redress, and all marks of genius are levelled down to one ftandard, fince no fuperiority of thinking can be allowed its exertion in mending obvious defects. But to recompence thofe defects, their governments undergo no new alterations, they have no new evils to fear, nor no fermentations in the conftitution that continue the struggle for power is foon over, and all becomes tranquil as before; they are habituated to fubordination, and men are taught to form no other defires, than those which they are allowed to fatisfy.

The disadvantages of a government acting from the immediate influence of reafon, like that of England, are not less than those of the former. It is extremely difficult to induce a number of free beings to co-operate for their mutual benefit; every poffible advantage will neceffarily be fought, and every attempt to procure it must be attended with a new fermentation; various reasons will lead different ways, and equity and advantage will often be out-balanced by a combination of clamour and prejudice. But though fuch a people may be thus in the wrong, they have been influenced by an happy delufion, their errors are feldom féen till they are felt; each man is himself the tyrant he has obeyed, and fuch a mafter he can eafily forgive. The disadvantages he feels may in reality be equal to what is felt in the most defpotic government; but man will bear every calamity with patience, when he knows himself to be the author of his own misfortunes. Adieu.

LETTER

LETTER CXXI.

FROM THE SAME.

MY long refidence here begins to fatigue me,as every object ceases to be new, it no longer continues to be pleafing; fome minds are fo fond of variety that pleasure itself, if permanent, would be infupportable, and we are thus obliged to folicit new happiness even by courting diftrefs: I only therefore wait the arrival of my fon to vary this trifling scene, and borrow new pleafure from danger and fatigue. A life, I own, thus fpent in wandering from place to place, is at beft but empty diffipation. But to purfue trifles is the lot of humanity; and whether we bustle in a pantomime, or ftrut at a coronation; whether we fhout at a bonfire, or harangue in a fenate houfe; whatever object we follow, it will at last furely conduct us to futility and disappointment. The wife bustle and laugh as they walk in the pageant, but fools bustle and are important; and this probably is all the difference between them.

This may be an apology for the levity of my former correfpondence; I talked of trifles, and I knew that they were trifles; to make the things of this life ridiculous, it was only fufficient to call them by their

names.

In other refpects, I have omitted feveral ftriking circumstances in the defcription of this country, as fuppofing them either already known toyou, or as not being thoroughly known to myfelf: but there is one omiffion for which I expect no forgiveness, namely, by being totally filent upon their buildings, roads, rivers, and mountains.

HH3

mountains. This is a branch of fcience on which all other travellers are fo very prolix, that my deficiency will appear the inore glaring. With what pleasure, for inftance, do fome read of a traveller in Egypt, meafuring a fallen column with his cane, and finding it exactly five feet nine inches long; of his creeping through the mouth of a catacomb, and coming out by a different hole from that he entered; of his ftealing the finger of an antique ftatue, in fpite of the janizary that watched him; or his adding a new conjecture to the hundred and fourteen conjectures already pub lifhed, upon the names of Ofiris and Ifis.

Methinks I hear some of my friends in China demanding a fimilar account of London and the adjacent villages; and if I remain here much longer, it is probable I may gratify their curiofity. I intend, when run dry on other topics, to take a ferious furvey of the city-wall; to defcribe that beautiful building the manfion-houfe; I will enumerate the magnificent fquares, in which the nobility chiefly refide, and the royal palaces appointed for the reception of the English monarch; nor will I forget the beauties of Shoe-lane, in which I myself have refided fince my arrival. You fhall find me no way inferior to many of my brother travellers in the arts of defcription. At prefent, however, as a fpecimen of this way of writing, I fend you a few hafty remarks, collected in a late journey I made to Kentish Town, and this in the manner of modern voyagers.

Having heard much of Kentish Town, I con ceived a ftrong defire to fee that celebrated place. I could have wifhed indeed to fatisfy my curiofity without going thither; but that was impracticable, ' and therefore I refolved to go. Travellers have two methods of going to Kentish Town; they take coach which cofts nine pence, or they may go a * foot which cofts nothing; in my opinion, a coach

is by far the moft eligible convenience, but I was fefolved to go on foot, having confidered with myself, that going in that manner would be the cheapest " way.

As you fet out from Dog-houfe bar, you enter upon a fine level road railed in on both fides, commanding on the right a fine profpect of groves, ' and fields, enamelled with flowers, which would wonderfully charm the sense of smelling, were it not for 'a dunghill on the left, which mixes its effluvia with their odours: this dunghill is of much greater antiquity than the road; and I must not omit a piece of injuftice I was going to commit upon this occafion. My indignation was levelled against the makers of 'the dunghill for having brought it so near the road; ' whereas it fhould have fallen upon the makers of the road for having brought that fo near the dunghill.

After proceeding in this manner for fome time, a building, resembling fomewhat a triumphal arch, falutes the traveller's view. This ftructure however is peculiar to this country, and vulgarly called a turnpike gate: I could perceive a long infcription in large characters on the front, probably upon ⚫ the occafion of fome triumph, but being in hafte I left it to be made out by fome fubfequent adven⚫turer who may happen to travel this way; fo continuing my course to the weft, I foon arrived at an ⚫unwalled town called Iflington.

Iflington is a pretty neat town, mostly built o brick, with a church and bells: it has a finall lake, or rather pond in the midft; though at prefent very much neglected. I am told it is dry in fummer; if this be the cafe, it can be no very pro'per receptacle for fifh, of which the inhabitants themselves feem fenfible, by bringing all that is eaten there from London.

'After

'After having furveyed the curiofities of this fair and beautiful town I proceeded forward, leaving a fair ftone building called the White Conduit House on my right here the inhabitants of London often affemble to celebrate a feaft of hot rolls and butter: feeing fuch numbers, each with their little tables 'before them, employed on this occafion, muft no doubt be a very amufing fight to the looker on, but ftill more fo to those who perform in the so⚫ lemnity.

From hence I parted with reluctance to Pancrass, as it is written, or Pancridge as it is pronounced; but which should be both pronounced and written Pangrace this emendation I will venture meo arbitrio Пay in the Greek language fignifies all, ' which added to the English word grace, maketh all grace, or Pangrace; and indeed this is a very proper appellation to a place of fo much fanctity as Pangrace is univerfally efteemed. However this be, if you except the parish church and its fine bells, there is little in Pangrace worth the attention of the curious obferver.

From Pangrace to Kentish Town is an easy journey of one mile and a quarter; the road lies through a fine champain country, well watered 'with beautiful drains, and enamelled with flowers of all kinds, which might contribute to charm every sense, were it not that the odoriferous gales are often more impregnated with duft than per• fume.

As you enter Kentish Town, the eye is at once prefented with the fhops of artificers, fuch as venders of candles, fmall-coal, and hair-brooms; there are also several auguft buildings of red brick, 'with numberlefs fign-pofts, or rather pillars, in a peculiar order of architecture; I fend you a drawing of feveral, vide A. B. C. This pretty town

probably