light that he could obtain upon a fubject; and then he made his decifion without bias.

This command over the partialities that fo generally stop men fhort, or turn them afide, in their pursuit of truth, is one of the chief caufes of his unwearied course of right conduct in fo many difficult fcenes, human actor must be prefuried to err.

where every

If he had strong paffions, he had learned to fubdue them, and to be moderate and mild. If he had weakneffes, he concealed them, which is rare; and excluded them from the government of his temper and conduct, which is ftill more rare. If he loved fame, he never made improper compliances for what is called popularity. The fame he enjoyed is of the kind that will last forever; yet it was rather the effect, than the motive, of his conduct. Some future Plutarch will fearch for a parallel to his character. Epaminondas is perhaps the brightest name of all antiquity. Our WASHINGTON refembled him in the purity and ardour of his patriotism; and like him, he firft exalted the glory of his country. There, it is to be hoped, the parallel ends: for Thebes fell with Epaminondas. But fuch comparisons cannot be purfued far, without departing from the fimilitude. For we fhall find it as difficult to compare great men as great rivers. Some we admire for the length and rapidity of their current, and the grandeur of their cataracts: others, for the majestic filence and fullness of their streams: we cannot bring them together to measure the difference of their waters. The unambitious life of WASHINGTON, declining fame, yet courted by it, seemed, like the Ohio, to choose its long way through folitudes, diffufing fertility; or like his own Potowmac, widening and deepening his channel, as he approaches the fea, and difplaying moft the ufefulness and ferenity of his greatness towards the end of his courfe. Such a citizen would do honour to any country. The conftant veneration and affection of

his country will fhew, that it was worthy of fuch a citizen.

However his military fame may excite the wonder of mankind, it is chiefly by his civil magiftracy, that his example will inftruct them. Great Generals have arifen in all ages of the world, and perhaps most in those of defpotifm and darkness. In times of violence and convulfion, they rife, by the force of the whirlwind, high enough to ride in it, and direct the ftorm. Like meteors, they glare on the black clouds with a fplendour, that, while it dazzles and terrifies, makes nothing visible but the darkness. The fame of heroes is indeed growing vulgar: they multiply in every long war they stand in hiftory, and thicken in their ranks, almost as undistinguished as their own foldiers.

But fuch a chief magiftrate as WASHINGTON, appears like the pole star in a clear sky, to direct the fkilful statesman. His prefidency will form an epoch, and be diftinguished as the age of WASHINGTON. Already it affumes its high place in the political region. Like the milky way, it whitens along its alloted portion of the hemifphere. The latest generations of men will furvey, through the telescope of history, the space where so many virtues blend their rays, and delight to separate them into groups and diftinct virtues. As the best illuftration of them, the living monument, to which the first of patriots would have chofen to confign his fame, it is my earnest prayer to Heaven, that our country may subfift, even to that late day, in the plenitude of its liberty and happiness, and mingle its mild glory with WASHINGTON'S.

R

An Eulogy

ON THE LIFE, CHARACTER AND SERVICES

OF BROTHER GEORGE WASHINGTON.

Pronounced before the Fraternity of FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS, by Request of the GRAND LODGE, at BOSTON, February 11, 1800.

BY BROTHER TIMOTHY BIGELOW.

The cafia fhall forever bloom o'er his head; for he hath gone down
cloudlefs in the Weft, "ripe in years and full of glory.”

BRETHREN OF THE MASONIC FRATERNITY, AND

FELLOW-CITIZENS OF THIS RESPECTABLE AUDIENCE,

THOUGH filence be justly confidered

the language of grief, yet it is equivocal. Hypocrify or indifference may affume it. On great occafions, therefore, it becomes a duty to vindicate our feelings, though it be impoffible fully to exprefs them. Highly laudable then is the conduct of our generous nation, at the prefent mournful crifis. While all claffes of our fellow-citizens, obedient to the injunctions, and imitating the example of Congrefs, are pouring forth their forrows, and recounting the virtues of the deceafed WASHINGTON; while the great and good of other nations are mingling their regrets with the lamentations of his afflicted countrymen-fhall the Mafonic Fraternity be filent? Supprefs their grief they cannot; and fhall they attempt to conceal it? No, my brethren, he had a double claim to our attachment; and we will dwell on his memory with peculiar affection. If our departed brother yet takes an intereft in what paffes upon earth; if his bleft shade still hovers over the country which he protected and loved, may we not hope that our tribute of respect will be acceptable; that our united plaudit may even

touch his immortal foul with pleafure? A hope like this would foften our pangs, and dart a ray of comfort through the gloom of affliction which furrounds us. But ah, how unlike are our present emotions, at best, to those we have been wont to indulge on the returns of this anniversary! Long have we been accustomed to hail it with joy, and regard it as the era of Heaven's peculiar favour to our country. Blind to futurity, we have fondly hoped that he would yet continue many years; that he would long defend us with his fword, and bless us with his counfels; that he would glide gently down the declivity of life, majestic as fome mighty river, and late, very late, fink in the ocean of eternity. So long fhall we deplore his apparently untimely departure. So long will this returning day call forth the mingled emotions of joy and mourning. But future times will again regard it as aufpicious. Our remotest posterity, inheriting our freedom and independence, and that happy Conftitution which alone can fecure them, will never be unmindful of the Mafter, who prefided at the building of the fair fabric of political glory, or forget that on this day WASHINGTON was born.

When we fee a whole nation of freemen in tears, difconfolate for the death of a fellow-citizen, what words can fwell his panegyric? Indeed, the people of the United States exhibit a fpectacle that is fcarcely to be paralleled in the annals of mankind. Nations, it is true, have often affumed the garb of forrow, and pompously displayed the emblems of grief for the death of emperors or kings. But it was when obedience, perhaps reluctant, was yielded to the orders of a fucceffor; or when, for reafons of ftate, mourning was established by laws. Under fuch circumstances, appearances may be deceptive: but, on our happy fhores, we fear no tyrant frown; we need nothing extraneous to prompt our fighs; our forrows are the fpontaneous effufion of grateful hearts; they demonstrate our respect to be fincere; and are fcarce lefs

honourable to the nation than to the memory of him whose death they deplore. Still more striking is another view of this interesting scene. Rarely has the world done juftice to the merit of the great, while living it has often ungeneroufly perfecuted its best benefactors, or fuffered them to pine in the gloom of neglect. Socrates, though a luminary to his own and future times, in fcience and in virtue, was condemned by his infatuated countrymen to death. Belifarius, who conquered a kingdom for his mafter, was fuffered ignominiously to beg his bread.* Columbus, who gave a new world to mankind, was loaded with chains, and pursued with infatiate rancour to his grave. Americans are more juft: while the great WASHINGTON was yet alive, they knew how to appreciate the mighty bleffing. Let us exult in the remembrance that they long fince hailed him the FIRST OF MEN; that they twice invested him with the chief command of their armies; that with their unanimous fuffrages they twice raised him to the dignity of fupreme magiftracy; that their united acclamations and fervent bleffings followed him in his repeated retirement from office; that he lived in honour, and died in glory. Yes, they even claim from his family a right to share their afflictions; with them to mourn their deceased father, to plant the cypress on his grave, and water it with their tears. Heaven furely approves Heaven furely approves this conduct: Heaven will continue to distinguish a people duly fen. fible of their bleffings.

Voluminous would be a detail of all the meritorious. actions, or even of the great achievements of our departed friend. To recount his heroic deeds, would be but to recite the history of his country, while he was in the field; would be but to repeat what thousands have already told, what many of you, my auditors, have perfonally witneffed, what even his vanquished enemies

Though the truth of this anecdote be queftioned by writers of eminence, it is nevertheless fupported by good authorities of ancient date; and it is agreed by all, that Belifarius was at one time unjustly deprived both of his honours and estates.