screaming, and calling for aid; and others, with bleeding limbs, were running through the streets. The cause of the disaster was not yet known. Soon, at the distance of a hundred paces, we saw the ruins, where every thing was levelled with the ground, and whence the devastation was spread in all directions beyond. Our house was still standing, for it was situated to the west of that place, and the wind, coming from that quarter, carried the blast more to the east. The place of that Stygian magazine ship, which was full of powder, and which prostrated every thing in its vicinity, was but 180 paces from my house, and many edifices, twice and three times as long as mine, were reduced to a heap of ruins. I had not yet looked at what was under our feet. The street was perfectly strown with flying papers. I took one up, and recognized my own hand-writing, and found they were all mine. We went to picking them up, and, as I looked to my study windows, which were on the front side, and in the first story, I found they were broken in, and the papers, containing my notes, projected from their tables, into the street. We returned to the house, to see what had happened there. The apartments were all shattered; the windows, the doors, the glass and porcelain ware, nice furniture, timepieces, lamps, and plates, were all dashed in pieces. The entire roof was carried away. Parts of the house, including my lecture-room, were fallen; and we feared it would be unsafe for us to remain in it. But the carpenters assured us, that there were still two apartments which might be safely occupied. We therefore remained till the end of January,-the first week, without roof, windows, or doors. We suffered extremely from the rain, the snow, the cold, and the wind. Our remaining furniture, linen, bed-clothes, and the like, were, by these means, greatly damaged, and still more, my library, which was exposed two nights to the falling dew. We

were all the while expecting repairs to be made, but the carpenters kept putting us off. The adjoining houses, which threatened to fall, were torn down by order of the magistrates, who, fearing that ours would thereby be prostrated, sent armed men to remove us, and others, who resided near us. The domestics were panic-struck, and friends, alarmed for me, though I knew there was no cause for it, hastened to our relief, and persuaded us to take our most valuable articles, and leave the house. I yielded reluctantly to their will, and packed up those goods, and delivered them to my friends for safe-keeping. In the tumult, many things were lost, which had hitherto been safe, and, among the rest, a purse, with 600 florins. Nevertheless, we remained in the house fifteen days longer, daily packing our goods in a quiet manner, and conveying them, by the canal, to the garden where I now reside, and from which I go, on stated days, into the city to lecture. But in arranging my effects, and in sorting out my library, I miss many of my books, and even my note-books and comments on Greek and Latin authors; and I now feel the truth of what numerous individuals before said, but what I could not believe, that, at the time of the explosion, many of my papers were blown away, and carried by the wind to the scene of devastation.

These, my dear Sainte Croix, are what relate to me. I have written respecting them, because you requested it; for, truly, I am ashamed to mention such trifles, compared with the calamities of others. One hundred and fifty persons were crushed in the ruins, and among them, the two professors, Kluit and Luzac. The former was my friend, and had made large collections on the history of the Middle Ages and of Holland, which he was expecting to publish, but which perished with him. Luzac was crushed by the falling house of a friend, as he was

approaching the door, to visit him. While thinking of their death, I am always reminded of what is said of Theramenes, in Plutarch's Consolation to Apollonius, who, when at a feast, where the building fell, and destroyed all the guests but himself, exclaimed, "O, fortune, for what hast thou preserved me?" A short time afterwards, he was put to death by the tyrants of Athens. Let us bear with equanimity whatever shall come upon us. Still I cannot but inquire frequently, "Why did Luzac perish, and not I?" If the wind had been in a contrary direction, he would have escaped, and I should have perished. Let us, then, render thanks to Him who directs the winds and all the course of nature. For the residue of life let us do him homage by a diligent performance of our duties. A part of these duties with me will be, to devote myself to my studies, and to prepare anew the notes that have been lost. As it respects the books of the university library, concerning which you inquire, none were lost, except those which were lent to persons whose houses were destroyed.

WYTTENBACH TO BOISSONADE.

Leyden, Feb. 18, 1808.

I was duly honored with your book and the accompanying letter, the former of which delighted me with its learning, the latter with its kindness. I accept the book as a welcome token of your good-will, but I did not request it, as you suppose, though, I assure you, I desired it for your sake. I rejoice to see the accurate learning and the enthusiasm for ancient literature which, from the days of Budaeus to those of Henry de Valois, belonged pre-eminently, if not exclusively, to the French, now reviving among you. Nor am I less gratified that the excellent Bast has become your associate in this work, and that you will thus be able to rescue the honor of

these studies with the next generation. You alone, who were unwilling that your work should come to my knowledge, on account of its mediocrity, seem to place too modest and low an estimate upon your powers. Such a diffidence, or shall I call it irony?—does not become a man of so much learning. Of your design to edit Eunapius, I highly approve, and I shall take pleasure in giving you whatever I have collected on him. ** Be so kind as to send the enclosed letter to Bast.

WYTTENBACH TO CHARDON LA ROCHETTE.

Leyden, Oct. 22, 1808.

Your letter and the letter of Morelli were duly received. They were particularly grateful to me as the communications of eminent scholars, who were at the same time my most beloved, and my most cordial friends. You speak of having sent to me a fasciculus from Morelli, by which, I suppose, you mean un paquet; for I have received nothing but your letter, enclosing his, and he makes no mention of any thing more. Your notice of the third part of my Bibliotheca Critica in the Magazin Encyclopédique, was given me by my friend Lynden, who has just returned from his journey. He often speaks of your kind attentions, and expresses much gratitude for what you have done. That notice gives evidence both of your learning and of your friendship for me. The last part of the Bibliotheca, with several indexes, will be completed soon, by the end of the year, at latest; and I will send a copy to you and to my other friends in Paris. You will oblige me, if you can send the package of Morelli to him without expense. *

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You kindly inquire whether the fearful calamity, which has befallen our city, affected me in particular. In my person, I escaped unhurt; but in the injury done to my furniture, library, etc., I have lost about 6000 francs. I

was very near the scene, being only 150 paces from the magazine ship. My house was completely shattered; part of it fell in. I now live in a small garden in the suburbs, and have not yet been able to return to my Plutarch whence I was driven by the explosion. Shortly after the melancholy occurrence, I gave a particular account of it, in a letter to Sainte Croix, to which I refer you, Larcher, and all my inquiring friends. While on -this subject, I may mention that Mahne, whose work on Aristoxenus I reviewed in the first part of the Bibliotheca Critica, will, in a few days, publish a very learned work. My review of the Lectiones Andocideae has been assailed by two blockheads in two Belgian papers. To these Mahne has replied, and in his refutation has cast new light on many subjects in antiquities, and on many forms of expression in Greek and Latin. But I will send you the book with the last part of the Bibliotheca Critica. In a few months my Phaedo will follow, for which Morelli furnished me the various readings of two Venetian manuscripts, and Bast of seven in the Vienna library.

WYTTENBACH TO LARCHER.

Leyden, July 21, 1809.

Though I often think of you, Larcher, "thou friend of my heart," my thoughts are more particularly directed to you by the sad intelligence of the death of our excellent friend, Sainte Croix, which has reached us only by common report. If this report is true, I shall deeply lament a loss so great to myself, to you, and to our studies; for we shall be deprived of a most valuable and cordial friend, and classical learning of a distinguished ornament. In the last volume of my Bibliotheca Critica, I paid a tribute to the memory of Villoison; I should like to do the same for Sainte Croix, in the next, provided I can obtain the requisite information. If you could furnish