T ~ ^*?^^lfi^*f^^l^^ >; ^ wr* tl&Hi *t*7 * * Hf^r 8 *tw* *f * f iiiips^s^j^i^P^ ^^ J i ^'r^ | 5^ wn^ l*aM; fttfll^J^ M-* 1 ? *lT* : a H* t > 'l ; *T t'^rl-Hk*^* nts'iWr* r* r 3 SKETCHES FROM N A T U R E; TAKEN, AND COLOURED, IN A JOURNEY TO MARGATE, PUBLISHED FROM THE ORIGINAL DESIGNS, Br GEORGE KEATE, Es^ VOL. II. LONDON: PRINTED FOR J. DODSLEY, PALL-MALL. M.DCC.LXxIX. SKETCHES . FROM NATURE. THE APOLOGY. JT is much eafier to read a boo, A than to write one; and fhould any floptical gentleman doubt this proportion, I wifh, for his own fa- tisfadlion, he would make the expe- riment. A reader may, either with or. without his fpeclacles, as he and his eyes can fettle it, travel through a volume juft at what rate he pleafes, or (top fhort the infant that he finds VOL. H. B to his road unentertaining ; but a poor devil of an author muft go on with the utmoft caution, looking back- wards, and forwards, and fideways, and endways and hath bufmefs enough on his hands* to keep every thing tight together, that his work doth not tumble to pieces. He is in truth,, only the reader's pioneer, to clear all obftructions, open his views, and ren- der his way cheerful. As every advantage feems to be thrown on the reader's fide, I muft, as an author, contend^ that there are fome indulgences due to us. I do not prefume to hint, that we have the privilege of taking a nap, becaufe our reader hath ; on the contrary, it is incumbent on us to keep his eyes open as long as poflible, as his fleep may be death to us; but furely, while we [ 3 ] we are bufied in entertaining him, we may be allowed a little recreation ourfelves, and if a delicious mea- dow, or a tempting piece 6f green- fward, lies by the road-fide, what literary code is there, to prohibit our taking a canter over it, though it lie out of the ftraigbt line of our- jour- ney ? For my own part, wh'eneyer the old horfe I ride hath a mind for a frifk, either to the right, or the left, I feel that I muft, and will, in- dulge his humour, in fpite of all the canons of criticifm. As long as it is natural, they may fire and welcome. Now ftraight lines are, and ever were, my averfion ; my writing- mafter could never tempt me when a child, to ufe them j they may ferve admirably well for rulers walking- Hicks mails or may-poles, but B 2 the t 4 ] the line of beauty difavows them.*' The FRENCH, it is true, lay out their roads by them, becaufe their notions of liberty and property, allow them to cut through any thing, but ours in this country, being more delicate on the fubje6t, it is by many curves and windings and pleafant turn- ings, that we get from town to town. In fhort, Jlraigbt lines are now ab- folutely exploded, they are not found to lead to the preferments of the world j nor do hereditary virtues, or fortunes, run any longer in them ! livery road from BERWICK upon TWEED to PENZANCE, is zig-zag every modern walk and plantation, zig-zag^ every avenue about court, zig-zag, and fo too are all our ideas; nay, and what is much to be la- mented, fo are all our lives too. And [ s I And this is that which frets their reverences fo much ; and will, to the end of time, furnifh us with new vo- lumes of fermons. However difgufting to the eye theftraigbt line may appear, yet any digreflion from it, which, after a lit- tle curve, reverts into it j becomes a pleafing form; and fhould digref- fions interfect the ftraight line on the other fide alfo, the whole united, takes nearly the figure of MERCURY'S Ca- duceus, which is indifputably the true ferpentine, and the fined model to' write by j and befides, being perfect- ly antique > you had better go to bed, be you who you will, than open your mouth againft it. Having faid thus much in fup- port of an author's privilege, and at the fame time, in favor of occafional B 3 digrefficns, [ 6 3 y not only in my own work, but in any work, or in every work, I befeech the reader, fhould he chance to fee me fet off on a fudden, that he would not halloo after me, but that he will conclude, I am in pur*- fuit of fomething for his fervice, and confider that every writer knows, or fhould know, his way home, and is bound to take care of his own neck. And now, COURTEOUS READER, let us fet forward once more together. If thou really haft a claim to the appellation I have given thee, thou art juft the perfon I am looking for, whenever I fet pen to paper: but if, on the contrary, thou haft refined away thy power of being pleafed ; if thou canft facrifice thy feelings to rules, and be out of humour at every [ 7 ] every little thing that may happen amifs e'en let us feparate the firft ihort turning we come to ; for I would not travel with thee, though thou fhouldft defray my expences to the world's end, B 4 THE [ 8 ] THE HOY. T WISH, from my heart, I had given it the gentleman, thought I ! as a perfon who fat next to me at LANG- FORD'S, was chaffering for a book, which he wi{hed for, in a lot of feve- ral I had juft bought, for whilft he was peflering me about proportioning the purchase money, I inattentively miffed another lot thatfoon followed, which was a very fcarce SPANISH ro- mance, I had long been in quefl of, and had come purpofely to buyj which was fnapped up by a book-fan- cier ', merely on account of its fcarcity, for he knew not a word of the lan- guage it was wrote in. I am at this inftant almoft in the fame fituation ; for while I have been 7 capitulating t 9 3 capitulating with the reader, or as' the law would term it, fettling articles of agreement with him, here is the devil and all to do in MARGATE; half a dozen men tied up in facks, and hopping for a pig three jack-afies running for a CHESHIRE cheefe, and a fmock-race on the fands, and all the world there, whilft the prize, decorated with ribbands, is carried in proceflion on a pole, like a popifli relique. Every circumftance of life is proportionate ; the Golden Pippin on Mount IDA did not more agitate the three Celeftial competitors, than this little object did our three terreftrial ones here. Happy fhe who conquers! as the lafs with a fhift to her back, /lands a far better chance for prefer- ment, than ihe who has none. And fee the viclrix has it flipped over her running running drefs, and marches off tri- umphant, with a drum before her and a mob at her heels! But this is not half the buftle; for two HOYS are juft arrived from LON- DON, their decks covered with new comers, and all MARGATE running down to the Pier-head to fee them land. I doubt whether I am flout enough to run too, but I will be amongft them as faft as I can walk. If I lean over this rail, I fhall fee them all come afhore. Mercy on me ! I think the whole city of LONDON is aboard of fhip ! fix ! eight ! ten ! twenty ! thirty ! fifty 1 feventy ! I can never go on reckoning at this rate. What ! are all the fhops fhut up ? Or have you been all bit, good people ? Or [ II ] Or are you come here to be lit ? - The wind has been dreadfully againft you the whole way ! Why, as faft as the boats fill, the deck is covered as:ain with new +.3 faces that rife out of the hold ! There is no end of it ! I will pofitively count no more. Nay, ladies, you need not fay how fick you have been, your looks will vouch for you. A tedious paffage, high fea, all the pumps continually going, and no room to flir, even to the fhip's fide, on necefiary calls it is mon- ftroufly inconvenient ! but it is a party of pleafure, and that is enough. Ha ! What is your Worfhip come down too? and Madam? and lit- tle Mifs ? pray take care how you get up the fteps. All for the water, I fuppofe ? Give C 12 ] Give that fat lady, in the Brunf- wick, your arm, my lad ; don't you fee how lame fhe is ? poor foul ! fcarce.a leg to fland on. If the fea can fet Jier upright, it mull work a miracle ! Coniidering the freight, and the live flock, thefe vefTels have brought down, I am in aflonifhment where they could flow fo many odd bun- dles, and bandboxes befidcs. Why there is two at leafl to every paflen- ger, filled, no doubt, with all the newefl-fafhioned curls, pompoons caps, and apologies for caps. \Ve lhall certainly have a general re- view of them at MITCHENER'S next Ball, and the heads they belong to and the people who own the heads. But now all the world is fcamper- ing another way after two coaches and [ 13 1 and four, and three poft-chaifes ; butchers, bakers, hair-drefiers, and milliners, running in a cloud of duft at their fide; and all the bathers elbowing each other, and contending for the honour of ducking the com- pany who are in them. The more the merrier, if you can but find beds to creep into. Well, it is a mighty pleafant thing to be on one's travels, and nothing fo fa- fhionable for fick, or well, no body ftays at home. I am glad, however, that I have got the ftart of fome of you, and am not juft letting out on mine. THE t 14 1 THE RIDE. GROW weary of the traveller, who peflers one with every thing he fees; carrying his pen and ink, like an excifeman> at his button-hole, to minute down his obfervations on every gutter he crofies. There is fcarcely any confiderable object, be- tween SHOOTER'S HILL and MOUNT JETNA, which hath not been defcribed, well, or ill, by forrse author or other; a hint ftrong enough to determine me to defcribe nothing profefledly, but to travel and write in my own way, which I can demonftrate to be the very beft way yet hit on, and at- tended with the leaft fatigue to thofe who travel with one. Whoever gives long, or laboured 3 defcriptions, [ i J defcriptions, loads his reader with a quantity of matter of f aft which lie& a dead weight on his head, as he goes on, and which many indeed have not a head to bear -, but by offering him no more than SKETCHES, his imagi- nation (fliould the out-lines be judi- cioufly taken) is complimented, and fet at work 5 bufied to fill up all the lights and fhades, and give every part its true tone of colouring, Wherever I turn my eye, NATURE is the great object it fixes on. I catch all the little incidents fhe throws in my way, whether they arife frorn- her fdent fcenes that folicit our ad- miration, or from her a&vue ones that interefl our pafilons. This fteady at- tention to all her movements, renders my walks and my rides luxurious j I contemplate with delight- the fim- plicity [ 16 ] plicity of the cottager, and all the domeftic occurrences of artlefs life not a fhell, or a fea-weed, that the wave throws on the fhore ; not a wild flower that illumines the corn-field, nor a butterfly that flutters acrofs my horfe's head, but awakens fome agree- able idea in my mind. LA PIERRE when he is riding with me, often interrupts me with his offi- cious care ; and conceives I am not well when I Hop ihort on a fudden, to mufe over any of thefe trivial cir- cumftances. He has fo much naivete and good humour, that one cannot be difpleafed with him ; and too much of the Frenchman to comprehend what it is that engages me. The je ne vois rien, which is his common reply, may come as naturally from the mouth of many of my readers, who [ '7 1 who are daily treading under foot, OF palling by unnoticed, the little ob- jects which contribute to my enter- tainment. The reafon is, that their eyes arc looking another way. Ah! voilamonpa'is! cries LA PIERRE, with an emphafis that ihewed the ex- clamation was warm from his heart. So I knew which way his eyes were looking for I was juft then riding in a moft lovely evening, on that beau- tiful terrace that runs from the NORTH FORELAND, to BROAD STAIRS, with the FRENCH coaft ftretched in full view before me. My mind kindled with delight, at the fight of the azure ex- panfe of waters beneath me, and the many bufy white fails that were cut- ting their way acrofs it. The ra- diance of the fetting fun defcending VOL. II. C in t I ] in flames of gold, gave a glow to every thing around the inmoft re- cedes of my breaft felt its warmth. I wonder, fays LA PIERRE, what they are doing juft now at AMIENS ? Why undoubtedly clofmg fuch a day as this with a dance. And dancing at PARIS, and at LYONS, and in the plains of LAN- GUEDOC and along the fhore of MARSEILLE and in the Moon too, for any thing we know to the con- trary. Vive la joie a cheerful heart can never be a bad one ! The deuce take this .poor fel- low's inquifitivenefs, for ftarting up all thele ideas, for now that he has got me as far as MARSEILLE, I am in the midft of all their baftides and orangeries , and all the glitter and per- 7 fume [ 19 1 fume of that enchanting coaft ! and I am dancing with them, under their mulberry-trees, to the tabour and pipe j and my ear is full of their little fprightly airs, and my mind crowd- ed with a thoufand occurrences that befell me there. Well, vive la joie encore j and as memory, fays I, can ride poft at this rate, I'll often have a peep at you, and dance with you again, and again. Thou art a happy, lively, fenfiblc people ! Thy country teems with men of genius, who cultivate thofe arts which embellifh life; and that cafe of manners which fweetens fo- ciety ! when nature hath placed us fo near each other, I grieve we fhould be fo frequently foes ! A plague on the paltry interdh of C 2 the [ 20 ] the world ! that the catching a lit- tle fifh in another quarter of the globe, or a conteft for a little dominion, in a land of favages, fhould arm nation againft nation, make them fufpend 9.11 the graces of courtefy, and in- volve fuch legions of wretches in the complicated miferies of war I THE THE OLD SERVANT. 'TPHE reflected light from the white cliffs of FRANCE, on which my eyes were fixed, made them appear to prefs forward on my fight ; and while my imagination was taking a frifk from the STREIGHTS OF DOVER, to the MEDITERRANEAN, and dropping a figh, over political neceffity I found I had thrown the reins of my horfe on his neck, who had taken the advantage of my inattention, to pick up a little clover that grew by the way-fide. Nay, if it be thy will, old com- panion, fays -I, e'en take the other bite j the farmer will be never the 'poorer for the mouthful thou fhalt carry away; did he know thy good C 3 quali- I ** 3 qualities, he would let thee eat thy fill. I will not interrupt thy pleafura- ble moments, fo prithee feed on. Long have I wilhed an occafion to re- cord thy defer ts, thou faithful old fervant! It now prefents itfelf, and thou fhalt have a page in my book, though it provoke the fneer of the critic. It is thy due, for thou haft given me health. Full many a year haft thou journeyed with me, through the uneven ways of the world ! We have tugged up many a fteep hill, and borne the buffet of the tem- peft together! I have had the labours of thy youth, and thy age hath a claim on me, which, while I have fix- pence in my pocket, I dare not re- fufe. Thou fhalt not, when thy ftrength is [ 3 3 is exhaufted, be configned to poverty and toil ! or, as thou patted by my door, laflied on by fome unfeeling owner, look at me with the fevere eye of reproach ! Had THAT HAND, which fa- fhioned us both, endued thy fpecies with the faculty of fpeech, in what bitternefs of heart would they com- plain of the ingratitude of ours ! In the wide extent of the animal reign, there fcarce exifls an objecT: from which man may not borrow fome ufeful hint j thou, my trufty friend, haft offered me no inconfider- able onej thou never aimed to ap- pear what thou waft not j a fleady walk, or a cheerful trot, was all thou attempted, nay, perhaps it was as much as thy mafter himfelf afpired to ; and when remembrance lhall be C 4 weighing t H ] weighing thy merits, the fcale fhalf turn in thy favor, when I reflect, that thou fcorned to defert the path of nature for the perilous one of affecta- tion ! Is it not owing to this error, that fo many nags, whom Providence had deftined for the plough^ or the Jhaft, are daily provoking a korfe-laugh in the world, by awkwardly ftriving to imitate the graces of the turf, or the Caprioles of the manage ? THE THE STORY OF MARIANNE. A S I devoted molt of my after- noons to CLERMONT, and his family, on calling in, this evening, I found AMELIA had fent MARIANNE to the rooms, with fome young peo- ple of her acquaintance. I have al- moft been compelled, fays fhe, to force her out ; fhe loves retirement much more than I wifh her to do I think her fpirits, though commonly very good, require fometimes the relaxa- tion of public fcenes, to divert them from the recollection of^domeftic events, which are every now and then painful to her. And yet, if it is not to accompany me, it is with the ut- moft difficulty, I can prevail on her to mix in the world, I be- I believe, in general, faid I, Ma- dam, that young and ingenuous minds, whofe expectations of it have been fomewhat deceived, are not ea- fily brought to be on good terms with it again : the hope of youth is ardent, and its fenfibility proportion- ably acute. I fear, indeed, returned AMELIA, that fuch have been her imprefllons ; and as {he has a heart fafhioned for all the virtues of fociety, I moft ear- neftly wifh to fee them effaced. I know fhe. entertains the higheft opi- nion of you, and is much flattered by the attention you have jfhewn her > a few hints therefore from you, when opportunity offers, would, I am per- fuaded, have great weight with her ; and as we are now alone, if my bro- ther will take up the news-paper, and t *7 J and fufpend his party for half an hour, I will add a few particulars to the general idea I have given you before, of her fituation j and ihc fliall know from me, that you are ap - prized of the whole. When my much-loved friend, her mother, died, fhe left only two chil- dren, MARIANNE, who had then juft compleated her fixteenth year, and her brother EDMUND, who was three-and-twenty ; but fo oppofite were their characters, that no one who knew them intimately, could have fuppofed they fprang from the fame parents. She, all tendernels and un- diflimulated nature; he, a compound of artifice, and meannefs, guiding every action by avarice and intereft, but varnifhing his deportment with fo mucH t s ] much plaufibility, that his hypo- crify not only deceived the world into a favourable opinion of him, but im- pofed on the heart of his fitter, even though fhe fometimes doubted his conduct. Though the father furvived his lady near four years, yet her lofs af- fected him fo deeply, that his health began to decline apace. EDMUND had fo induftrioufly practifed on him, all his aflumed powers to pleafe, and was befides on fuch excellent terms with himfelf, that he doubted not but his merits would inevitably intitle him to the whole inheritance of his fa- ther's eftate ; and as a fifter was a very inconfiderable object in a family, he conceived the trifling portion which would be allotted her, he might be eafily cafily able to pay off, by his profef- fion at the bar, which began now to be profitable to him. While EDMUND'S vanity was nourifh- ing thefe flattering ideas, the conduct of MARIANNE towards her father, was fuch as is the natural refult of the trueft affection and duty. Whether his penetration ever contrafted the real characters of his two children, we know not he appeared to teftify an equal regard to both ; but in the difpofition of his affairs, which was communicated to no one till his death, he acted differently from the gene- rality of parents ; who fuffer their pride totally to fubdue the feelings of nature, when, to aggrandize one child, they too often leave all the reft who have been equally the objects of their tendernefs, either in a ftate of depen- dance a t 30 J stance, or bequeath them fuch a proportionate provifion, as they can but with the utmoft difficulty, fubfift on a conduct, which, however it may be influenced by political views, hath ever appeared to be irreconcile- able with parental tendernefs. On my confcience, fitter, fays CLER- MONT (taking his eyes from the news- paper he was reading) you argue this matter admirably well ! You will have all the younger children in the nation of the fame opinion ! Prithee, brother, do not difturb my (lory. Do not make it longer then than the Evining-poftj for I muft have my party at back-gammon. THE [ 3' 3 THE STORY OF MARIANNE. TMMEDIATELY on the father's death, relumed AMELIA who had never even hinted to his children, the teftamentary difpofiti-on he had made EDMUND privately opened his wll3, and to his great aftonilhment, found his father had bequeathed the fum of ten thoufand pounds to MARIATSTNE, chargeable on his eftate, which was valued at about twenty-three thou- fand, leaving his fon the eftate, to- gether with the fum of two thonfand pounds, which he had in money. This fo thoroughly difconcerted EDMUND'S views, that, availing hrm- felf of a declaration dropped from hrs fitter, that Ihe never had heard her father mention a wiJl -, he conceived the the idea of concealing this, he had found j and it was prefumed in the family that there actually exifted none; but a duplicate having been de- pofited by the father, in the hands of a friendj who was gone to fettle fome .affairs at LISBON, at his return three months after, underftanding that his old acquaintance was deceafed during his abfence, he waited on the family with the counterpart, that had been entrufted to his care. This circumftance threw EDMUND into fuch a confternation, as wanted an explanation, to thofe who were witnefles of it j though the real caufe was fometime after conjectured, when the other part of the will (to which there was a reference on the cover of the duplicate) was produced by ED- MUND, and pretended to be found very 2 obfcurely [ 33 1 obfcurely mixed, among fome infig- nificant papers of his father's. MARIANNE had too much pene- tration riot to be ftartled at this ac- cident ; it led her to fufpicions not very favourable to her brother, but it offered her a noble and unexpected independency j and gave a heart fo full of fenfibility as her's, the higheft joy ; as it was the ftrongeft teftimony of her father's having approved the duty and affection flie had fhewn him. EDMUND began now to call in aid, that hypocrify, of which he was fo much mailer ; he affected to veil his difappointment with great good hu- mour, he paid every poffible atten- tion to his fifter j and often expreffed his fatisfaction, at the provifion his father had made for her. At other VOL. II. D times, t 34 J times, when he found opportunities that were favourable, he would put on a dejected air, lament the concern he felt to part with the family eftate, which he acquainted her he muft be under the neceflity of doing, from his inability to keep it up, with fuch a heavy charge as her fortune was, on it ; which infinitely exceeded in pro- portion, the ufual difpofitions made to daughters, that he had befides contracted feveral large debts in his father's life-time, which would over- Ihadow all his future purfuits, and in conclnfion, that he faw no method by which he could be extricated from the many difficulties that preffed him, imlefs MARIANNE would, from her af- fection to him, relinquifli part of her claim. He added, that no one was fo near to her, as himfelf, nor did his. modefty [ 3S ] modefty fcruple to hint, that half the fum his father had bequeathed her, would command whatever a reafonable woman could require. MARIANNE, who knew that the exa6b parfimony which directed ED- MUND'S conduct, by no means tallied with the declaration he had made concerning his private incumbrances, often felt the awkwardnefs of her fituation; it ftartled it embarrafied her j and her benevolence, ever more awake than her caution, prompted her one day, when he had renewed the fame fubject, to fay, in general terms, that a brother's happinefs could not but influence hers, that the ge- nerofity of her father had been his own free aft, and till-the production of his will, totally unknown to her, and that, fhould any event in life D 2 arife [ 3 1 arife, in which Hie could be ihftrumeri- tal to his welfare, he might feft fa- tisfied, Ihe fhould retain a difpofition of being fo. Avarice often defeats its own de- figns, by purfuing them with an ill- judged ardour ! this was EDMUND'S cafe, who, conceiving that the kind avowal of his fifler would precipitate her into his ftratagem, thought it now a favourable crifis to produce a deed that he had prepared , whereby, from motives of affection, fhe agreed, that in cafe his affairs fhould require it, to accept of five thoufand pounds for her fortune, in lieu of the ten thoufand, bequeathed her by her fa- ther; he affected indeed to give a plaufible colour to the propofal, by faying; that it refted on events very remote that moft probably he never 3 fhould [ 37 ] Ihould ftand in need of it, but only wifhed that the deed fhould remain as a mark of love between them. MARIANNE inftantly faw through the defign, and turned pale at the idea of its bafenefs; Hie concealed however, in fome meafure, her indig- nation 3 and with as much compofure as fhe could fummon, told EDMUND, that his propofal was beyond her power to gratify; and though you dignify it, fays fhe, with the appel- lation of a mark of love, yet believe me, brother, it is not only unworthy of you, but unworthy of me it be- trays a total diffidence in my honour, by endeavouring to fetter, with the obligations of law, any act of affec- tion which ought only to be the refult pf inclination, nor Ihould compulficn D 3 ever ever effect that in my heart, which choice could not decide. EDMUND endeavoured to explain away the ill appearance of his defign, by wifhing her to think, it was only in confequence of the good inten- tions which fhe had teftified towards him ; and MARIANNE retiring, left him in full pofTefiion of thofe feel- ings, which arife from the mifcarriage and detection of a diihonourable ac- tion. As my young friend had been trained up by her deceafed mother, to look on me with the moft affec- tionate regard, fhe had accuftomed herfelf, on every occafion, to open her heart to me without referve. I per- ceived how much it was diflrefied by her brother's condufb ; and having, immediately [ 39 ] immediately on her father's death, in- vited her to the protection of my roof, I now faw many reafons to in- fift on her accepting it without delay ; which fhe accordingly foon did, preferving at the fame time, all thofe appearances, which we both of us wilhed fhould flill be maintained. I will not dwell longer on a cha- racter which can only afford pain to a man of your turn of mind j let me only add, that EDMUND had free ac- cefs to my houfe whenever he pleafed, and continued to be received, if not with confidence, yet always with at- tention ; till an event arofe, which of neceffity precluded him from any fu- ture intercourfe with us. MARIANNE'S father had teftified a particular regard to a young man of good family, of the name of STER- D 4 LING, [ 40 ] LING, with fome of whofe relations, he had been much connected ; he had alfo fufficierit intereft to introduce him fo fortunately into the lervice of the EAST INDIA Company, that by his abilities and good conduct, he was appointed to the command of a Ihip, at a much earlier period thar^ young men in general attain fuch promo- tion ; and had, by the time her father died, made one voyage as captain, with great credit and advantage to himfelf, and was on his return from his fecond. The grateful fenfe he ever retained of her father's fervices, made Captain STERLING, when at home, a frequent vifitor at the houfe j and it was about feven months before he return- ed from his fecond voyage, that he loft his friend and benefactor, As his fa- mily [ 41 ] mily and mine, had alfo enjoyed a long intimacy, he was accuftomed to call on me often ; but I found his vi- fits now were more than ufually re- peated ; and foon perceived there was a perfon under my roof, that attracted him more ftrongly than myfelf j I thought alfo, that the attachment was apparently reciprocal on the part of my young friend, and I faw it with infinite pleafure as I fmcerely wilfhed an union, which on both fides bid fo fair for happinefs. Captain STERLING was about nine years older than MARIANNE ; his fi- gure was pleafing and manly, he pofTeffed great delicacy of fentiment, -. and was one who governed his life by the principles of the niceft honour > he was as much enamoured of her mind, as of her perfon, and his love was [ 42 ] was pofiibly heightened by the idea of her being the daughter of a friend, whofe kind offices he ever recollected with the warmer! gratitude. Her affedion was founded on a ba- fis equally firm : She had known him long ; fhe refpected the amiablenefs of his character, admired his cheerful, open temper, and regarded him as a protector and companion, with whom flie could, hand in hand, fecurely tread the paths of future life. It was a contract, uncontaminated on either fide by intereft j and as their wills depended on themfelves, they had nothing but their own hearts to confult. There was only one obftacle, which prevented the immediate com- pletion of their wifhes: The reputa- tion that Captain STERLING had ac- quired [ 43 1 quired among the Direftors, had pro* cured him foon after his return, a no* ruination to go out to MADRASS and CHINA, which is generally regarded as the moil lucrative flation to be named to, and he was appointed to command the INGOT, efteemed the fineft fhip in the Company's fervice. As this was to be his laft voyage, and that which would compleat his fortune, there were many reafons to induce them to defer their intended marriage till his return, which would not exceed eigh- teen, or twenty months, and which is now in a few weeks expected. I hope, fitter, fays CLERMONT, turning round, that you will foon re- leafe my friend, from the corner, where you have penned him up I am got within fight of the worm cakes and [ 44 ] and the anodyne necklace but, how- ever finilri your ftory. As this intended union, conti- nued AMELIA, wore fo fair a face to thofe who moft wifhed its completion, though it difconcerted the fecret hopes which EDMUND Hill entertained of getting part of his fifcer's fortune, yet it precluded him from Ihewing any difapprobation of it j he affected to be greatly pleafed, and to the few, who knew him as well as I did, he even made himfelf ridiculous by his over-aftedfatisfaction, though all this was put on but the better to con- ceal his defigns, which were as ill concerted, as they were bafe. There is evermore, Madam, faid, I, a flrange degree of weaknefs, which accompanies the adions of bad men ; and [ 45 ] and it often feems, by this unguarded part of their conduct, that Providence makes them the inftruments of their own detection ! Your remark, replied AMELIA, was fully juftified in EDMUND, who, fome time after Captain STERLING'S de- parture, began to fpeak of him in cooler terms than he was wont ; fre- quently throwing out in converfation with his filler, that the difpofitions of gentlemen trained to the fea, par- took much of the unfteadinefs of the element they fail overj that they were in reality as little to be relied on, being fond of forming attachments in every port j and after thus gradually awakening her mind to diftruft, inti- mated, under the fanction of confi- dence, that he had reafon to believe there was one already fubfifting be- tween t 4 ] fween her admirer, and a Mifs DAN- VERS, whom the Captain had taken out with him to MADRASS j that however unpleafant the tafk was, his own fraternal affection prompted him to hint thus much ; and to add, that the conftancy of his own fex could not be much boafted of; and that the woman who built her happinefs on the fidelity of a hufband, knew not to how flight a hold Ihe trufted her peace. This was probably jufb the point his artifice led to, his aim being firft to raife doubts of her lover, the tranfition from which, to coolnefs, would by no means be unnatural, and if her prefent engagement could be diverted, it was poflible, that dif- appointment might make her cautious of forming a fecond. At all events, 9 it t 47 ] it was a chance in his favour; and I was much furprifed when fhe com- municated to me what had pafled, to perceive that EDMUND had by his ad- clrefs ib practifed on her mind, as to have greatly ftaggered her in her opi- nion of STERLING. The fuppofed in- dignity difturbed her ; and the good- nefs of her own heart, left her too unguarded againft the duplicity of her brother. I reprefented to MARIANNE, that the warmth of her affection muft have betrayed her into this ill-founded alarm, and made her inattentive to the channel through which it was communicated ; that as to Mifs DANVERS, I knew enough of her, to- tally to difcredit the illiberal fcandal, thit fhe had a firft coufm at MA- BRASS> who, having acquired a con- fiderable [ 48 ] fiderable fortune, had folicited and her mother (who were his neareft relations) to come over, and fettle near him, that the mother was ever efteemed a fenfible, difcreet lady, and as this appeared to me, to be a moft injurious afperfion, I allured her, that I would, for our mutual fatisfac- tion, endeavour to trace it to its fource. There being a fhip on the point of failing, which was deflined imme- diately to MADRASS, there was achance of its reaching that place nearly as foon as the INGOT j whofe voyage thi- ther, muft liave been retarded by her flay at the ifland of MADEIRA. I wrote therefore, to Captain STER- LING j and in the moft delicate man- ner I could, told him the infmuations that had been poured into MARI- r ANNE'S [ 49 ] ANNE'S ears j that the high opinion we both entertained of his honour, forbade us to give credit to them 3 but that I judged it proper to apprize him of the afperfion, that he might make my friend, who was the moft interefted about it, perfectly eafy. My letter reached him at MA- BRASS j and fortunately came to hand juft as an exprefs was about fetting out, to come over-land to tht Company t by which he anfwered me in thofc ingenuous terms, which ever charac- terize innocence. He told me, that the infmuations I alluded to, were fo unjuft, that he had forbore commu- nicating them to Mifs DANVERS, whom he had conducted in fafety to her coufin, who had made him the moft generous acknowledgments j that he doubted not but that this ma- VOL. II. E licious C 5 ] licious artifice, originated from fomc one, who wifhed to fow diffention be- tween him, and the object of his happi- nefsj in confirmation of which, he en- clofed me a letter, under the fignature of A True Friend, which had reached him juft as he was failing from MA- DEIRA, reflecting on MARIANNE, as being fond of every new admirer -, and counfelling him not L to preferve his heart for a woman, whofe vanity fought for conqueft over many. - But I have wrote, added he, to af- fure her, that my reliance on her af- fection, remains the fame ; and that this work of fome malevolent fpirit, would, I truft, as little influence her's as love can only live where confi- dence reigns ; and it were impofiible that confidence and jealoufy could exift together.- Shocking [ 5' 3 Shocking as the idea was, MA- RIANNE and myfelf, after duly weigh- jng every circumftance, had now no doubt, but that this intended mifchief was the laft unhappy ftratagem of EDMUND ; nor did we long wait an opportunity, to tax him as the author of a defign, which ftruck at the peace of fo many hearts. However the practice of well- fludied hypocrify may enable a man to look a falfhood to the world, yet events unprepared for, may, by their fuddennefs, often furprife him into conviction ! there is a language of nature imprefled on the human coun- tenance, far more powerful than words ! and when I produced him the anonymous letter fent to MADEIRA, his features all bore witnefs againfl a tongue, that faltered in his own de- E 2 fence [ J* ] fence] he trembled he changed co- lour, the blood which before was wont to animate his cheek, flew in- flantly to his heart, and his heart afhamed of it, dalhed it back into his face. His confufed juftification but flrengthened the proof and he flood before us, a pitiable example to how abject a fituation a man may degrade himfelf, whofe mind is contaminated by bafenefs, and difhonour. It was a fcene too painful to all, to be prolonged j I therefore immedi- ately clofed it, and leading MARIANNE out of the room, told him, that as he had fo effectually torn afunder every tie of affection he might have claimed in a fitter's heart,! now judged it neceffary, not only for her happi- nefs, but for her fafety, that he fhould have no future intercourfe with her; and [ 53 1 and I was compelled to add, that as long as fhe regarded me as her protectrefs, my own roof would al- low him none. Her fortune was foon after de- manded and paid, through my foli- citor, without any interview of the parties and if a fhip, that is gone out to INDIA, hath met with the INGOT at the CAPE, as it was expected ftie would, Captain STERLING, who was no flranger to fome of the cir- cumftances I have related, hath be- fore this time been fully informed of all that hath patted fmce. 'Tis rarely now, that the name of EDMUND is mentioned; but I fear paft events ftill fometimes come acrofs her mind. His conduct hath long extin- guifhed the emotions of affection yet E 3 her t 54 ] her fenfibility makes her feel for his loft honour.- The picture, Madam, faid I, which you have drawn, prefents a character totally unworthy of dif- quieting the thoughts of your amiable friend I wifh I could have fufficient influence to efface the recollection of it. Her fentiments however, do cre- dit to her humanity but it is in vain we are felicitous for the honour of thofe, who have not virtue enough themfelves to be the guardians of their own reputation ! PLAIN C 55 ] PLAIN TRUTH. T HOLD it expedient for our hap- pinefs, fays CLERMONT (throwing the news-paper from his hand) that we fhould fix our eyes, as we journey forward, on fuch characters as fpread a fun-fhine over human life, and not on thofe dark ones that throw a gloom over it. We had better, I think, fifter, confign the hero of your ftory to oblivion or to the unenviable fo- ciety of fome of the dramatis perfon muft ever have have the balance of trade in his fa- vour. Whoever is to open a confiderable commerce with the world, it will be much more worth to him, than the whole round of fciences, not only to know to an inch, his own meafure, and how far he could on a pinch itretch it, but alfo to be fully ac- quainted with the meafure his neigh- bour goes by; for, by thus fkil- fully calculating the longitude, lati- tude, altitude, and rectitude, of the parties he has to deal with, he will be enabled equally to guard againft the fallacy of a minifter, or the impofi- tion of his taylor. With refpecl to the world, LA PIERRE was a mere infant, ever pleafed with its coral, and its bells, but without a tcoth to injure any one 1 [ 90 ] ! The fimplicity of his character, made him daily meet with fome fan- -cied diftrefs, which, to another, who was more hackneyed in the ways -of mankind, would only have patted among the common occurrences of life i though, to fay truth, nothing fat long on his mind ; a deep figh or two blew off the load, and a whittle, or a fong, which foon fol- lowed, obliterated every trace of its weight. It chanced, however, that I -got to rny lodgings foon after his re- turn from the INDIA-MAN, and before either the figh, or the tune was come to his aid, or had effaced the firft imprefiion of his prefent grievance ; -which was fufficiently apparent in LA PIERRE'S countenance, that was at all times an index to his bofom, and '5 ike a well-printed {hop-bill, notified every [ 91 ] every concern his heart had to dif- pofe of. The mtorning which had promifed fo much fatisfaction, had been over-clouded with circumilances, both unlocked for, and unpleafant. As the poor fellow's pride was to 'be as fmart as poffible, whenever any -females were to be of his party ; in gallanting one of them into the boat, at the Parade flairs, he unfortu- nately flipt almoft up to his knees in the muddy water, and quite disfi- gured his white filk flockings. This was an event which might have difconcerted a better FRENCH philo- fopher than LA PIERRE, and was but "a prologue to worfe difaflers \ for a frefh breeze fpringing up, when they had got about a mile from the fliore, the toiling of the waves fo difturbed his empty tftomach,' as to make him wretchedly [ 9* 1 wretchedly fick, till he got aboard the INDIA-MAN ; the civility of every one there, made him foon forget what he had fuffered; he purchafed the little trifles he wilhed; and would have returned to fhore perfectly fick, and happy again, had not fome cuf- tom-houfe officers hailed the boat, and ftripped from him, and his party, the poor fix-penny cargoes they had been fo far to fetch ; nor was this all for they took away befides the new INDIA filk handkerchief he had bought in the morning, and which, in his hurry to fet off, he had forgot to put out of his pocket. Quels miferables ! cries LA PIERRE quels bar bares ! That, fays I, and fending them to the devil in good FRENCH, is all you have for it. Why [ 93 ] ' Why, what do you think Sir, added he, the king can get by his duty on a couple of INDIA Fans, that his people are fo watchful for his in- tereft ? That is a queftion, returned I, that might have puzzled the calculations of your countryman, DE MOIVRE, but confidering the number of hands it rubs againft> before it reaches the Exchequer, I (hould conceive his net profit could not exceed the four hun- dredth and feventy-third part of one of your Hards. I am an avowed enemy to all counterband dealings,- as well as to all the little dirty info- lence of office but if you had not been a novice in thefe matters, you might have obtained an eafier folu- tion to your queilion, by offering at reftitution [ 94 ] reftitution fee, and fo purchafing your fan's a fecond time. Men Dieu ! exclaims LA PIERRE, what offer a bribe, Sir, to a kind's o fervant ? Ah ! four cela, cui, or to a king's miftrefs, or to a king's any thing only give it a different name. Mo- dern language hath made it palata- ble to all ranks, under the idea of acknowledgment^ or attention $ as the difguftful ingredients of an apothe- cary's vial, are fwallowed without re- luctance, when the label denotes it to be a cordial mixture. Now as'this cordial mixture muft, like all other cordials, be adminifter- ed for various purpofes, as alfo to various conftitutions, and be fo tempered, as to acl either as aftimu- lator, t 95 J r, or fofcnfcy as occafion may re-' quire, it is expedient, that it be al- ways judicioufly applied ; and, when- well adapted to the ftomach that is to receive it, can very rarely fail of injuring fuccefs. No one better underftood how to- manage a bribe artfully, or to tamper with the paffions, than the Able: FRONTIN. He was, perhaps > too much addicted to pleafure, and intrigue, but had much wit, and infinite good humour j he pofiefied a prefence of mind, equal to any emergency ; and was fo happy in his addrefs, as to be almofl irrefiflible. By the by, I have never gone into the church of SAINT SULPICJZ at. PARIS, without lamenting, that he Ihould lie there without having even a ftone of two feet fquare to record his memory, who had talents ' fo ftf- perior to the herd of Abb$s> who lit- ter the BOULEVARDS and theTHtriLLE- RIES, and have nothing but their black cloaks to diftinguilh them. Madame de CHATEAUROUGE was arrived at that period of life, when ladies in FRANCE turn devotes, and confine all their favours within the pale of the church. SAINTE THERESE obferves, in fome of her vifionary com- pofitions, that women muft occa- fionally trawfplant their affections ; and thus it is, that FRENCH faints ufually take the leavings of FRENCH finmrs. This lady had taken a pretty long time to fettle her confcience ; and there remained fome points of reform- yet unadjufted, when fhe called in to her affiftance the Abbe FRONTIX, wlio C 97 1 who very foon became her intimate attendant, accompanied her frequent- ly to mafs, was conftantly of all her parties, read to her in her clofet, and aired with her in the Bois DE BOU- LOGNE. It chanced one fummer's after- noon, that Madame de CHATEAU- ROUGE, after her coffee, had retired into an apartment which looked into the garden, to enjoy the frefh air, and the fragrance of a little orangery, that was ranged in a femicircle be- fore the windows, which were thrown open. As the fun ftill {hot obliquely into the room, the green luflring curtains were dropped, to give a more pleafmg tone of light. The Able was feated by her on a fopha ; and, at her requeft, was entertain- ing her with a new piece of CREBIL- VOL. II. H LON, [ 98 ] LON, called Les egarements duCcsur et fa PEfprit, which had juft then appear- ed, and had much excited the curiofity of the public. I leave it to thofe who are fond of inveftigating caufes and effects, to find out how it came to pafs that Madams de CHATEAUROUGE, as the Abbe proceeded in the work, with emphafis, and fpirit, had infenfibly reclined her head on his Ihoulder, whilfl the Abbe, holding the book in his right hand, had inadvertently dropped his left arm, acrofs her lap. The cenforious, may mifmterpret the pofition they fat in the candid, attribute it to accident, or the wea- ther and people of a fentimental turn, may afcribe it merely to the having their attention abforbed in the novel, and to the ingenuity of the writer 5 [ 99 ] Vriter in thus interefling the paf- fions. It is my province only to fay the fact was as related ; and a little guft of air on a fudden fwelling the curtains, the leads on its ceflation falling againft the wainfcot, gave three or four repeated raps, which being heard by GRISON, the old maitre d'Hotel, who was fettling the houfe- book in the next room, and who, miftaking thefe raps for a method, which his lady (who was a little lame and unwieldy) fometimes ufed, to fummon him with her crutched flick, when ftie fat at a diftance from the bell, gently opened the door, and con- ceiving immediately, by one glance, that he could not be wanted, in- ftantly Ihut it again as gently, and fat himfelf down very compofedly, to his accounts, for .he had lived H 2 long [ 100 ] long enough in the family to have the fagacity of knowing, when he pught to fee, and when not. The Abbe> who had juft caught a glimpfe of the maitre d'hotel as he peeped in, thought it advifeable to iecure his intereft > and as foon as the flory was at a full flop, laid down Jiis book, and walked into the ad- joining room where GRISON was, who hearing fomebody ftep towards the door, threw himfelf againft the jback of the chair, and reclining his head on his hand, with his elbow on the table, pretended to be found .afleep. The Able, who, as I hinted be- fore, was never on any occafion in the fmalleft degree embarrafled,knew 9 by appearances, that he was fure ojf his man -, and gently laying a Louis d'w on on each of his eyelids, faid, with a tone of pleafantry, " thefe are none " who fee fo little as thofe whofe eyes are well clofed." cc True, Sir," replied GRISON, " and if you will flip another be- cc tween my lips, you will be certain " to make me dumb, as well as " blind." This fellow would have made an admirable Revenue officer, In any place where no duty was expected. H 3 NATURE. NATURE. hath pafled any length of time at thefe places of public refort, by the fea-fide, muft have remarked that there is conftantly a flux and reflux of the company who frequent them ; and that the fhorcs have their revolutions and changes, as well as the element that flows along their fides. I often, as I pace up and down the PARADE, mifs faces I have been accuflomed to meet in my daily walks, and am flared at by others that are totally new to me nor is it a fmall pleafure to me, who am looking after NATURE at every ilep, to obferve features tinged with the hue of returning health, which a few weeks before I had fecn overcafl with with languor ; and limbs beginning to move with freedom, which were lately contracted by pain and dif- eafe. As I have before convinced my readers of the benefit of fmelling the fed-mud, fo thefe occurrences con- vince me of the benefit of ufing fea- water. As an added proof of its effi- cacy, I popped yefterday on the fat lady in the Brunfwick, whom I before mentioned as being fo lame, and un- wieldy, and whom I had given over as incurable, when fhe was helped down the fide of the Hoy. I was perfectly amazed to fee the brifknefs of her air, and her round, laughing countenance, half buried in a FRENCH night-cap ; and though Ihe ftill re- tains a confiderable hitch in her gait; yet fhe walked with no other aid than H 4 a lady's '[ 104 ] a lady's arm, on which fhe reclined, and one of Mr. HALL'S p aft oral twined crooks } which no female of any tafle can appear without. Even my own lean carcafe, though I neither inten- tionally fmell the mud, nor ever come in contaft with the water, is both flrengthened and plumped up by the fea-air, and my weak conflitntion, which has, for two volumes, been fo great a plague to the reader, and for many a year, a far greater one, to me, is from the fame caufe fo much ilrengthened, that I have but even now, with eighty or ninety longflrides, mounted up to the FORT, without a fmgle halt to fetch breath. How fweet is thy return, O HEALTH ! thou rofy cherub ! my foul leaps forward to meet thee, whofe true value thy abfence can only teach us ! When thou comefr., with heal- ing on thy wings -, when every part, and nerve, and artery, are obedient to their office ; and when this compli- cated machine is fo perfectly har- monized, that we perceive not that we have any part, or nerve, or artery, belonging to us, how fweetly is the mind then attuned to receive pleafure from every inlet of fenfe ? GOD of my life! who numbereft my days, teach me to meet with .gratitude, or patience, the good, or ill, which the tide of time fhall float down with them! but never with- draw from me thofe native fpirits, which have been the cheering com- panions of my exiitence, and have fpread a gilding upon every thing around me ! that I may continue to view, with rapture, the inexhauftible volume [ 106 ] volume of NATURE that is thrown open before me ; on every page of which is charactered the impreffion of thy OMNIPOTENT HAND ! As I often indulge a meditating difpofition on the old bench upon the FORT, where I am now feated, it is matter of amufement to confider the immenfe variety, that a Ihort fpace of time produces in the fame natural objects; every change of light, every alteration in the atmofphere, gives them a different appearance. I have juft been contemplating the wide fcene of waters before me ; that hath lately been darkened by fome clouds which overhung it. I fee it emerging into new day. I perceive its green hue warming into purple tints : as I direct my eye as" far- as it tan ftretch, I view the fun, from be- 6 hind hind a veil that conceals it, fhooting down its rays on a limited circum- ference, and brightening all the edges of the waves. And now its broad orb appears in full glow ; de- fcending almoft level with the fea .the whole weftern canopy is illumi- nated. It trembles a little while on the extremity of the horizon, and at laft plunges from the fight. Thofe who may be difpofed to contraft the works of NATURE, with the mo ft boafled labours of ART, will find the firft, ever new and permanent, while the latter, the inftant they have attained their limited perfefion y ap- proach toward a flow, but a fure de- cline. The pride of a potent monarch may be gratified, in erecting fome magnificent temple to his god ; h- may t fnay perpetuate the remembrance of his anceftors, by fuperb maufoleums ; he may command the daring pyra- mid to Ihoot upward to the fkies, rnay infcribe his victories on the tro- phied column, or regifter his tri- umphs on the fculptured arch ! He may call an ADAM to execute his great .defigns ; who, while he is ful- filling the wifhes of his fovereign, may himfelf deliver down to a fcries of generations unborn, the noblefl records of his own genius, and tafte. But even though no accident Ihould abridge their duration, yet the revolving feafons foon fully their beauty > and the filent power of Time gradually fiiakes their founda- tions ; and at laft levels them with the duft. While thy works, O NA- TURE, remain uninjured; ever changing, [ 109 I changing, and ever reviving, them fhinefl unconfcious of decay ! Hill bright in immortal youth! And yet more lovely far doit Thou appear, when Thou comman- deft our attention in thy active fcenes> and beamed from the mind with all .thofe irradiations of VIRTUE, Ho^- NOUR, and BENEVOLENCE, which dig- nify humanity. Thefe may be deem- ed the fun-Jbim of the moral 'world ! that warms, that brings forward, and ripens the foul to perfection ! And if fometimes, in contemplat- ing the pictures of real life, one fees with pain the canvafs darkened with worthlefs characters, they fhould be viewed but as deep, fhades, which, however they may interrupt thy na- tive brightnefs, yet by their contrail 5 more C mdre forcibly imprefs the amiable* nefs of thy luftre ! Full of fuch fentiments, I frequent- ly, from this cliff, caft a look toward RECULVER, and drop a figh, to the memory of thofe beloved SISTERS, who were in their lives fo undivided, and whofe unfhaken union hath there been fo long recorded. Confidering how many furveys have been publifhed of this county, and how much the zeal for anti- quity hath for many years prevailed amongfl us ; it is fomewhat fmgular, that fo flight mention fhould have been made of this extraordinary building j of which little more hath been faid, than that the church was formerly conjiderable, having ftill tw goodly fpiring fteeples. As [ III ] As people in general only fpeak of this edifice merely as being ac- cidentally an advantageous fea-mark, unknowing of the caufe by which it became fo j I am happy that it is in my power, in this remote period of time, to gratify the curiofity of thofe, who hereafter may vifit thefc fhores. I have long wiflied, my dear JEX- NY, to relate to thee this interefting ftory. To Thee, whofe heart NA- TURE hath fo fweetly harmonized, that it vibrates at the flighted toucli of another's forrow ; and is there- fore worthy to hear a tale of di- flrefs. Several years ago, being on a journey to SPA, I was detained fomc time in the univerfity of LOUVAIN, by an accidental iilnefs, which feized me me on the road. During my flay, I made an acquaintance with an IRISH jefuit, who honoured me with many civilities, and whom I found a very intelligent companion. He fhewed me whatever he thought moft curious in the place ; though, except the great library, and the public fchools, there is but little worth notice. I was however much pleafed with two manufcript volumes, which I met with in the library of one of the colleges j they chiefly contained anecdotes relative to fome ENGLISH families, and to feveral hiftorical, and monaflical antiquities ; and were the memorials of a DOMINICAN Friar of CANTERBURY, who quitted ENG- LAND at the time of the Reformation, and retired to LOUVAIN ; at his death he bequeathed them, together with with other curious books, to the col- lege where they then were. My friend, who was one of its members, procured the manufcript to be lent me ; and, in turning over many fub- jects far lefs interefting, I met with the hiflorical account of this church. I have divefted it of the obfolete language of the times, but the fub- flance of it is nearly as follows. VOL. II. I THE THE STORY OF THE TWO SISTERS. nr O W A R D S the end of thofc troublefome times, when ENG- LAND was Ihook by the feuds of the houfes of YORK and LANCASTER, there refided, in a village near the banks t>f the MED WAY, a gentleman, whole name was GEOFFRY DE SAINT CLAIR., defcended from a family of great an- tiquity, and repute in thofe parts. The many launces, and pieces of ar- mour, that hung round the old hall, did not render it more refpectable, than did the unbounded benevolence of its prefent pofiefibr. The poor fat at his gate, and blefTed his liberal hand ; and never a pilgrim repofed in his porch, without remembering, in his orifons, its hofpitable owner. SAINT . SAINT CLAIR had allied himfelf in ^marriage with the Lady MARGARET DE BOYS, a woman of high birth, and rare endowments; whofe accomplifh- ments might have embellifhed the greateft fcenes, had not a love of do- meftic life, and a religious caft of mind, induced her to prefer retire- ment. All her leifure hours, which her family did not call for, were fpent in duties, which, in that age, ladies of the noblefl rank exercifed, without thinking they demeaned their fta- tions ; fhe relieved the indigent, advifed with the unfortunate, vifited the fick, and brought up her Twin Daughters, FRANCES and ISABELLA, in the fame fentiments ; accuftoming them very early, to attend upon her in all thofe acls of primitive piety. As thefe young ladies were the fole I 2 iffuc Iflue of SAINT CLAIR and Lady MAR- GARET, they devoted their whole at- tention to their education -, and had the comfort to find in their minds, fo rich a foil, that every thing profpered which was planted in them: no uieful knowledge was omitted, no external accomplilhment neglected. FRANCES and ISABELLA were now arrived at the age of twenty-five. The amiablenefs of their characters, their enlarged underftandings, and the gracefulnefs of their perfons, won the admiration and efteem of all who approached them. They had, from fimilitude of manners, and fentiment, contracted fuch a rare affection for each other, that it feemed as if NA- TURE, by forming them together in the womb, had prepared them for that extraordinary union, which was 3 to I II? ] to diftinguifli their lives, and for thofe effufions of elevated friendfhip, \vhich the lofs of their exemplary mother was one day to call forth. Nor was this event very remote ; Lady MARGARET was feized by a fudden illnefs, which, in a few days, carried her off, and defolated one of the happieft families in the world. It would be difficult to defcribe the founds of woe, which, on this occafion, echoed through all the manfion, or the fighs of the difcon- folate poor, under the windows. The grief of SAINT CLAIR, after the many years of uninterrupted happi- nefs that he had enjoyed with Lady MARGARET, in its firft attack, almoft overpowered his reafon; FRANCES and ISABELLA had the weight of a father's forrow added to their own ; I which [ "8 ] which compelled them to fmother their feelings, great as they were, and to affume a fortitude their hearts difavowed. Lovely mourners ! more lovely in your tears ! Methinks I fee you now, bathed in filial forrow, (landing by, and fupporting your diffracted parent flriving in vain to tear him from the coffin, which he will not fulfer his fervants to clofe, flill demanding, in wild utterance, again, and again one la ft laft look ! Heavens ! how fevere a diflrefs ! If any reader hath been in a fi- tuation, to afk for a laft look of what is moft dear to him, and what he is going to be deprived of for ever he alone can beft judge, how much that bofom is agonized, that urges the requeft ! Though [ "9 3 Though SAINT CLAIR called in aid all his philofophy, to fupport him- felf under the lofs of his beloved Lady MARGARET, yet he was worn, by a filent forrow, which had fo vifi- ble an effect on his health, as to me- nace his life ; and which, in about a year, put an end to it. In this mournful interval, the greateft comfort his dejected daugh- ters received, was, from the frequent vifits of their uncle, JOHN DE SAINT GLAIR who was at that time, ABBOT of the monaftery of SAINT AUGUSTIN, in CANTERBURY; of which place, there are, at this day, fuch noble remains cxifling. He was the younger bro- ther of GEOFFRY, though there was but the difference of a year between them ; and was reputed to be a man of fo much learning and virtue, that SAINT I 4 CLAIR, C CLAIK, by his will, recommended his children to his care and protection ;. bequeathing to each of them, a very large inheritance.*- The * The ingenious Mr. BATTELY , in his ad- dition to SOMNER, has given us a fucceffion of the ABBOTS of SAINT AUGBSTIN, from the year 598, down to the Reformation ; ex- trafted chiefly from THORN, who was himfelf a Monk of that foundation. But THORN'S Chronicle coming no lower than 1419, the names of the ABBOTS from that period, are collected, as Mr. B ATT ELY tells us, from a manufcript relating to the monaftery, and are given without dates. We do not find the name of JOHN DE SAINT CLAIR in the lift; but about the time alluded to, in the LOUVAIN Manufcript, mention is made of JOHN THE ABBOT, without the addition of -his family name; and fo doubtful is it, who this JOHK \vas, that fome had fuppofed it to be JOHN DUNSTER, PRIOR The manner in which FRANCES had been brought up, added to her natural turn of mind, and the exam- ple of a mother fhe fo much revered, determined her to a life of religious retirement ; and a great convent of BENEDICTINE NUNS, not very dif- tant from FEVERSHAM, happening, a few months after, to lofe their prin- cipal (who was always one of a con- PRIOR of BATH ; who, Mr. BATTELY adds, died the greateft part of a century before, that is, in 1412. It is to be lamented, that monaftic anti- quities are fo often overfhadowed by fuch a cloud of uncertainty : but the ftory of the SISTERS feems to clear up the doubt of who this JOHN THE ABBOT was ; and may dif- pofe the Antiquarian, to reinftate JOHN PE SAINT CLAI~, in the high dignity he is ("aid to have formerly enjoyed. fiderable [ 122 ] fiderabk family) the ABBOT of SAINT AUGUSTIN, perceiving her fixed in her fcheme of life, procured her to be named the Lady ABBESS of it. ISABELLA, who had never as yet been feparated from her fifter, would, on this occafion, mofl willingly have taken the veil. " The fame roof," fays fhe, " hath ever hitherto covered us, " the fame have been our wifhes, n ISABELLA, did not long hefitatc to propofe himfelf to her, as one who would be happy to pafs his life, in the fociety of fo engaging a wo- man. His offer was not lefs pleating to ISABELLA, than it was to her uncle, and FRANCES -, the latter of whom agreed to give up to her fifter, her right in the caftle of SAINT CLAIR, where it was propofed they Ihould refide. Every thing was preparing for their nuptials ; and nothing could "wear a fairer face of profperity, than did this purpofed union of true and difinterefted afFecl : .on. But the fuc- cefsful progrefs that the arms of HENRY OF RICHMOND, now made in the kingdom, had obliged RICH- -ARD to oppofe them with his utmoft 'force, and to fuinmon all his fervants to to attend his camp ; amongft whom, as I before mentioned, was the in- tended bridegroom j who at this time would moft willingly have waved the fervice, had not his own nice fenfe of honour, and his zeal for his royal matter, overcome every private motive. Were I to follow clofely, the ma- nufcript from whence the fubftance of this flory is drawn, it would lead me into fome of the hiflorical tranfac- tions of thofe times, which are al- ready fufficiently known; only it is worthy of being remembered, that there are encomiums beftowed on the character, and perfon of RICHARD ; upon both of which, hiftorians have thrown fo much deformity. I (hall therefore pafs over thofe circum- ftances, which are foreign to my VOL. II. K fubjeft, fubjec~t; and only obferve, that the un 1 - fortunate BELVILLE was amongft thole of the king's followers, who fhared their royal matter's fate in BOSWORTH FIELD. He was near RICHARD in great part of the battle, and was alfo a witnefs of his death ; and his own horfe being killed un- der him, either by the fall, or by being trampled on in the confufion, his thigh was broken j and, after RICHMOND'S party had obtained the victory, this gallant youth was carried, with feve- ral others wounded, into LEICESTER, * where,- his rank being known, he was lodged in a monaftery of BLACK FRIARS, in that city. His page, BERTRAM, who had ferved him from his infancy, took care that every afllftance fnould be procured him; but the fever, which was [ IJI ] was occafioned by the accident, to- gether with the many bruifes he had received, neither gave himfelf, or thofe about him, any other profpect, but that of approaching death. Thofe who contemplate BELVILLE a few weeks before, in the full vigour of youth, flattering riimfelf with every expectation of happinefs, that virtue, fortune, and an union with one of the lovelieft of women, could prefent to his imagination > and now picture him flretched on a poor pallet, furrounded by a parcel of mendicant friars, his countenance Ihrunk and wan, and his eyes fixed with humi- lity, and refignation, on a crucifix which they held before him, can- not furely, by the contrail, avoid dropping a figh, at the fallacy of human hopes ! K 2 A little ' A little before he expired, he clefired to be left alone with his PAGE, that he might give him his lateft orders. " BERTRAM," fays he, looking wiftfully on him " the day that " hath ruined our Sovereign's fortune, to her troubled fpirits, no longer op- pofed it ; and as foon as her affairs were properly adjufted, and every thing prepared, fhe took the veil in the convent where FRANCES pre- fided. ISABELLA nowfoundin religion, the only confolation for her paft misfor- tunes; and though the remembrance of her beloved BELVILLE, would often come acrofs her, and fpread a tem- porary [ '38 ] porary gloom over her mind, yet ihe conftantly drove to difpel it, by piety and refignation. The Two SISTERS enjoyed all that heart-felt pleafure, which arifes from rooted friendfhip ; - and, as the effects "of benevolent difpofitions operate on all around, theirs ferved to com- municate happinefs to all the Sifter- hood. The LOUVAIN Manufcript informs us, that after thefe ladies had pafled near fourteen years in this peaceful retirement,, the ABBESS was feized with an alarming fever, the effects of which hung fo long upon her, that they greatly endangered her life. It is not difficult to conceive, how fe- vere ISABELLA'S fufferings were, in this dreadful interval of fufpenfe and ap- _prehenfion, or the anxieties of her mind, [ '39 ] mind, till her Sifter was reftored to health. FRANCES, during her illnefs, had made a private vow to the BleJJcd Virgin MARY, that if fhe recovered, fhe would fend fome coftly prefent to a chapel, which was confecr-ated to her, at a little Port, called BRADSTOW, or BROAD-STAIRS, in the lile of THA- NET (part of which chapel is at this day remaining) -, and in which, her image was eftcemed to work fuch great miracles, that Pilgrims came from parts very remote, to vifit it ; and it was held in fuch veneration, that all Ihips palling within fight of it, are reported to have conftantly lowered their top-fails, to falute it. And the feaft of the INVENTION OF THE HOLY CROSS, which was the third day of MAY, being to be celebrated there, with with great folemnity, her gratitude for her recovery, and for the fup- pofed interceflion of the VIRGIN, de- termined her to go herfelf at that time, and fulfil her vow. ISABELLA obtained permifiion to accompany her Sifter in this devout purpofe j and the roads being little frequented in that age, and a horfe almofl the only conveyance they refolved to put themfelves, with two attendants, aboard a pafifage (loop, that ufually went, at flated times, from FEVERSHAM to BROAD-STAIRS, and other parts along the coaft, be- tween that place and the DOWNS. They fet fail in the evening, but had not been at fea above two hours, before a violent ftorm arofe. Every one who is acquainted with the na- vigation of this coaft, quite to the mouth mouth of the THAMES, knows how difficult it is rendered, by reafon of the many flats, and banks of fand, that obftruft it. The fuddennefs and fury of the ftorm, together with the thunder and lightning that accompanied it, threw a difmay amongft all the paffengersj and the mariners, from the op- poiition of the wind and tide, were unable to direct the veffel. To pur. fue their courfe was impracticable; they therefore attempted to fave themfelves, by running in on the ihore, at a little place, called RE- CULVER (which is a fmall village, though of great antiquity, fituate on the border of the lile of THANET) -,- but the advance of night, . and a thick fog, prevented them from dif- ccrning exactly, whereabout they 7 were, [ 14* were. Every endeavour to reach the ihore was frustrated by the ftorm driving them from it; and their fails being all fhattered, a fudden fwell of the fea, bore them quite out of their direction, and flruck the veflel on a bank of fand, called the HORSE, that lies a little off from RECUL- VER. The furprize the confufion and the image of death, that muft naturally rufh into the minds of peo- ple, who are on the point of being wrecked, can only be jufdy felt, or defcribed, by thofe, who have flood in fo dreadful a fituation. Each one recommended himielf to Goo,"to his tutelar Saint. The mariners hoifted out thjsir long boat, as precipitately as they could ; and that which moft agitated the thoughts of FRANCES I and [ 143 ] and ISABELLA, was, the mutual pre- fervation of each other. Scarce was the boat on the furface of the waves, when every one was eager to rufli into it ; for it was certain the veffel muft bulge in a few hours, and, to add to the horror, night advanced. The Cap- tain, almoft by force, dragged the Lady ABBESS, and her Sifter, from the cabin, and fcarce had he helpe,d the firft, half dead as fhe was, down the fide of the Ihip, when thofe who were already in the boat, finding they muft all perifri, if more got in, pufhed off inftantly, and rowed towards fhore, in fpite of the menaces of the Captain, who flood on deck, fup- porting ISABELLA, the intreaties of the ABBESS, who was wild to re- turn, [ 144 ] turn, or the cries of the pafTeng left behind. The only faint hope which n remained to thofe on board, was, t: the vefiel might poflibly hold to t | iher, till fome affiilance could be c tained from the Ihorej which they f flattered themfelves would come, cafe the boat reached the land, which it providentially did, thou with the utmoft rifle. Every c who remained in the veflel was figned to their fatej and furrounc as ISABELLA was, by impending deai it afforded no fmall confolation her, to think, there was a pofiibili that her Siller had efcaped. -'-It was four hours after the a rival of the boat, before any one dm venture out 3 when, the ftorm aba in [ 145 I ng with the departure of the tide, ind the day being near dawning, a arge boat put off to the wreck. vVhen thofe who went to aflift, got :o it, they found all the people on 3oard, refuged in different places be- leath the deck, great part of which os broken away. ISABELLA had re- named in the cabin ; one fide of ffhich was alfo warned off, and the oom half filled with water , Ihe rcas almoft exhaufted, by the terrors [he had fuftained, the bruifes fhe tiad received, and the extreme cold in which fhe had fo long fuffered. They led her with the utmoft gen- tlenefs from this wretched place, while fhe, all pale, and trembling, fcarcely comprehended at firft what they were doing ; yet life feemed to flufh anew in her countenance^ on VOL. II. L hearing hearing that her Sifter was preferv- ed. As foon as they had brought her on ftiore, fhe was fupported by feveral women, who were waiting to receive her; and conducted to the houfe where the Lady ABBESS was. FRANCES, tranfported at the firft fight of her Sifter, ran out to meet ISABELLA, who, the moment fhe approached, made an effort to fpring forward to her, but funk down, overpowered, into the arms of her at- tendants. FRANCES clafped her hand, and in her eager joy, would have littered fomething, but could only faintly pronounce her name, and fell at her feet in a fwoon. ISABELLA was immediately put into bed, and received every aififtance that could be procured ; but her ftrength [ H7 1 ftrength and fpirits were fo far ex- hauiled, by the terror and fatigue, which her mind and body had under- gone, and by remaining fo many hours in water, that fhe lived but till the evening of the following day. FRANCES, though ftill finking from the fhock and agitation of the pre- ceding night, forgot, in her attention to her Sifter, her own fufferings. She never flirred from her bedfide, and often accufed herfelf, as being the fatal caufe of all that had befallen her, by fuffering her attendance in this expedition. ISABELLA chid her for thinking fo, declaring, it was the will of Heaven, to which flie patiently fubmitted. cc Though we came into " the world together," fays fhe, young people, I fear, much too of- ten, read the fad annals they have flamed with blood, without feeling that laudable indignation, for the vio- lated rights of humanity, which, buc for the impofitions of Education, Na- ture J ture would excite in their bofoms. - I -freely own, I have To little venera- tion for this clafs.; of Beings, that I feel a fat isf action whenever their ti- tles are depreciated, and am happy to find, that there are people in the world bold enough to difgrace- daily, even the name of a CAESAR by making it the appellation of a fni- velling Lap Dog, or a little Negro Slave in a WEST INDIAN family. As this fubject hath engaged our thoughts, I cannot quit it, without exprefilng. my wonder, that in our eager and long, purfuits of dead lan- guages, fa little attention is paid to the being correct, and elegant in our awn ; which, through future years, is to convey all our fentiments. Whe- ther we are dcftined to fhine in pub- lic as orators,- or authors, or fill with 9 grace I 1*9 ] grace, the ftations of private life I am well perfuaded it would be a moft beneficial part of education, were our youth accuftomed to read aloud, and declaim in Englrfh. Their ear wow-Id i>ecme 'habituated to cadence, the voice -mferrfibly learn to give ftrength, and 'harmony, to every period, and they could not fail of acquiring a purity of flyie. From this omiffion, how frequently do we meet with men of great learn- ing, whofe reading gires one pain? How often is fine reasoning deli- vered, without commanding atten- tion? The offices of the Church per- formed, without energy, and the debates of the Senate, diverted of that elocution/which always fo power- fully graces both the fpeaker, and the argument ? On [ 190 ] On this head, returned I, I totally join with you. You muft remember Dr. CLASSIC, the fenior fellow of our college , no man deeper in the GREEK. and ROMAN tongues, no man Jlial- lower in his own; he could write twenty pages of CICERONIAN LATIN, but talked ENGLISH as coarfely as a wafhervvoman, and read it in a worfe tone than the bellman. I am rather furprized, brother, (ays AMELIA, that in your criticifm on modern education, the mode of training up young ladies, fhould have efcaped your remarks, in which Fid- dlers and Danring-mafters are confi- dered as the fupreme objeft of at- tention ; and may fairly difpute the time with your GREEK and LATIN. Why truly, Madam, replied CLER- MONT, the fine parts which Nature hath [ J9' ] hath beftowed on your fex, are not always, I muft confefs, cultivated in the moft advantageous manner j and perhaps, too much ftrefs is laid on thofe external accompli foments, which, in a very few years, are neglected, even by thofe, who have attained them with fo much time and afli- duity ! But women, my dear EMILY, who pofiefs the good fenfe you are miftrefs of, perceive the Infufficiency of fafhion, and of themfelves rectify its Errors. I am much obliged to you for your compliment, brother j and hope, for the credit of our fex, that the fen- timents you entertain of us, are juft. I have everwiihedmy young friend here to follow, but notfacrifice to fa- Ihion. External accomplifhments arc 7 great aids to perfonal charms, but beauty, if not affiftcd by fomething y "" more, hath rarely fufficient power to maintain long the conqueft it hath made. It is only when united with the graces of the mind, that its vic- tory becomes complete ! The Friend, the Companion, and the Miflrefs, then join to bind fall the chaplet of Love, and the empire of domef- tic ha-ppinefs, is founded not in paf- f.txi, but in the Pie art ! But our candles are almoft burnt out, and it is time, I think, to Withdraw. I did not apprehend, Madam, faid I (looking at my watch, arid per- ceiving it was pail twelve) that we had trefpafTed fo much on your hour but my friend's GODS and HEROES have led us into the icrape, and, I fear, [ 193 ] fear will lead him into a greater one, fhould he ever publifh his opinions to the world. As they can never do tle world any injury, returned CLERMONT, I am perfectly indifferent about the matter Whatever oppofes a long eftablifhed cuftom, even though it aims to remove a fuppofed error, will be fure to have the general voice againft it ; but ingenuous minds, unawed by precedent, and fearlefs of innovation, will always hear with candour and have temper enough to think for themfelves. ALLEGORY hath placed TRUTH at the bottom of a Well, on which account fhe is difficult of accefs ; and whenever Hie deigns to vifit us, is a long while emerging. We have every reafon to believe VOL, II. O that [ 194 1 that Ipoons were in fome fhape or other, ufed as early as the days of JACOB but it was near four thou- fand years after, before we found out which was the right way to fix their handles! THE THE F A R E W E L L, A S the exercife and air which I have enjoyed at this place, have con- tributed to recruit my health, even beyond my utmoft expectations, I be- gin now to turn my thoughts toward the Capitals the family who have made my refidence here fo pleafur- able, being alfo ibon to remove hence. Indeed, they wait only the arrival of Captain STERLING, who is daily ex- pected ; and will in a few days after that event, return back to town where I hope it will not be long, be- fore I fhall be called on, to perform the office of uniting the amiable MA- RIANNE, with her long deflined huf- band. But there are ever many preli- O 2 minaries J minaries to be fettled on thefe occa- fions ; and the lawyers always claim precedence of the church. Be our preliminaries, my dear JENNY, as Ihort as pofiible ! I have given you my heart which is all I have to fettle. As it will be necefiary, before I quit MARGATE, to leave a Card of Conge at the door of all my acquaint- ance, I wifh to take the fame oppor- tunity of dropping one with all my readers. By the time it falls into their hands, we fhall have travelled almoft through two volumes toge- ther, and they will have fpent hours enough in my company, to decide whether I am worth their fu- ture notice; if thofe hours Ihould not have proved unpleafant, we may probably [ -97 I probably on fome other ground, meet again, arid renew the acquaintance we have now made ; nor can an author, in bidding farewell to his readers, wilh for any circumftance more flattering, than to leave them in a difpofition fo favourable to his intereft. D ? THE THE LONDON HOY. T H AVE been thefe three days ba- lancing in my mind, whether I ftiould return to town by land, or by water. The great road, however rich in beautiful profpects, hath ncr novelty to me, who have fo frequent- ly travelled it ; and the courfe of the THAMES, being perfectly new, made me rather incline to truft the fea ; which, never affecting me with the lead ficknefs, is always both pleafant, and healthful to me. But then there is no conveyance on this element, but the HOYS ! And what does that fignify ? there are always merry folks aboard ; and I have feen them fo many times go off in fuch high fpirits, that I ihall not [ 199 ] fcot diflike to make one among them, A crowd affords variety, and is never unpleafant to me, if I have the liberty of fitting ftill in it. So this matter was finally adjufted, and LA PIERRE fent off to give my faddle-hories fafe conduct to town. CLERMONT would fee me aboard ; half MARGATE thronged the Pier- Head, and the deck of the HOY feemed already covered with paflen- gers. The morning was delicious, and the fea wore a moft inviting ap- pearance; fo taking leave of my worthy friend,! ftepped into the vefTel, and feated myfelf at the ftern, on one fide of the fteerage. No fooner had we began to pufh off, when a good voyage was echoed from an hundred voices at once j while, Do not forget that far eel 04 My [ 2OO ] My love to HARRY 'Tell BETTY / Jhall foon be in town Remember me to JOHN Have you got your ba/ket of cold meat ? 'Take care your bonnet does not blow off Be fur e give PEGGY that letter j and a thoufand fuch other mementos^ were refounded from va- rious quarters. A frefh gale immediately fpring- ing up > we perceived, every five mi- nutes, the coaft of MARGATE dimi- nifli to our fight; and indeed we had our eyes, and attention, called ano- ther way,, by a fleet of more than forty WEST-!NDIAMEN, who were all, like ourfelves, making for the Port of LONDON, but with an eager- nefs, far tranfcending ours, from hav- ing traverfed fuch a length of fea to arrive at it. -I began now to have a little leifure^ to> [ 201 ] to furvey the cargo we ourfelves had on board. It confifted of a few gen- tlemen, who, like myfelf, enjoyed a pafiage by fea j fome decent fhop- keepers, and their wives, who had been wafhing off the fummer duft of LONDON, and the remainder chiefly compoied of the fervants of families, that had left MARGATE, who were all extremely communicative, and appeared to have fpent their time in that happy idlenefs, which fuch an excurfion from home ufually gives them. Every creature at MARGATE was monftroujly polite, every place about it immenfely pretty, and the fmuggled tea moft extravagantly cheap. I might have picked up anecdotes and affe&atien to have lafted my life, but the wind kindly blew it half away, before it could enter my ears. Being [ 202 ] Being by this time got into the* Mid-Channel, the rolling of the fhip gave a new turn to matters. The effects of the breeze, which had hitherto fo brifkened our courfe, be- gan now to be fenfibly felt by the greater part of the company j fome put on a very ferious countenance, fome turned pale, others com- plained of a fwimmingin their head, others, that every thing moved under them, and it was not long af- ter, before it became very apparent, that every thing alfo moved ivithin them , fo I fat very quietly, and ga- thered up the flaps of my coat, , for I hate to carry away the property of any one. They will be all the better for it, thought I, when they get home, and the fea not much the worfe. As As we failed by RECULVER, I could not avoid turning a look of love to- ward THE SISTERS, while my heart in filence, once more blefled the names of FRANCES and ISABELLA. There are writers who, fleering the fame courfe that I am, would tell you, that the coaft of ESSEX lay fpread along to the right, and that of KENT to the left j which would infer a fuppofition, that the Reader did not know where he was, and fuch fuppofition muft reflect fome difcredit on an Author. Now I have in this work already declared, that I meant profefifedly to defcribe no- thing ; fo fhall leave quite unnoticed, the Bays, Creeks, Inlets of leficr Ri- vers, and Points of Land, which we pafied, contenting myfelf with ob- ferving, that our whole courfe, and the [ 204 1 the fine weather that illuminated every object, pictured fuch a fucceflion of beautiful fcenes, as might have fur- nifhed a variety of SKETCHES, to thofe who defcribe in different colours to myfelf. My aim is not to paint for the Eye, but for the Heart / The afcending fuch a noble river as the THAMES, cannot but afford to a fpeculative mind, the highefl fatis- faftion, from the immenfe traffick which is feen carried on by it, and the amazing number of Ihips, that are failing from the firft commercial city in the world, to convey its arts, and its manufactures to the remote parts of the globes while thofe of othef nations are pouring in, to enrich us with the advantage of their varied la- bours, and furnifh us with thofe na- tural [ 205 I tural productions denied to our own climate. One contemplates in the; profpect, induftry protected, inge- nuity rewarded, the wants of life fupplied, the defires of opulence indulged ! Our enormous Metropo- lis receives the whole into her port, as the ilomach does its aliments,- which are immediately taken up, and fecreted, by unnumbered ducts, and channels, and thence circulated through ten thoufand veins and arte- ries, transfufing national ftrength and wealth, even to the molt remote members. After enjoying the beautiful wind- ing of the HOPE, we made a fhort flop at GRAVESEND, to put fome paf- fengers afhore, and drop fome goods the matter had on board; by this circumftancc, we lay a-long-fide of a 3 Tranfport Tranfport-veffel, that was at anchor off that place, and was conveying upwards of f our f core felons to AME- RICA. Two gentlemen, who had ac- cidentally been my companions in the HOY, had the curiofity to flep into the Tranfport; and declared to me at their return, that their huma- nity was moft fenfibly touched, at fee- ing fo many unfortunate wretches of all ages, from fixteen, to fixty, whofe hardened deportment too ftrongly teftified, that even the fenfe of fhame, which often outlives the nobler vir- tues of the mind, in appearance, ex- cited no* fentiment in theirs, Heaven protect the country, faid J, whither they are going to be tranf- planted! for they are weeds that rhuft difgrace every foil ! It is a me- lancholy fcflection, that neceflity forces C us [ 207 1 us every year to expel from the king- dom, fuch numbers of our fellow- creatures, with whom there is no living but at the rifque of our peace, and fafety, and agalnil whole fraud and villany, it requires more art to fence ourfelves, than againft the . favage animals that ravap-'t the world. However, as I am going to LON- DON, I rejoice to think that there are at leaft, fourscore fewer rogues in it, than there were, when I came away. So with this confolation, in pefto, we purfued cheerfully, the remainder of our voyage, and in about eleven hours from the time we left MAR- GATE, were fafely landed at WOOL QUAY. THE [ 208 ] THE FAMILY-PICTURE. "I T was quite dufk when I got afhore, and the evening being delightfully ferene, I was glad, after fo long a confinement, to ftretch my legs, and determined to walk home to my lodgings at the weft end of the town. It is a doubt, whether any Ca- pital in EUROPE equals LONDON in populoufnefs, but it is beyond a doubt, that none vie with it in con- venience and cleanlinefs. I could wilri thofe, who may be inclined to difpute my aflertion, would confider the wonderful fecurity in which near a million of people are crowded to- gether, and the equally wonderful manner in which this million are fup- plied with every thing that neceflity demands, 209 1 demands, or extravagance can call for. The good order preferred in our flreets by day, the matchlefs utility and beauty of their illumina- tion by night, and what is, perhaps, the moft eflential of all, the afto- nifhing fupply of water which is poured into every private houfe, however fmall, even to profufion ! the fuperflux of which clears all the drains and fewers, and afllfts greatly in preferving good air, health, and comfort ! PARIS may be fmelt five miles be- fore you arrive at it .MADRID, ten and all the great cities of FRANCE, and SPAIN, in proportion : As to thofe of ITALY, the atmo- fphere which furrounds them, is fo impregnated withGtfr//f, that the nofe cannot eafily analyze the other com- VOL. II. P pounds pounds which are overpowered by it ; yet in fpite of all the advan- tages our metropolis may boaft, thole who are juft arrived from the purer air of the country, will, every here, and there, at a fhort turning, or alley-end, catch many an unfavoury whiff, which they would always wifh to get to the windward of. On thefe occafions I have com- monly recourfe to my fnuff- box; but its contents were unfortunately exhauft- ed, by being liberally offered to fome of my companions in the HOY, fo it occured to me, to call at my old fnuff-fhop in COVENT-GARDEN, and get it replenifhed ; conceiving I might, at the fame time, pick up a little intelligence, of what was ftir- ring in town. The fhop was lighted up, as ufual,and i two t 41. ] two candles (landing on the counter, * but the door being bolted, I knocked twice before I gained admifiion j when the mafter coming from above flairs, complimented me on my return home> and on the good looks I had brought back with me. I thanked him for his civility, and my nofe being become very im- patient, I whipped my fnuff-box from my pocket, and borrowed a hafty pi nch> from the jar he had taken down. * I thought as he was filling my box, that his features had more thari their ufual glow of good-nature, and at the fame time hearing a fe- male voice above flairs, accompanied by a guitar, I fear, faid I, that I have called you down from fome con- vivial meeting I hate to fufpend any one's pleafure* even for a mo- P 2 ment [ 212 ] mcnt fo there is my monevj and now run up again to your friends. You by no means fufpend my pleafure, replied my tobacconift j nay, you will increafe it, by allowing me to tell you what hath occafioned it. It is in truth, a fcene that might inter eft your Feelings. Two young men, who have for a. great length of time lived with me under this roof, have endured the fevere mortification of feeing a worthy father, whofe talents and ingenuity might have entitled him to a better fate, by a feries of misfortunes, thrown into confinement ; and by the rigour of an unrelenting creditor, de- tained there for the greater part of twenty years. Though their fituation in life, denied i:hem the power of refcuing him from his adverfity, yet they [ 213 ] they have comforted him conftantly by their daily vifits, and fupported both him and his fecond wife, by the labour of their hands ; ever pouring into his wounded bofom, the balm of filial affection. An aft of grace hath at laft fet the diftrefled parent at liberty, and they have this even- ing been to fetch him home from the forlorn fcene of Captivity, which hath worn down his grey hairs. We have made a little fupper on the occafion ; and had not long finifhed it, when you knocked at the door. One of his daughters, whofe voice you now hear, is come to welcome his return j and as all the family have a mufical turn, fhe has taken up a guitar to accompany herfelf. Nothing can at this moment, exceed the tranfport of the father, after experiencing for fo/ P 3 many [ 214 ] many years, the feverity of ill fortune, to find himfelf, at laft, houfed in fecurity under his children's roof. You paint the ftory, returned I, as one who ftrongly fympathized in the general joy. You might well call it a fcene to intereft the ' Feel- ings ; on my foul, it hath played the deuce with mine, infomuch, that I would almoft give one eye, to peep through a key-hole with the other, and obtain a glimpfe of thefe happy people, without intruding on their delicious moments. Why that, Sir, continued the land- lord, I could gratify you in, as there can be no breach either of hofpitality, or honour, in exhibiting the merits of one's friends, when their actions may not only bear the view, but claim the applaufe of the world. The The little room where they are, has a glafs folding-door, with a curtain drawn only acrofs the lower half of it, if you will give yourfelf the trou- ble to ftep up with me, on the fecond flairs, you may, unperceived, look over it, and indulge your curiofity. I would not have miffed the fight for all I fhall ever be worth o.n this fide the grave ! It Ihewed me fo lovely a FAMILY-PICTURE, as bid defiance to all the efforts of art ; even the pencil of a RAPHAEL, a TITIAN, or a GUIDO, would have failed in the attempt for it was drawn, and coloured, by a greater hand ; by thy illimitable hand, O, NATURE ! who fhalt ever, to the laft page I write, remain the objed of my .adoration ! I wilhed a thoufand times, my P 4 dear dear JENNY, that thy benevolent heart could have enjoyed it with me ! but I will give you fome idea, how the canvafs was difpofed, and your fenfi- bility will paint the reft. Imagine the whole family grouped round the table on which they had fupped, in full view before me con- ceive the portrait of the father j whofe features wore the traces of age, and infirmity, poflibly fomewhat ftrength- ened by the forrows of life, but whofe countenance was at the fame time brightened by fo placid an eye, as indicated a mind fuperior to them all ! On either fide of him, fat his good fons, and next to them, his wife, the faithful partner of his af- flictions.- Oppofite to her, appeared the vacant chair from whence I had fo abruptly fummoned my conductor, who who now flood by me, while the daughter whofe voice I had heard from below, and the friendly miftrefs of the houfe, who had prepared them this little entertainment, filled up the remainder of this happy circle. The daughter was ftill finging to her guitar they were foothing plaintive notes j but my mind was too occupied to attend to founds- it was watching the characters which compofed this fingular picture, and marking attentively the exprefllons of cordiality and love, which, dur- ing the fong, were fhot from eye to eye. Often did the good old man caft looks of tranfport on each of his family, one after the other, then fix his attention on his child, whofe voice was welcoming his return, while, at intervals, his hands and eyes [ 218 ] eyes were uplifted, in filent gratitude, to that PROVIDENCE who had, after trials fo fevere, at laft brought him home in peace. As foon as the fong was ended, he beckoned his daughter to ap- proach him; when, taking her by the arm, he gently pulled her down to his cheek, and hid his face in her neck. The miftrefs of the houfe now pufhed nearer to him, a glafs of wine, which had been poured out, and had long flood before him, un- regarded, on the table ; he pla- cidly drank it off; and lurveying all around him, with a look of meafure- lefs contentment, ftretched out his hands on his two fons, who were be- fide him, which were inftantly prefied in theirs with the utmoft fervor ; while, in their features, were pic- tured tured all thofe delicate emotions of the heart, which NATURE has alone entrufted to the human countenance to exprefs, and which the efforts of language are far too feeble to con- vey. Believe me, my dear JENNY, there was not a dry eye in all the. room j nay, and I might add, on the flairs neither for I more than once, obferved my honeft tobacco- nift pafs his hand before his face. There are tears of pleafare as well as tears of diftrefs ! the latter are excited by our own fufferings, the former are the involuntary tribute- which Senfibility pays to Virtue / I lament, faid I, turning round to my companion, that this picture you have Ihewn me, which glows with fo many lovely tints that affection hath [ 220 ] hath fpread over it, fhould be con- cealed in your little apartment, it ought to be exhibited to the Public ; the view of it might ferve to con- firm the Good, and fhame the Un- feeling ! Nor could I quit the fcene I had been contemplating, without breathing this benediction over it : Heaven profper you, children of Virtue! nay, and it will profper you, for you have given the world a noble example of filial piety !-=- and if loft in its diffipations, it fhould overlook the unurged claims you have on it, yet have you treafured up in your own bofoms, thofe enviable feelings ofconfcious rectitude, which it never can take from you, and which, without hearts like yours, it hath not in its power to bellow ! I walked home with fo light and heedlefs [ 221 ] heedlefs a foot, by having my mind totally occupied with all I had juft been fpeftator of, that I ran againft half a dozen pofts, and at leaft treble as many pafiengers. I pity, from my foul, the gloomy temperament of the Satyrift, whofe delight is to view only the unfavour- able fide of life. The imperfections of humanity may never leave his fpleen deftitute of a fubjeft j yet I am inclined to believe, for the honour of PROVIDENCE and NATURE, that there ever has been a proportionate degree of benevolence in the world. Thofe virtues that moft adorn, and endear fociety, are confined to a li- mited circle. Could we fteal in on the privacies of domeftic life, I am confident we fhould fee many more aftions and charafters to admire, and [ 222 5 , than we are in general in- clined to fuppofe. When I arrived at my lodgings, LA PIERRE met me in the pafiage \vith a countenance that, quicker than his tongue, told me, all was well and that my old horfe had performed the journey a merveilles* My trnfty Valet had made the beft arrangement he could of every thing in my apartment. My Sea-Bifcuit, my Capillaire, and my Slippers, which conftitute a part of his even- ing fervice, were all placed in order; -fo that I had nothing to do, but to fwallow a mouthful of refrefliment, enquire of him the trivial occurren- ces of the road, and retire to my chamber. I do not recoiled, in all my life, to have ever pafled a more delicious night i . [ night j for I ilept till late the next morning, without the fmalleft inter- ruption, and arofe in the fineft fpirits imaginable : Nor will I ever be perfuaded, to this moment, that it was half fo much occafioned by the exercife, and fatigue, of the preced- ing day, as it was, by my having gone to bed IN PERFECT GOOD HU- MOUR WITH THE WORLD. THE END. t UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY Los Angeles This book is DUE on the last date stamped below .1968 A 000056903 8 44^MM!e^d!tMiK H*** ***.* ^*I^'fWjNfc:|^ * *-S *&!* ' k >B.! JJ* ,V..- ! ., . . I: -f^^fm " sif^pf ^ u;i..*6j-iiisitiirt