the hiftory of Britain. He had read many of the parliamentary debates, and had even feen a number of the North Briton. He fhewed a confiderable knowledge of this country, and often introduced anecdotes and' drew comparisons and allufions from Britain.

He faid his great object was to form the Corficans in fuch a manner that they might have a firm conftitution, and might be able to fubfift without him. Our ftate, faid he, is young, and still requires the leading ftrings. I am defirous that the Corficans thould be taught to walk of themfelves. Therefore when they come to me to ask whom they fhould chufe for their Padre del Commune, or other magiftrate, I tell them, you know better than I do, the able and honeft men among your neighbours. Confider the confequence of your choice, not only to yourfelves in particular, but to the idland in general. In this manner I accustom them to feel their own importance as members of the ftate.

Mr. B. obferving, that things would make a rapid progrefs, and that we should foon fee all the arts and fciences fourth in Corfica. Patience Sir, faid he. If you faw a man who had fought a hard battle, who was much wounded, who was beaten to the ground, and who with difficulty could lift himself up, it would not be reafonable to ask him Rev. July 1763.

E

to get his hair well dreft, and to put on embroidered clothes. Cor fica has fought a hard battle, has been much wounded, has been beaten to the ground, and with difficulty can lift herself up. The arts and fciences are like dress and ornament. You cannot expect them from us for fome time. But come back twenty or thirty years hence, and we will thew you arts and fciences, and concerts and affemblies, and fine ladies, and we'll make you fall in love among us, Sir.

He fmiled a good deal, when I told him that I was much fur prized to find him fo amiable, accomplished, and polite; for although I knew I was to fee a great man, I expected to find a rude character, an Attila king of the Goths, or a Luitprand king of the Lombards.

obferved that although he had often a placid fmile upon his countenance, he hardly ever laughed. Whether loud laughter in general fociety be a fign of weaknefs or rufticity, I cannot fay; but I have remarked that real great men, and men of finished behaviour, feldom fall into it.

"I am

The variety, and I may fay verfalility, of the mind of this great man is amazing. One day when I came in to pay my respects to him before dinner, I found him in much agitation, with a circle of his nobles round him, and a Corfican standing before him like a criminal before his judge. Paoli immediately turned to me, glad you are come, sir. You proteftants talk much against our doctrine of tranfubftantiation. Behold here the miracle of transubstantiation, a Corsican tranfubftantiated into a Genoefe. That unworthy man who now ftands before me is a Corfican, who has been long a lieutenant under the Genoefe, in Capo Corfo. Andrew Doria and all their greatest heroes could not be more violent for the republic than he has been, and all against his country." Then turning to the man, "Sir, faid he, Corfica makes it a rule to pardon the most unworthy of her children, when they furrender themselves, even when they are forced to do fo, as is your cafe. You have now escaped. But take care. I fhall have a strict eye upon you; and if ever you make the leaft attempt to return to your traiterous practices, you know I can be avenged of you." He fpoke this with the fiercehefs of a lion, and from the awful darkness of his brow, one could fee that his thoughts of vengeance were terrible. Yet when it was over, he all at once refumed his ufual appearance, called out "come along;" went to dinner, and was as chearful and gay as if nothing had happened.

His notions of morality are high and refined, fuch as become the father of a nation. Were he a libertine, his influence, would foon vanish; for men will never trust the important concerns of jociety to one they know will do what is hurtful to fociety for his own pleajures. He told me that his father had brought him up with great ftrictness, and that he had very feldom deviated from the paths of virtue. That this was not from a defect of feeling and paffion, but that his mind being filled with important objects, his paffions were employed in more noble purfuits than thofe of licentious pleasure. I faw from Paoli's example the great art of preferving young men of fpirit from the contagion of vice, in which there is often a

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