At the commencement of the French Revolution, La vater, who had always been distinguished for his ardent love of genuine freedom, was naturally led to regard that event with a favourable eye ; but after it had assumed a character of atrocity, and threatened destruction to the sa cred and salutary principles of religion, of morals, and of social order, he loudly proclaimed his abhorrence of the enotouties which tt occtsinaed• and strove to ave. t the calamities which imp( adt d over ;,is ;.:tire coo dry. During toe revolutionary scenes which ensue.1 land, he preserved the ell.tracier of a sincere .1,1d z a ous patriot. Ile endeavoured to infuse spirit of model aeon into all parties, and never ceased to raise his voice freely and boldly, against all manner of oppression and injustice, His conduct, indeed, gave umbrage to the members of the FLIvetic Directory, and he beciun.2. a victim to that system of deportation, by which the revolutionary endeavoured to rid themselves of all those who ventured to call their measul cs in question. The sentence against him, however, was afterwards recalled, and he was set at liberty. At the storming of the city of Zurich by the French army under i\lassena, in 1799, Lavater had the misfortune to receive a wound in the breast. The wound was not considered dangerous, although he was obliged to con fine himself to bed, and suffered great pain. Having ex erted himself, however, beyond his strength, in religious and charitable duties, before his wound was completely cured, he brought on a train of dangerous symptoms, which at length terminated his life, on the 2d of January, 1801, in the sixtieth year of his age.
The character of Lavater was in the highest degree amiable ; he was a zealous and upright patriot—an active and conscientious minister of religion—and a man of the most genuine benevolence. His moral conduct was, upon
every occasion, most exemplary ; and his whole life was spent in unwearied efforts to promote the happiness of mankind. His virtues, indeed, seem to have contributed more than his talents towards elevating him to that height in the scale of celebrity which he held during hie life. So great was his popularity at Zurich, that, in his walks, the people frequently flocked around him, and kiss ed his hand in token of their respect.
We have already alluded to some of the works of La• rater. Among these, his physiognomical publications enjoyed a very extensive, though ephemeral, celebrity. His other works, chiefly on religious subjects, are very numerous ; and some of them were extremely popular in their day, though now little read. His learning was not very extensive—his powers of reasoning by no means re markable—and, in all his productions, he seems to give full scope to the play of his fancy, and to revel in the re gions of enthusiasm. His pulpit eloquence, however, was much admired ; for his genius seemed better calculated to influence the feelings of an audience, than to display it self in writings, which were destined to be perused and coolly analyzed in the closet. His 4phoresins on Man have been considered as one of tile best of his miscellaneous publications ; and his Schweitzerlieder, (Songs of the Swiss) and some of his devotional effusions, are still read and ad mired by his countrymen. See Leonard Meister's Be rillunte Zuricher, and Beriihmte Jildnner Helvetiens, 1782 ; K. L. von Haller, Denkmal der Wahrheit auf J. K Layo ver ; J h, Leveler's Le bensbesuhreibung von seinem Toch termanne Georg. Gessner, 1802, 1803 ; Meiner's Briefe fiber die Schweitz, 2d edit. Berlin, :788 ; and Jorden's Lexicon Deutscher and Prosaisten. (z)