tion. With this propofal I joyfully clofed, having determined to increase my falary, by managing a little farm. Having taken this refolution, my next care was to get together the wrecks of my fortune; and all debts collected and paid, out of fourteen thousand pounds we had but four hundred remaining. My chief attention therefore was now to bring down the pride of my family to their circumftances; for I well knew that afpiring beggary is wretchedness itself. You cannot be ignorant, my children,' cried I, that no prudence of ours could have prevented our late misfortune; but prudence may do much in disappointing it's effects. We are now poor, my fondlings, ✰ and wifdom bids us conform to our humble fituation. Let us then, with<out repining, give up those splendours with which numbers are wretched, and feek in humbler circumstances that peace with which all may be happy. The poor live pleafantly without our help, why then fhould not we learn to live without theirs! No, my children, let us from this moment give up all pretenfions to gentility; we have ftill enough left for happiness if we are wife, and let us draw upon content for the deficiencies of for'tune.'

As my eldeft fon was bred a fcholar, I determined to fend him to town, where his abilities might contribute to our fupport and his own. The feparation of friends and families, is, perhaps, one of the most distressful circumftances attendant on penury. The day foon arrived on which we were to difperfe for the first time. My son, after taking leave of his mother and the reft, who mingled their tears with their kiffes, came to afk a bleffing from me. This I gave him from my heart, and which, added to five guineas, was all the patrimony I had now to bestow. You are going, my boy, cried I, to London on foot, in the manner Hooker, your great ancestor, travelled there before your. Take from me the fame horfe that was given him by the good Bishop Jewel, this ftaff, and take this book too, it will be your comfort on the way: thefe two lines in it are worth a million; I have been young and now am old; yet never faw I the righteous man forfaken, or his feed begging their bread.

Let this be your confolation as you travel on. Go, my boy, whatever be thy fortune, let me fee thee once a year; ftill keep a good heart, and farewel. As he was poffeft of integrity and honour, I was under no apprehenfions from throwing him naked into the amphitheatre of life; for I knew he would act a good part, whether vanquished or victorious.

His departure only prepared the way for our own, which arrived a few days afterwards. The leaving a neighbourhood in which we had enjoyed fo many hours of tranquility, was not without a tear, which fearce fortitude itself could fupprefs. Befides, a journey of feventy miles to a family that had hitherto never been above ten from home, filled us with apprehenfion, and the cries of the poor, who followed us for fome miles, contributed to increase it. The first day's journey brought us in fafety within thirty miles of our future retreat, and we put up for the night at an obfcure inn in a village by the way. When we were fhewn a room, I defired the landlord, in my ufual way, to let us have his company, with which he complied, as what he drank would increase the bill next morning. He knew, however, the whole neighbourhood to which I was removing, particularly Squire Thornhill, who was to be my landlord, and who lived within a few miles of the place. This gentleman he described as one who defired to know little more of the world than it's pleasures, being particularly remarkable for his attachment to the fair fex. He obferved that no virtue was able to refift his arts and affiduity, and that fcarce a farmer's daughter within ten miles round but what had found him fuccefsful and faithlefs. Though this account gave me fome pain, it had a very different effect upon my daughters, whofe features seemed to brighten with the expectation of an approaching triumph; nor was my wife lefs pleafed and confident of their allurements and virtue. While our thoughts were thus employed, the hoftefs entered the room to inform her husband, that the ftrange gentleman, who had been two days in the houfe, wanted money, and could not fatisfy them for his reckoning. Want money!' replied the hot, that muft be impoffible; for it was no later than

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than yesterday he paid three guineas to our beadle to fpare an old broken foldier that was to be whipped through the town for dog-fhealing. The hoftefs, however, ftill perfifting in her firft affertion, he was preparing to leave the room, fwearing that he would be fatisfied one way or another, when I begged the landlord would introduce me to a ftranger of fo much charity as he defcribed. With this he complied, fhewing in a gentleman who feemed to be about thirty, dreft in clothes that once were laced. His perfon was well formed, and his face marked with the lines of thinking. He had fomething fhort and dry in his address, and feemed not to understand ceremony, or to defpife it. Upon the landlord's leaving the room, I could not avoid expreffing my concern to the ftranger at feeing a gentleman in fuch circumftances, and offered him my purfe to fatisfy the prefent demand.

I take

it with all my heart, Sir,' replied he, and am glad that a late overfight in giving what money I had about me, has fhewn me, that there are ftill fome men like you. I muft, however, previously intreat being informed of the name and refidence of my benefactor, in order to repay him as foon as poffible.' In this I fatisfied him fully, not only mentioning my name and late misfortune, but the place to which I was going to remove. This,' cried he, happens ftill more lucky than I hoped for, as I am going the fame way myfelf, having been detained here two days by the floods, which, I hope, by to-morrow, will be found paffable.' I teftified the pleasure I fhould have in his company, and my wife and daughters joining in entreaty, he was prevailed upon to stay fupper. The ftranger's converfation, which was at once pleafing and inftructive, induced me to with for a continuance of it; but it was now high time to retire and take refreshment against the fatigues of the following day.

:

The next morning we all fet forward together my family on horfeback, while Mr. Burchell, our new companion, walked along the foot-path by the road fide, obferving with a fmile, that as we were ill mounted, he would be too generous to attempt leaving us behind. As the floods were not yet

fubfided, we were obliged to hire a guide, who trotted on before, Mr. Burchell and I bringing up the rear, We lightened the fatigues of the road with philofophical difputes, which he feemed to understand perfectly, But what furprized me most was, that though he was a money-borrower, he defended his opinions with as much obftinacy as if he had been my patron. He now and then alfo informed me to whom the different feats belonged that lay in our view as we travelled the road.

That,' cried he, pointing to a very magnificent houfe which flood at fome distance, belongs to Mr. Thornhill, a young gentleman, who enjoys a large fortune, though entirely dependant on the will of his uncle, Sir William Thornhill, a gentleman, who content with a little himself, permits his nephew to enjoy the reft, and chiefly refides in town. What!' cried I, is my young landlord then the nephew of a man whofe virtues, generofity, and fingularities, are fo univerfally known? I have heard Sir • William Thornhill reprefented as one of the most generous, yet whimfical men in the kingdom; a man of 'confummate benevolence.'- Some

thing, perhaps, too much fo,' replied Mr. Burchell, at least he car, ried benevolence to an excefs when young; for his paffions were then ftrong, and as they all were upon the fide of virtue, they led it up to a ro 'mantic extreme. He early began to aim at the qualifications of the foldier and the fcholar; was foon diftinguished in the army, and had fome reputation among men of learning. Adulation ever follows the ambitious; for fuch alone receive moft plea, fure from flattery. He was furround'ed with crowds, who fhewed him only C one fide of their character; fo that he began to lofe a regard for private intereft in univerfal fympathy. He loved all mankind; for fortune pre⚫ vented him from knowing that there were rafcals. Phyficians tell us of a diforder in which the whole body is fo exquifitely fenfible, that the flighteft touch gives pain: what fome have thus fuffered in their perfons, this gentleman felt in his mind. The flightest diftrefs, whether real or fictitious, touched him to the quick, and his foul laboured under a fickly fen

fenfibility of the miferies of others. Thus difpofed to relieve, it will be eafily conjectured, he found numbers difpofed to folicit: his profufions began to impair his fortune, but not his good-nature; that, indeed, was feen to increafe as the other feemed to decay: he grew improvident as he grew poor; and though he talked like a man of fenfe, his actions were thofe of a fool. Still, however, being furrounded with importunity, and no longer able to fatisfy every requeft that was made him, inftead of money he gave promises. They were all he had to bestow, and he had not refolution enough to give any man pain by a denial. By this he drew round him crowds of dependants whom he was fure to difappoint; yet wifhed to relieve. These hung upon him for a time, and left him with merited reproaches and contempt. But in proportion as he became contemptible to others, he became defpicable to himfelf. His mind had leaned upon ♦ their adulation, and that fupport taken away, he could find no pleafure in the applaufe of his heart, which he had never learnt to reverence. The world now began to wear different afpect; the flattery of his friends began to dwindle into fimple approbation. Approbation foon took the more friendly form of advice, and advice, when rejected, produced their reproaches. He now, therefore, found that fuch friends as benefits had gathered round him, were little eftimable: he now found that a man's ⚫ own heart must be ever given to gain that of another. I now found, that ← —that—I forgot what I was going to obferve-in fhort, Sir, he refolved to refpect himfelf, and laid down a plan of reftoring his falling fortune. For this purpofe, in his own whimfical manner, he travelled through Europe on foot, and now, though he has fcarce attained the age of thirty, his circumftances are more ⚫ affluent than ever. At prefent, his bounties are more rational and mo<derate than before; but ftill he preferves the character of an humourift, and finds most pleasure in eccentric • virtues.'

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My attention was fo much taken up by Mr. Burchell's account, that I scarce looked forward as we went along, till

we were alarmed by the cries of my family; when turning, I perceived my youngest daughter in the midst of a rapid ftream, thrown from her horse, and itruggling with the torrent. She had funk twice, nor was it in my power to difengage myself in time to bring her relief. My fenfations were even too violent to permit my attempting her refcue: the muft have certainly perished, had not my companion, perceiving her danger, inftantly plunged in to her relief, and, with fome difficulty, brought her in fafety to the oppofite fhore. By taking the current a little farther up, the reft of the family got fafely over; where we had an opportunity of joining our acknowledgments to her's. Her gratitude may be more readily imagined than defcribed: the thanked her deliverer more with looks than words, and continued to lean upon his arm, as if ftill willing to receive affiftance. My wife alfo hoped one day to have the pleasure of returning his kindness at her own houfe. Thus, after we were refreshed at the next inn, and had dined together, as Mr. Burchell was going to a different part of the country, he took leave; and we purfued our jour

ney.

My wife obferving as we went, that he liked him extremely, and protefting, that if he had birth and fortune to entitle him to march into fuch a family as our's, the knew no man the would fooner fix upon. I could not but fmile to hear her talk-in this lofty ftrain: but I was never much difpleafed with thofe harmie's delufions that tend to make us more happy.

frugal by habit, they scarce knew that temperance was a virtue. They wrought with chearfulness on days of labour; but obferved feftivals as intervals of idleness and pleasure. They kept up the Chriftmas carol, fent true-love knots on Valentine morning, eat pancakes on Shrove-tide, thewed their wit on the first of April, and religioufly cracked nuts on Michaelmas eve. Being apprized of our approach, the whole neighbourhood came out to meet their minifter, dreffed in their fine clothes, and preceded by a pipe and tabor: a faft alfo was provided for our reception, at which we fate chearfully down; and what the converfation wanted in wit, was made up in laughter.

Our little habitation was fituated at the foot of a floping hill, fheltered with a beautiful underwood behind, and a prating river before; on one fide a meadow, on the other a green. My farm confifted of about twenty acres of excellent land, having given an hun dred pounds for my predeceffor's goodwill. Nothing could exceed the neatnefs of my little enclosures: the clms and hedge-rows appearing with inexpreffible beauty. My houfe confifted of but one ftory, and was covered with thatch, which gave it an air of great fnugnefs; the walls on the infide were nicely white-washed, and my daughters undertook to adorn them with pictures of their own defigning. Though the fame room ferved us for parlour and kitchen, that only made it the warmer. Befides, as it was kept with the utmoft neatnefs, the dishes, plates, and coppers, being well fcoured, and all difpofed in bright rows on the fhelves, the eye was agreeably relieved, and did not want richer furniture. There were three other apartments, one for my wife and me, another for our two daughters, within our own, and the third, with two beds, for the reft of the children.

The little republic to which I gave laws, was regulated in the following manner: by fun-rife we all affembled in our common apartment; the fire being previoufly kindled by the fervant, After we had faluted each other with proper ceremony, for I always thought tit to keep up fome mechanical forms of good-breeding, without which freedom ever destroys friendship, we all bent in gratitude to that Being who gave us another day. This duty being

performed, my fon and I went to purfue our ufual industry abroad, while my wife and daughters employed themfelves in providing breakfast, which was always ready at a certain time. I allowed half an hour for this meal, and an hour for dinner; which time was taken up in innocent mirth between my wife and daughters, and in philofophical arguments between my fon and me.

As we rofe with the fun, fo we never pursued our labour after it was gone down, but returned home to the expecting family; where fmiling looks, a neat hearth, and pleafant fire, were prepared for our reception. Nor were we without guests: fometimes Farmer Flamborough, our talkative neighbour, and often the blind piper, would pay us a vifit, and taste our goofeberry wine; for the making of which we had loft neither the receipt nor the re putation. Thefe harmlefs people had feveral ways of being good company; while one played, the other would fing fome foothing ballad, Johnny Armftrong's laft good-night, or the cruelty of Barbara Allen. The night was concluded in the manner we began the morning, my youngest boys being appointed to read the leffons of the day, and he that read loudeft, diftinctest, and best, was to have an halfpenny on Sunday to put into the poor's box.

When Sunday came, it was indeed a day of finery, which all my fumptuary edicts could not reftrain. How well foever I fancied my lectures against pride had conquered the vanity of my daughters; yet I ftill found them fecretly attached to all their former finery; they ftill loved laces, ribbands, bugles and catgut; my wife herself retained a paffion for her crimson paduafoy, because I formerly happened to lay it became her,

The first Sunday in particular their behaviour ferved to mortify me: I had detired my girls the preceding night to be dreft early the next day; for I always loved to be at church a good while before the reft of the congregation. They punctually obeyed my directions; but when we were to affemble in the morning at breakfast, down came my wife and daughters, dreft out in all their former fplendour, their hair plaiftered up with pomatum, their faces patched to tafte, their trains bundled up into an heap behind, and rustling

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