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130 TRAVELS
return home, he may in his port-folio again take a view of thofe
rivers, cafcades, and mountains, that prompt fo lively a recollection
of his fucceflive pleafures and pains, he will not want in Lapland
abundant fubjects for his imitative pencil. And although winter
be unpropitious to his art, he will find what in fummer will pre-
fent a thoufand objedts to invite his attention, and an ample re-
compence for his patience. His imagination will be exalted to an
extacy of a melancholy kind: a penfive fadnefs, not without its
charnis and ufefulnefs.* That profound folitude and filence which
every where reigns, will every inftant fuggeft the queftion, to
what good end do thofe places ferve ? To what purpofe all that
beautiful fcenery of lakes, rivers, rivulets, and cafcades, if thofe
deferts are never, as would feem to be the cafe, to be peopled by
human beings? This queftion will never be folved by man,
while he retains the perfuafion that he is the Lord of the crea-
tion, and fo long as he indulges the idle and prefumptuous preju-
dice, that every thing exifts only for him. Thofe birds which
make the woods refound with their fong, which fwarm in
marfhes, on rivers, and in the air, and which in fummer retreat
by a long continued flight to Lapland from all parts of Europe,
in order to provide themfelves with nefts—have not thofe crea-
tures a natural right of multiplying their fpecies, as well as man ¢
Perfecuted every where elfe by human fnares and induftry, re-
fined by fictitious wants and defires, ought they not to have an
afylum where they may depofit the fruits of their loves?
* A melancholy turn of mind beft fitted for love and friendfhip,—HuMe.
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