It was from the excellent Joseph Fox, the well-known
Christian philanthropist of our country, who spent both his fortune
and his life in establishing and sustaining several of our best
charitable and otherwise patriotic institutions. And once, when some
of his anxious friends would gladly have persuaded him to grant
himself more personal indulgences, and to labor less in the then
recently-begun plans for national education, he wrote "to the author
of Thaddeus of Warsaw," and, quoting to her those words from the
work, declared "they were on his heart! and he would, with the
blessing of God, perform what he believed to be his commission to the
last powers of his youth and health."
This admirable man has now been long removed to his heavenly country--
to the everlasting dwelling-place of the just made perfect. And such
recollections cannot but make an historical novel-writer at least
feel answerable for more, in his or her pages, than the purposes of
mere amusement. They guide by examples. Plutarch, in his lives of
Grecian and Roman Worthies taught more effectually the heroic and
virtuous science of life than did all his philosophical works put
together.] _you_ possess them, with virtues which will bear you
through the contest. _I_ have done; and my merciful Judge has
evinced his pardon of my errors by sparing me in my old age, and
leading me to die with you.
Pages:
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472