certain to receive, and returned to the leisure and obfcurity of a private station; where, having for fortyfive years lived for his country, he might, during the remnant of his days, live for himself. But

"Heaven doth with us as we with torches do,

Not light them for themselves."

"Spirits are not finely touch'd

But to fine iffues."

A name and an influence like WASHINGTON'S, Providence would not fuffer to be unemployed, in a period, when all dear and facred to man, is put in hazard by the madness of innovation, of revolution, and of conquest; and when even this remote region was called to partake of the vial of wrath poured out upon the nations of the Old World. The spirit of refiftance to Gallic injury and infult was kindled, and WASHINGTON pronounced it a genuine flame; believing, that the cup of reconciliation had been exhaufted to the laft drop." He would not think he had done enough for his country, whilft any thing remained to be done. He obeyed the call to the chief command of the army of defence, not defiring to hang up his armour whilst his country had an enemy; as ready to place the helmet on his filvered head, and to bare his aged breast to the wounds aimed at her peace and freedom, as he ever had been to devote the ftrength of his youth and the energies of his manhood to her cause.

It is the fad confolation of grief, to contemplate the excellencies of those we have loft. When we trace this full-orbed character in war and in peace, in public and in private life, we are ftruck with all thofe qualities, which could render him estimable and amiable in the peculiar fituations in which he was called to act. The hiftory of his long military command, is the hiftory of a mind, dignified in fentiments, calm in dangers, large in views, clear in forefight, fafe in counfels, and abundant in refources; of caution to plan, and patience to toil, with vigour to execute; of a rigid economy, joined to a becoming liberality; of a perfe

verance which never relaxed, of a conftancy which never yielded.

Who was ever in his presence without feeling that he was made to overawe and command mankind? In whom did the nearest approach and most familiar intercourse weaken respect? Infolence was checked before him, and even his enemies compelled not only to exprefs but to feel veneration.

He ventured upon a command of infinite hazard; and was felf-poffeffed in the most trying and defperate fituations. Whilst Trenton, Princeton, and Monmouth, which he has immortalized, evinced his contempt of perfonal danger, where it was proper to expofe himself; we fee the comprehenfion and forefight of his mind, and the fafety of his counfels, in his care to obtain the beft advice; in his adapting his measures to his fituation and refources; in the facility at expedients which he ever manifefted; and in the mode of warfare, which he adopted and pursued, in defiance of ignorant and credulous clamour, and at the hazard of his own popularity; a mode, lefs fplendid than wife, lefs flattering to the ambition and ardour, than indif penfable to the weakness of his army. It was his object, throughout the contest, to act on the defenfive, where attack was hazardous; to tire out the enemy by delay, when it was impoffible to overpower him by force; and never to risk the cause, at the expense of prudence, to gain the empty though captivating praise of valour.

He gave all his time, from the moment he rofe, till he retired to short reft, to the multiplied duties of his ftation. With his "mind conftantly on the stretch, his feelings often wounded, and innumerable events happening contrary to his wishes and expectations," he never loft his affection to the caufe. Obliged to maintain a perpetual struggle with every fpecies of difficulty, he was never the victim of "traitor doubts" or difheartening fear. Unfubdued by fatigue, undifturbed by disappointment, undaunted by danger, he N n

kept on his course, till the glorious work was done,
and his country was free. At this moment, he en-
joyed and feized the opportunity of difplaying that
moderation and firmness, which had marked ad
every
of his military life. An army victorious, yet unre-
warded; fuccefsful for a country which feemed unable
or indifpofed to ufe fuccefs for its own benefit or that
of its defenders, might be made the inftrument of an
ambition, that was capable of being disguised by the
plea of justice. But fuch an army, in the estimation of
the unafpiring WASHINGTON, could confer no higher
honour on themselves or their leader, than to ferve
and fuffer for their country without any compenfation,
if it could not be obtained by regular means. Under
his aufpices they retired from the field of war, which
had produced them only laurels, confenting, with their
illuftrious General, to lofe the foldier in the citizen.

In peace as in war, we contemplate in WASHINGTON a highly finished character. Often are the brilliant qualities of the warrior shaded with the deep vices of the man; for the unprincipled may be fired with thirst of military glory: But his heroifm was the heroism of virtue, not of ambition. His fortitude was firmness of foul to do his duty, not the energy of selfish and unlawful paffions. Hence was this man uniform and confiftent throughout; and his virtues, excited by principle, were the tenor, not the impulfe, of his foul. What a noble difinterestedness did he ever exhibit! His life was a continual facrifice of inclination to duty, and of every mean confideration of self-love to public good. How did he hazard his fortune, his character, and his life, in taking the command of our small, illprovided, and tranfient armies, in a conteft, in which the difficulties were innumerable and the refources most inadequate, the refponfibility vaft, and the iffue awfully uncertain? Could the moft audacious malice charge with any inordinate bias from private feelings, him, who never employed his power to advance a relative, but who was known, in appointments, to facrifice

his personal sentiments to the defire of getting the best talents into office; him, who refused all the opportunities of adding to his private fortune by his public fervices; him, who having reached the haven of hope, at the conclufion of his military command, confented, by accepting the Prefidency, to embark on a fea more turbulent than war itself?

In this man was a collection of virtues, which af fimilated his character not to the general face of the heavens, which fhows here and there a scattered ftar, but rather to the crowded galaxy, which exhibits an uninterrupted brightness. In every fituation and exigency, which afforded fcope, we faw him prudent, honeft, and firm; diligent, methodical, and felf-poffeffed; dignified, modeft, and pious.

He practifed not lefs fecrecy as a General and States. man, than franknefs as a man; as cautious in determination as decided in action; not lefs defirous to avail himself of the knowledge and opinions of others, than accustomed to make a refult purely his own. Unwilling as he was to provoke oppofition, it was yet in vain that a misguided or factious majority endeavoured to obtain his acquiescence in their ufurpation of the executive power. Ever paying much deference to public opinion, in vain was he affailed by an unexpected and almoft univerfal clamour, when the intereft and honour of his country required him to fanction a foreign treaty. "I confide (fays he) that fudden impreffions, when erroneous, will yield to candid reflection. While I feel the most lively gratitude for the many inftances of approbation from my country, I can no otherwise deferve it, than by obeying the dictates of my confcience." It was to be expected that a man fo capable of governing others, would be able to govern himself. We are told, that his paffions, by nature ftrong and irritable, were brought by difcipline, into complete subjection; fo that he, whom original conftitution dispos ed to turbulence and vindictiveness, appeared the pattern of equanimity and forbearance. What modesty

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joined with greatness, distinguished this extraordinary man! Alive to character, keenly fenfible to virtuous praise, the plaudits of a nation and a world were yet never known to elicit from him one fpark of vanity, or to raise one emotion of pride. The virtues of our departed friend were crowned by piety. He is known to have been habitually devout. To Chriftian institutions he gave the countenance of his example; and no one could express more fully his fenfe of the Providence of GOD, and the dependence of man. "When I contemplate (faid he) the interpofition of Providence, as it was vifibly manifefted in guiding us through the revolution, in preparing us for the reception of a general government, and in conciliating the good will of the people of America to one another after its adoption-I feel myself oppreffed and almoft overwhelmed with a fenfe of the divine munificence: I feel that nothing is due to my perfonal agency in all these complicated and wonderful events, except what can fimply be attributed to the exertions of an honeft zeal for the good of my country." When we acknowledge GOD in the talents, virtues, and fervices of the departed Chief, let us not overlook the hand of Providence in his profperous fortune, displayed in the many favourable incidents of his life, in the conftancy of the public affection and confidence, and in his death.

Of refpectable ancestry, he had yet no distinguished predeceffors to divide with him his glory; and no posterity to present a mortifying declenfion; feeming to come occafionally into the fyftem, like a new orb in the heavens. Born to affluence, he was enabled to difclaim any emoluments from office. Inhabiting the ancient territory, reasons of state dictated his elevation; and renowned for the military fkill and valour of his youth, no one appeared a fair competitor for the high command with which he was invefted. In the person of the hero, we look for fome correspondence to his mind and character. The tall and proportioned stature, the dignified and graceful port, the grave