The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-06-13

Y
ccner.ed ne houd make the tour OF Switzerland with
his tutor. He accordingly ie in the month Of Sep
ten,ber 1885, and Jaw the principal cities Of Switzee
| la'id About this time he iocited and engaged in
Literary correspondence with ieveral eminent of
learning in Europe. Mr. Crevier at Paris Breitinger
AT Zurich Celer at Gottingen ard A,iaard IT Bex.
During his fay in Switzerland he fayy his hcuic
at Ferney near Geneva, the celebrated VotaiTe. He
was ihewn by that Poet, on,e veries OF fs mann
itrpt, and was admitted TO Zee him perform The Prn-
| ciPal characters in his own pla,s.
About tins time lie became acquainted with Made
mohee Snian Curihod,a young lady for whom he con-
ceved mott ardent attachment He fpeaks Of ker in
the following glowing deicrpton q" Her peronal at
fractions were enbellhed BY the virtues and talents
o. the miud. Her fortune was humble, but her ia
nhiy wasrelpecsable Her mother native Of France,
mao preferred her religion to her country The pro-
teicn O. her father did not extinguih the moderation
ana Phiieiophy of his temper, and he lived Content
WIN lniaH iaary and aborous duty, in the obicure
lot OF inintter OF Crafty in the mountains which ie-
parate the Pals dc Vaud from the County of Burgun-
ay. IN the iolitude of feguelfered village he be-
Howed on his daughter liberal, and even learned
education. She lurpailed his hopes by proficiency
the licences and the languages and i'll her hort vi
It's to lone relations Lauianns, the w.t. the beau-
ty and erudton of NIademoiielle Curihod were the
| themes OF uniyeria applauie The report of iuch
prodigy awakened my curioiity iaw and loved.
Hound her learned without pedantry, lively in
Seriation, pure i'll lentment and elegant in manners ;
and the iirit iennenrs fortified by the habits
ana knowiedge OF more familiar acquaintance. She
permitted me to make her or three Wits her
| own honie lpalied iome happy days there, in the
mountains OF Bergundy, and her parents honorably
encouraged the connection. In calm retirement,
the gay vanity of youth no longer iattered her bo
ION. She hltened to the voice OF truth and paion,
ana might prciu,,e TO hope that l had made lome
InPretion On vrtuous heart AT Crafty and Lau-
iaEne INDUCED this dream OF felicity but my
return to England foon dilcovered that my father
would not hear of this trange alliance After pain
tnl itruggle yielded to ny fate. fghed as lover
obeyed as ion. The mnilter of Crafty foon after
wards died his itipend died with him :: his daughter
retired to Geneva, where By teaching young ladies,
The earned hard iubffence for herielf and mother
but IN her oweh drels lhe preferved fpotleCs re-
Putation and dgnited behaviour. A rich banker
OF Paris citizen of Geneva, had the good fortune
and good ienie to dcover and poef this ineAinable
treaiure: and IN the capital of tane and luxury l,e
rehited the temptations of wealth. as he had iiilan-
ed the llardlhips of Indulgence. The genius of her
hu,pard has raIed him the mott confpicuous tati-
On IN europe. In every change of PROPERTY anddif-
grace ne has reclnedon the boom off faithful
" and M. Curfhod is now the wife of Neckar the mi
ntiiter, perhaps the iegator of the French monar
chy."
Soon after this, Mr.. Gibbon returned to his native
country. He left Lauianne in April 1853. He had
oeen aoient near I've years He decribes hinielf as
perfect trerchnlan in drefs, language afte and Dino
iiition In ms abfence his father had married fecond
wlte He was inclined fr to view her with an eve
OF iupcion and relerve, but her yeeefs of difpoti-
on exceency OF understanding, and elegance of man
ners loon concliaed his affections and he ever iterre
Saraec Re- a5 zeal His aunt ne met with moif
unelgned JOY For nearly two years he either relded in
London or at the feat Of his father in the Country He
generally IN either place, his acquaintance was not
extenive, devoted himelf to his books. HIS reading
WIS PrlncPd,y confined to ancient and modern hitory
iS tudles were interrupted in 1859 by being called
out INTO teryce officer in the militia Shortly be-
fore this, he had written MS" Ey the uy of lite
nature his eilay written before he left Lau-
lame Its objee prove that every faculty of the
mind may be exerciied and diiplayed in the Hudy of
ancient literature Il written in French 1t was
put INTO the hands of Doctor Maty Judge and to cri
tiche He returned the manucript with ome centuries
and much Praiie. He fill fhrunl from the prefs and
near two years eapted, before, the urgen oicati-
on OF his father and friends he ventured to introduce
ms clay into the world. The work was publilhed in
i|oi' and II England, was received with cold indier-
eiice lie continued in active duty in the militia till
the beginning of the year 763, during which time eve
y iPare moment was devoted his favorite authors
ne projected ieveral htorca productions, none of
Which Progreied further than his imagination 1.-THE
Expedition of Charles VIII into Italy the Cruade
OF Richard l. the Hilto-y of the black Prince -
Dir Waiter Raleigh !; the 4" Liberty of the Swifs -
the" Republic OF Florence under the houfe of Medicis
all IN turn fuggeited themfeves, and after fo:ne little
reading preparatory to each, were given over.
In l703 MIR. Gibbon made an excuriion TO Paris
where he lived in fle of hofpitaity and intimacy
with many of the frt literary characters Of this place
l he well known characters of Diderot D'Alembert
Cayls, Bieterie, Barhelemy, Raynall Arnaud Conda-
mine, Du Clos, Paaye, Bougainvile &c. were his
Trends and ntimates From Paris he fhaped his courfe
towards Italy, and in his way Popped at Laulanne
iere lie determined to remain onetine, in order to
go through preparatory courie of fudy for his Jour
ey through Italy He refded there nearly syear, and
here commenced his acquaintance with Lord sheffield
whole iriendihP he cultivated 70 warmly during the
Whoe couEie OF his le He lpent nearlya year in ira
veling over Italy, and viewed every thing which could
excite or CRAFTY the curioty of man of learning and
icence AT the feet of tire Venus de Medcis, he felt
that the eh'iie may vie withthe pencil. He trod with
lofty itePs the runs OF the FORUM and recalled to MS
imagination every fpo where fully fpoke, or Cae.ar
ieH It was at Rome the 18th October 1914 while
ire oare-icotei Fryars fnging veipers in the
temple OF Jupiter ,hat he was firt truck with the de-
Ign OF writing the Decline and of that once fplcn.
did Enpre.'
la l7G5 he returned to England. His friend Dey-
Verdun had left his Country and had fixed himielf
III Londonin the literary line The friendhip between
them was renewed and in the winter they uialy ref
edtogether. The mind of Mr.. Cibbon ever bent on
hitorica competitions about :his time engaged him in