rock, and confiderably higher; that the river has infenfibly worn away, and undermined those parts, on which it broke along with the utmost violence. For, within the memory of feveral of the inhabitants of this town, a large rock has given way, that has greatly altered the view. Indeed I am convinced that the perpendicular heighth of the fall becomes lefs and less every year, by the continual friction of so large and rapid a body of water; and have no doubt but that the two rocks, which now rife in the midft of the river, will in time be undermined and carried away. The river, for fome way before the fall, even near the bridge, dashes upon a rocky bottom, and renders the navigation impoffible for any kind of veffel. A few weeks ago a countryman of ours tried an experiment with a fmall boat, which he contrived to have gently pushed to the edge of the cataract. It fhot down entire to the bottom of the fall, was out of fight for a few moments, and then rofe up, dashed into a thousand splinters.

Coxe.

OF

SECT. XIII.

GESNER THE AUTHOR OF THE DEATH

OF ABEL, AND LAVATER THE

PHYSIOGNOMIST.

ON the fecond of Auguft we dined luxuriously with the Capuchin friars at Rapperschwyl, who feldom regale their guests in so sumptuous a manner. It was one of their great feast-days; and accordingly they gave us every poffible variety of fresh-water fish, with which the lake and the neighbouring rivers abound. The convent is built upon the edge of the water, and commands from some of the apartments a very agreeable prospect. The library is by far the pleasantest room, though not the most frequented. The cells of the monks are small, and yet not inconvenient; but cleanlinefs does not feem to conftitute any part of their moral or religious obfervances. Indeed the very habit of the order is ill calculated for that purpose, as they wear no fhirt or ftockings, and are clothed in a coarse kind of a brown drugget robe, which trails upon the ground. Strange idea of fanctity! as if dirt could be acceptable to the Diety. I reflected with particular fatisfaction, that I was not born a member of the Roman Catholic church;

as

as perhaps the commands of a parent, a fudden disappointment, or a momentary fit of enthufi-. asm, might have sent me to a convent of Capuchins, and have wedded me to dirt and superstition for life.

After dinner we took leave of our hofts, and departed for Zuric by water. The lake of Zuric is near ten leagues in length, and one in breadth. The city ftands upon a gentle eminence on the northern extremity of the lake; a beautiful fituation, and advantageous for commerce. For by means of the river Limmat, which iffues from the lake, and dividing the town, falls into the Aar, there is a communication with the Rhine. And this advantage has not been neglected; as the trade of the town is very extensive. The inhabitants are exceedingly induftrious, and carry on with fuccess several different branches of manufacture; the principal is that of crape. Their chief traffic is with France, Ruffia, Italy, and Holland.

Since the reformation many persons have flourifhed here, eminent for their learning in all branches of literature; and there is no town in Swifferland, where letters are more encouraged, or where they are cultivated with greater fuccefs. I waited this morning upon the celebrated Gefner, author

D 5

author of the Death of Abel, and feveral other performances, which for their delicate and elegant fimplicity are justly esteemed. They abound with those nice touches of exquisite fenfibility, which difcover a mind warmed with the finest sentiments; and love is represented in the chafteft colouring of innocence, virtue, and benevolence. Nor has he confined his subjects merely to the tender paffion. Paternal affection, and filial reverence; gratitude, humanity; in fhort, every moral duty is exhibited and inculcated in the moft pleasing and affecting manner. He has for fome time renounced poetry in order to take up the pencil; and painting is at prefenthis favourite amufement. A treatife which he has published on landscape-painting, shows the elegance of his tafte, and the verfatility of his genius; while his compofitions in both kinds prove the resemblance of the two arts; and that the cònceptions of the poet and of the painter are congenial. I prefer his drawings in black and white to his paintings; for, although the ideas in both are equally beautiful or fublime, his colouring his infeFior to his design. He is preparing an handsome edition of his writings in quarto, in which every part of the work is carried on by himfelf. He prints them at his own private prefs, and is at once both the drawer and engraver of his plates. It is

to

to be lamented that he has renounced poetry; for, while ordinary writers fpring up in great plenty, authors of real genius are rare and uncommon. His drawings are feen only by a few, and will scarcely be known to pofterity. But his writings are difperfed abroad, tranflated into every language, and will be admired by future ages, as long as there remains any relish for true paftoral fimplicity. or any taste for original compofition. He is plain in his manners; open, affable, and obliging in his addrefs; and of fingular modefty. He has nothing of the poet in his appearance, except in his eye, which is full of sense, fire, and expreffion.

We waited also on Mr. Lavater, a clergyman of Zuric, and celebrated pyhfiognomist, who has pub lifhed a famous treatise on that fanciful subject. He expreffed himself badly in French; but there was an agreeable warmth and vivacity in his countenance and manner, while he converfed upon his favourite fubject. That particular paffions have a certain effect upon particular features, is evident tò the most common obferver; and it may be conceived, that an habitual indulgence of these paffions may poffibly, in some cases, impress a distinguishing mark on the countenance. But that a certain caft of features conftantly denotes certain paffions; and that by contemplating the former, we can inᎠ 6

fallibly