and at the fame time the most difficult way; the generation of animals and of plants, the circulation of the blood, the digeftion, the respiration; the fpermatic animalculæ, thofe of infufions; mineralogy, volcanoes, combuftion, the defcription of many unknown animals, fhoals of cruftaceous and teftaceous fishes; the folution of feveral phyfical and chemical problems, all defiderata till his time. A man may in the courfe of fome years form a hiftory of any particular object without poffeffing very diftinguished talents; but to treat on fo many obfcure fubjects in an original manner, to tear off fo many veils, to difcover fo many truths, is to announce an extraordinary energy, and the employment of means which are by no means common. Great men produce fuch numerous and fine works, because all their hours are marked by great ideas, and because all their thoughts are emiffions of light which throw a brightnefs over every part of the objects they contemplate, and because all their thoughts are rays which penetrate them. If we pronounce on Spallanzani by his method; it is uniformly the moft ingenious, the most eafy, and the moft fcrutinizing; he never leaves any doubt, he cannot be contented under any; and he always fhews as much in the nature, and in the folidity of his explanations. His difco. veries have defied the fagacity of the keenest observers, and the perfpicacity of the most envious. It is in the whole of his labours, that his vaft conceptions are to be underflood, they are always the happy expofition of a grand idea, which attaches itfelf to the great principles of natural biflory; and, as he takes great pains to remark this precife union, one would imagine he poffeffed the plan of the universe. In short, if we decide on Spallanzani by his ftyle, which is a characteriftic trait of genius, when it is pure, clear, polished, and melodious; we know that the countrymen of this naturalift place his works by the fide of thofe which are the best written. But I ought to stop here, it was my wish to make known the merits of this rare man, by recounting that which he has done, and in fumming up the judgment of all those who read him, or who have had an opportunity of knowing him. Such is that of Haller*, Trembley, Bonnet; it has been repeated by the illuftrious profeffors of Pavia, by all the celebrated men of Italy and of Europe, with whom he was in correfpondence. France, Germany, England, all were eager to avail themfelves of his works by means of tranflations. He was admitted into the academies and learned focieties of London, Stockholm, Gottingen, Ho?land, Lyons, Bologna, Tutin, Padua, Mantua, and Geneva. He was a correfpondent of the academy of sciences of Paris and of Montpelier: and received from the great Frederic himself the diploma of member of the academy of Berlin, holding even often a direct correfpondence with him. It is two years fince C. Salicetti, commiffary of the Directory of the Republic to the army of Italy, offered him a chair of natural hiftory at Paris, which he refufed on account of his advanced age. The laft year, the college of medicine at Madrid received him as one of its body. The ftature of Spallanzani was tall rather than fhort; he had a high forehead, lively and dark eyes, a brown complexion, a robust frame, and had never felt during the whole of his life but one fit of a fever, and that he caught in coming out of the mines * Haller dedicated to him the 4th volume of the last edition of is grand PhyfioJogy, "Lazaro Spallanzani, fummo naturæ in minimis in indagatori, ob ejus in veri finibus extendendis merita, D. Hallerus." mines of Schemnitz, in very cold weather. In the 3d year of the Re. public, he was attacked with a flight retention of urine, and fome fymptoms of the gout, which however did not in the least fufpend his ftudies. Spallanzani customarily worked every day, following a methodical order which he had prescribed himfelf: he then preferred retired fituations: but he loved hunting and fishing, in which sports he was very expert; he played well at ballon and at chefs; his converfation was always filled with energetic expreffions, with original ideas and happy refer ences. A ftrong and rich memory enabled him to embrace and retain in an inftant, all that was known upon the fubjects which occupied him; an infallible judgment kept out every thing like confufion; his ardour for acquiring the fciences equalled his patience for entering profoundly into them. His extenfive and enterpriz ing view inftantly mastered the matter he treated, but he was circumfpect even to timidity in forming his opinion; he was never long in feizing the whole of a question, and in the twinkling of an eye distinguished all its parts with their relations, pointing out with equal promptitude that which should neceffarily connect the others; paffionately fond of truth, he was unwearied in his purfuit of it, and fpoke it unceasingly. It feems as if nature infpires thofe who know her, with her character of fimplicity and grandeur, nearly the moft ftriking trait of moral perfection. Spallanzani was univerfally ef teemed; his virtues, without any aufterity, were displayed on all occahows: he knew how to make facrifices to friendship; and, in particular, rendered himself amiable to his family: it is there, however, that the man is feen in the utmost dishabille, and where his defects put off the mask which covers them in the world. He was adored by his relations, whofe delight he always was; he never quitted them but with regret, and he ever returned to them with eagerness. He had inspired them with fimilar taftes to his own; his brother Nicolas, a doctor of laws, affifted him when he returned to Pavia. His fifter is a distinguished naturalift, fhe is perfectly acquainted with her brother's cabinet of natural history, and knows the properties of each piece it contains, being moreover able to reafon upon them. Her mind is modelled upon that of this great man, whom it was a pleasure to her to study and imitate, Spallanzani carefully directed the education of his nephews, and he has had the pleasure to see the eldest, an honorary profeffor of medicine at Padua. On the 15th Pluviofe (Feb. 4.) 1799, Spallanzani had fresh attacks of a retention of urine, the fame night was unquiet, and in the morning he loft all powers of reafon, which he never recovered but during very short intervals. His intimate friends, citizen Tourdes, a French phyfician, and the celebrated profeffor Scarpa, did every thing which could be expected from genius, experience, and friendship, to fave him; but he died the 17th, after having edified thofe around him by his piety. This lamentable event overwhelmed all his family in forrow, occafioned the tears to flow from all his friends, filled his difciples with a deep affliction, and excited the regret of a nation proud of having given him birth. The 25th, his colleague, the profef for Gregorio Fontano, made an eloquent motion in the council of juniors at Milan, for erecting a monument to the memory of his departed friend, to be placed by the fide of thofe of Frifi, Beccaria, and Verri, who had given luftre to the Cifalpine Republic. SCHEDULE Loudoun and Fauquier, A SCHEDULE OF PROPERTY COMPREHENDED IN THE FOREGOING WILL, WHICH IS DIRECTED TO BE SOLD, AND SOME OF IT CONDITIONALLY IS SOLD ; WITH DESCRIPTIVE AND EXPLANATORY NOTES RELATIVE THERETO. IN VIRGINIA. Loudoun co. Difficult Run, Ashbys Bent, Chattins Run, 7,080 S Berkeley, S. fork of Bull fkin 1600 Head of Evans's m. In Wormley's line, Frederick, bo't from Mercer, 571 20 Hampshire on Potomac river above B. 240 Nanfmond, near Suffolk, one-third of 15 44,720c 3,600 € 400 about 3,600f Two near the Capitol, Square 634 coft 963 dollars, and with buildings, No. 5, 12, 13, and 14, the three last water lots on the Eaftern Branch, in fquare 667, containing together 34,438 fquare feet, at 12 cents, Alexandria. Corner of Pitt and Prince Streets, half an acre laid out into buildings, three or four of which are let on ground rent at 3 dollars per foot, Winchefter. A lot in the town of half an acre, and another in the Bath, or Warm Springs. 15,000r 4,132 4,000 t 400 u Two well fituated, and had buildings to the amount of 1501. 800 Befides 20 Shares to the Free School-Five" STOCK LIVING, viz. One covering Horfe, five carriage Horses, four riding ditto, fix brood Mares, twenty working Horses and Mares, two covering Jacks, and three young ones, ten fhe Affes, 42 working Mules, 15 younger ones, 329 head of horned Cattle, 640 head of theep, and a large ftock of Hogs, the precife number unknown. - My Manager has estimated this Live Stock at 7000l. but I fhall' fet it down in order to make a round fum at Aggregate Amount Notes referred to in the foregoing Sche dule. a. This tract, for the fize of it, is valuable, more for its fituation than the quality of its foil, though that is good for farming; with a confiderable proportion of ground, that might very easily be improved into meadow. It lies on the great road from the City of Washington, Alexandria and George-Town, to Leefburg and Winchester, at Difficult Bridge, nineteen miles from Alexandria, lefs from the City and George Town, and not more than three from Matilda-ville, at the Great Falls of Po, tomak. There is a valuable feat on the premises, and the whole is conditionally fold for the fum annexed in the schedule. b. What the felling prices of lands in the vicinity of these two tracts are, I know not; but compared with thofe above the ridge, and others be low them, the value annexed will appear moderate-a lefs one would not obtain them from me. c. The furrounding land, not fuperior in foil, fituation, or properties of any fort, fells currently at from twenty to thirty dollars an acre. The lowest price is affixed to thefe. d. The obfervations made in the laft note apply equally to this tract, being in the vicinity of them, and of fimilar quality, although it lies in an other county. ex that which is tranfported 30 miles only by land. f. This tract is of fecond rate Gloucester low grounds. It has no improvements thereon, but lies on navigable water, abounding in fish and oyfters. It was received in payment of a debt (carrying intereft) and valued, in the year 1789, by an impartial gentleman, at .800N. B. It has lately been fold, and there is due thereon a balance equal to what is annexed in the schedule. g. Thefe 373 acres are the third part of undivided purchases made by the deceased Fielding Lewis, Thomas Walker, and myself, on full conviction that they would become valuable. The land lies on the road from Suffolk to Norfolk, touches (if I am not mistaken) fome part of the navigable water of Nanfamond River; the rich Difmal Swamp, is capable of great improvement, and, from its fituation, muft become extremely valuable. b. This is an undivided interest which I held in the great Difmal Swamp Company, containing about 4000 acres, with my part of the plantation and ftock thereon, belonging to the Company in the faid Swamp. i. These several tracts of land are of the first quality on the Ohio River, in the parts where they are fitu ated, being almoft, if not altogether, river bottoms. The fmalleft of these tracts is actually fold at ten dollars an acre, but the confideration therefore not received. The rest are equally valuable, and will fell as high; efpecially that which lies juft below the Little Kanhawa, and is oppofite to a thick fettlement on the weft fide the river. The four tracts have an aggregate breadth upon the river of fixteen miles, and are bounded thereby that distance. e. This tract, though small, is tremely valuable. It lies on Potomak River, about 12 miles above the Town of Bath (or Warm Springs) and is in the shape of a horfeshoe, the river running almost around it. Two hundred acres of it are rich low grounds, with a great abundance of the largest and fineft walnut trees, which, with the produce of the foil, might (by means of the improved k. These tracts are fituated on the navigation of the Potomak) be Great Konhawa River, and the first brought to a shipping port with more four are bounded thereby for more ease, and at a smaller expense, then than forty miles. It is acknowledged 3 G 2 |