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completion, found rational, solid, and adequate causes for this gradual freedom and confederacy, without being "com"pelled to assign such great events to private pique and in“dividual revenge." ??** For the subject at large in a historical and political view the reader is principally referred to WATTEVILLE'S Histoire de la Confederation Helvetiquet and to the celebrated and elaborate DEFENCE OF THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONS.

* See page 34 of this Miscellany.

A history of Switzerland has also been lately written by PLANTA ; but the writer has not enjoyed the satisfaction of consulting either that work, or the travels of CoXE. As a substitute for the latter, he has made use of Wood's general view, &c. a work not without merit.

ORIGINAL MEMOIRS OF BENJAMIN,
COUNT OF RUMFORD,

With some account of his writings, philosophical improvements, &c.

"Dulce est meminisse laborum."

BIOGRAPHY has universally been considered one of the most useful studies, to which the youthful mind can be directed. This very just and general opinion is founded upon the acknowledged connexion, which exists between the mental faculties and the natural propensity of the human heart to imitate, to equal, and even to rival the characters of eminent men of ancient or modern times. To correct the aberrations of genius, and divert it from an irregular and unworthy pursuit; to reclaim the desponding spirit of neglected youth, and teach them to rise superior to the trifling obstacles, which are often obtruded on their course, should ev er be the object of those, who attempt to portray and delineate the characters and conduct of men. To do this has generally been the object of biographers; but unhappily

some few exceptions exist, which materially injure the effect, 'this branch of literature would otherwise produce.

ness.

The natural direction, which the human mind, untutored and uninformed, would choose, is not of an evil kind; but, more honorable and more congenial to our ideas of the benevolence of Deity, it would seek the path of rectitude and goodBut the tendency to imitation, and the erroneous belief, that present good and temporary happiness are the only objects worthy our concern, leave an unfortunate occasion to many to wander from the course to eminence, which misguided man was originally designed to attain. He is therefore to hear of as few bad characters, as possible, and be continually presented to those venerable and illustrious models for imitation, which history and tradition will afford. When such are found and recommended, a slight view of the conduct and an exalted admiration of the talents and greatness of the original are not the only things to be regarded. We should scrutinize and examine the means, by which he attained such a pitch of grandeur, and ascertain whether the original genius, apparently inspired, was the cause, or whether it did not proceed from an industrious and undeviating pursuit of the same object. The solution of this question will terminate favorably for human nature, and convince us, that it is not so difficult to be eminent, as is generally imagined. The germ is commonly the same, and it is by cultivation and care only, that the plant will flourish.

The subject of these memoirs will perhaps furnish one of the most extraordinary instances of the eminence, to which a naturally strong mind, aided by an unshaken resolution to become great, will in the end conduct us.

At an earlier period, than young people usually discover their intellectual faculties, he directed his attention to objects, worthy his employment, and, looking round him, saw but few impediments in the path to the temple of fame. He watched the actions of men, while a youth, not to admire and imitate their exploits, but with a philosophic eye to penetrate beyond the exterior, and analyze the motives, the moving principle within, which directed the human machine. He

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found, that this principle was not only the characteristic of man, but that it was great and powerful beyond the human comprehension; that, if man would only consider the wonderful extent of his intellectual powers, he might advance to¬ ward excellence, proportionate to his inclination. Unhap pily for mankind, the world at this day presents no flattering perspective of the order and beauty, which human na ture in its origin and by gradual improvement through a succession of numerous ages, was capable of producing. He saw this defect, and resolved to burst the chains of ignorance and superstition, which bound and subjugated so many of his fellow creatures, and give his mind its wished for liberty. How he has been employed and what has been his success the world will judge.

Benjamin Thompson was born at Woburn, in Massachu setts, on the 26th day of March A. D. 1753, of respectable parents. During the few first years of his infancy, he dis covered no striking marks of genius; nothing, which justified a belief that he was one day to become the admiration of the world. His youthful sports however indicated a remarkable and unequalled taste. None of the common, vulgar a musements, which generally engage the attention of boys, were satisfactory to him. But, when amusement was his object, his invention and ingenuity were put in requisition, and something new and curious was generally the result. His schoolfellows could rarely assist in contriving ingenious tricks, and as seldom could they participate in his pleasures; consequently his companions at play were not numerous. No stupid insensibility ever appeared on his brow; no fixed are rangement of features ever stiffened his countenance; but, in whatever employment, if he was interested, he was all attention, all ardor; and such was the dependence of his countenance upon the state of his mind, that the minutest variation in this was depicted on the former. Such was his intense application, in whatever business he engaged, whether rural diversions, or scholastic exercises, that he devoted his whole soul, and never left any thing unfinished or incom plete..

When he had gained by the ordinary course of a common school education a knowledge of writing and reading, he commenced with eagerness the study of arithmetic and math ematics. This naturally produced, or rather discovered his inclination to study the principles of mechanics and natural philosophy; and here was opened to his expanding mind a rich, inexhaustible, and unsatiating fountain of novelties. Indeed so great was his attachment to these studies, that scarcely was any other food requisite for sustenance, and, when his attention was fixed in any investigation, he was impatient and could ill bear to be interrupted.

This taste for mathematical and philosophical inquiries is founded on the tendency of their results, and the native inclination of the human mind to investigate truth, and be gratified with its discovery. Here it may not be very unphilosophical to assert, that, wherever we find an inquisitive mind, intent on the pursuit of the above sciences, with a zeal bordering on enthusiasm, we shall find it is the constant companion of a good, honest, and benevolent heart.

His guardian, for his father died when Mr. Thompson was only two or three years of age, was desirous of confining his attention to some regular pursuit or profession, which would, after he arrived to the legal age of discretion, enable him to accumulate a handsome living, and place him upon a respectable establishment for life. For this purpose various attempts were made to reconcile, what was, through ignorance of human nature, called extravagance, to the steady and contracted employment of a merchant. Agreeably to this plan after he had lived a few months at about the age of sixteen with a physician, Dr. Hay, of Woburn, where, during the intervals of study, he amused himself with making surgical instruments, &c. which he executed in a very finished style, he was placed as clerk in a store at Salem. Here he soon discovered his aversion to that business. He employed as much of his time, as he could by any means steal from the duties of his station, to amuse himself with study and little, ingenious, mechanical recreations, and would be more frequently found with a penknife, file, and

gimblet under the counter, than with his pen and account books in the compting room. In one of his chemical experiments at Salem, for he was particularly pleased with the study of chemistry, his life was endangered by an unexpected explosion of some nitrous compound, which he had been preparing for rockets. While he was pounding in an iron mortar the ingredients, necessary for such fire works, it was supposed a particle of sand, treacherously concealed among the other matter, caused a scintillation, by which the whole suddenly exploded in his face and bosom. The burns, occasioned by such fire, are of the most malignant kind, and in a few days, in addition to a temporary loss of sight, the skin of his face and breast was taken away with the bandages. Such an apprentice, it may easily be imagined, would never answer the wishes of a merchant. But little was it thought at that day, that this apparently indolent and careless youth would in time become one of the most industrious and enterprising men in the world, and be received as the greatest favorite at the principal courts of Europe.

While he was thus imprisoned in the store at Salem, he softened the rigor of his confinement by an enthusiastic prosecution of the study of mathematics and mechanics. After he had obtained a considerable knowledge of the principles of these sciences by the scanty means within his reach, he was induced, like all other mechanics, to think he could solve that great desideratum, the perpetual motion. This he attempted by a combination of wheels and the mechanical powers, parts of which the writer has often seen, but was never able to gain any information concerning the principles, upon which it was expected to act. Such was his zeal in the execution, and such his confidence of the success of this little contrivance, that he travelled from Salem to Woburn in the night, the only time, which was afforded him, to communicate this scheme to an old schoolfellow and friend,* who from practice and study had previously been convinced of its impossibility.

• Col. Baldwin of Woburn.

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