on, and from the awful darkness of his brow, one could
see that his thoughts of vengeance were terrible. Yet when it was over,
he all at once resumed his usual appearance, called out "andiamo, come
along;" went to dinner, and was as chearful and gay as if nothing had
happened.

His notions of morality are high and refined, such as become the Father
of a nation. Were he a libertine, his influence would soon vanish; for
men will never trust the important concerns of society to one they know
will do what is hurtful to society for his own pleasures. He told me
that his father had brought him up with great strictness, and that he
had very seldom deviated from the paths of virtue. That this was not
from a defect of feeling and passion, but that his mind being filled
with important objects, his passions were employed in more noble
pursuits than those of licentious pleasure. I saw from Paoli's example
the great art of preserving young men of spirit from the contagion of
vice, in which there is often a species of sentiment, ingenuity and
enterprise nearly allied to virtuous qualities.

Shew a young man that there is more real spirit in virtue than in vice,
and you have a surer hold of him, during his years of impetuosity and
passion, than by convincing his judgement of all the rectitude of
ethicks.

One day at dinner, he gave us the principal arguments for the being and
attributes of GOD. To hear these arguments repeated with graceful energy
by the illustrious Paoli in the midst of his heroick nobles, was
admirable. I never felt my mind more elevated.

I took occasion to mention the king of Prussia's infidel writings, and
in particular his epistle to Marischal Keith.[108] Paoli, who often
talks with admiration of the greatness of that monarch, instead of
uttering any direct censure of what he saw to be wrong in so
distinguished a hero, paused a little, and then said with a grave and
most expressive look, "C'est une belle consolation pour un vieux general
mourant, 'En peu de tems vous ne serez plus.' It is fine consolation for
an old general when dying, 'In a little while you shall be no more.'"

[Footnote 108: The younger brother of the Earl Marischal (see p. 140).
He took part in the rebellion of 1715, although he was but seventeen
years old. He next served for ten years in the Irish Brigade in the
Spanish army. He then entered the Russian service, and fought against
the Turks. He was sent to England as Russian ambassador.