tude, though they entreated it with tears; not only that they might have the confolation of con tributing, by their attendance and care, to mitigate or to footh his fufferings, but that they might reap instruction and benefit, by joining with him in thofe pious exercifes, to which he had confecrated the remainder of his days.

From Valladolid, he continued his journey to Plazencia in Eftremadura. He had paffed through that city a great many years before; and having been ftruck at that time with the delightful fituation of the monaftery of St. Juftus, belonging to the order of St. Jerome, not many miles diftant from that place, he had then obferved to fome of his attendants, that this was a fpot to which Dioclefian might have retired with pleafure. The impreffion had remained so strong on his mind, that he pitched upon it as the place of his retreat. It was feated in a vale of no great extent, watered by a final brook, and furrounded by rifing grounds, covered 'with lofty trees: from the nature of the foil, as well as the temperature of the climate, it was efteemed the moft healthful and delicious fituation in Spain. Some months before his refignation, he had fent an architect thither, to add a new apartment to the monaftery, for his accommodation; but he gave ftrict orders, that the ftyle of the building fhould be fuch as fuited his present station, rather than his former dignity. It confifted only of fix rooms, four of them in the form of friars' cells, with naked walls; the other two, each twenty feet fquare, were hung with brown cloth, and furnished in the moft fimple manner. They were all on a level with the ground;

with a door on one fide into a garden, of which Charles himself had given the plan, and had filled it with various plants, which he propofed to cultivate with his own hands. On the other fide, they communicated with the chapel of the monaftery, in which he was to perform his devotions. Into this humble retreat, hardly fufficient for the comfortable accommodation of a private gentleman, did Charles enter, with twelve domeftics only. buried there, in folitude and filence, his grandeur, his ambition, together with all thofe vaft projects, which, during half a century, had alarmed and agitated Europe; filling every kingdom in it by turns, with the terrour of his arms, and the dread of being fubjected to his power.

He

As

In this retirement Charles formed fuch a plan of life for himself, as would have fuited the condition of a private perfon of a moderate fortune. His table was neat but plain; his domeftics few; his intercourfe with them familiar; all the cumberfome and ceremonious forms of attendance on his perfon were entirely abolished, as deftructive of that focial eafe and tranquillity, which he courted, in order to footh the remainder of his days. the mildness of the climate, together with his deliverance from the burdens and cares of government, procured him, at firft, a confiderable remiffion from the acute pains with which he had been long tormented, he enjoyed, perhaps, more complete fatisfaction in this humble folitude, than all his grandeur had ever yielded him. The ambitious thoughts and projects, which had fo long. engroffed and difquieted him, were quite effaced from his mind. Far from taking any part in the

political tranfactions of the princes of Europe, he reftrained his curiofity even from any inquiry concerning them; and he feemed to view the bufy fcene which he had abandoned, with all the contempt and indifference arifing from his thorough experience of its vanity, as well as from the pleafing reflection of having disentangled himself from

its cares.

*

DR. ROBERTSON.

PART II.

PIECES IN POETRY.

CHAPTER I.

SELECT SENTENCES AND PARAGRAPHS.

SECTION I.

Short and eafy Sentences.

Education.

"Tis education forms the common mind; Juft as the twig is bent, the tree's inclin'd.

Candour.

With pleasure let us own our errors past;
And make each day a critic on the last.

Reflection.

A foul without reflection, like a pile
Without inhabitant, to ruin runs.

NOTE.

In the first chapter, the Compiler has exhibited a confiderable variety of poetical construction, for the young reader's preparatory exercifc.

1

Secret virtue.

The private path, the fecret acts of men,
If noble, far the nobleft of their lives.

Neceffary knowledge eafily attained,

Our needful knowledge, like our needful food,
Unhedg'd, lies open in life's common field;
And bids all welcome to the vital feast.

Difappointment.

Disappointment lurks in many a prize,
As bees in flow'rs; and ftings us with fuccefs.

Virtuous elevation.

The mind that would be happy, must be great; Great in its wifhes; great in its furveys. Extended views a narrow mind extend.

Natural and fanciful life.

Who lives to nature, rarely can be poor÷
Who lives to fancy, never can be rich.

Charity.

In faith and hope the world will difagree;
But all mankind's concern is charity.

The prize of virtue.

What nothing earthly gives, or can destroy, The foul's calm sunshine, and the heart-felt joy, Is virtue's prize.

Senfe and modefty connected.

Distrustful fenfe with modeft caution speaks;
It still looks home, and fhort excurfions makes;
But rattling nonfenfe in full volleys breaks.
Moral difcipline falutary.

Heaven gives us friends to blefs the prefent fcenes
Refumes them to prepare us for the next.