miles of the place. This gentleman he defcribed as one who defired to know little more of the world than its 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 scarce 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 feemed 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 hoftess -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 holt, that must be impoffible; for it was no later 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 ftealing.' 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, dreit in clothes that once were laced. His perfon was well formed, and his face marked with the lines of thinking. He had fomething short 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 purse to fatisfy the prefent demand. I take it with all my heart, Sir,' replied he; glad that a late overfight in giving what money I had about me, has fhewn me that there are still fome men like you. I muft, however, previously ⚫ entreat being informed of the name and refidence of B 6

.

' and am

" my

6

my benefactor, in order to repay him as foon as poffible.In this I fatisfied him fully, not only mentioning my name and late misfortunes, 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 myself, having been detained here two days by the floods, which I hope by tomorrow 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 wish 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 furprised me moft 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 house which stood 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

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⚫ repre

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He

reprefented as one of the moft generous, yet whimfical men in the kingdom; a man of confummate benevolence.'- Something, perhaps, too much fo,' replied Mr. Burchell; at least he carried benevolence to an excess when young; for his paffions were then strong, and as they all were upon the fide of virtue, they led it up to a romantic 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 most pleasure from flattery. was furrounded with crowds, who fhewed him only one fide of their character; so that he began to lofe a regard for private intereft in univerfal fympathy. He loved all mankind; for fortune prevented him 'from knowing that there were rafcals. Phyficians tell us of a diforder, in which the whole body is fo 'exquifitely fenfible, that the flightest touch gives pain: what fome have thus fuffered in their perfons, this gentleman felt in his mind. The flighteft dif'trefs, whether real or fictitious, touched him to the quick, and his foul laboured under a fickly fenfibility of the miferies of others. Thus difpofed to relieve, it will be easily conjectured he found numbers difpofed to folicit: his profufions began to 'impair his fortune, but not his good-nature; that, indeed, was seen to increase 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 fur⚫ rounded with importunity, and no longer able to fatisfy every request that was made him, instead of " money he gave promifes. 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 wished to relieve. Thefe hung upon him for a time, and left him with merited reproaches and contempt. But in proportion as he

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• became

became contemptible to others, he became defpicable to himself, His mind had leaned upon their adulation, and that support taken away, he could find no pleasure in the applause of his heart, which he had never learnt to reverence. The world now began to wear a different aspect. 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 thort, Sir, he refolved to refpect himself, and laid down a plan of restoring his falling fortune. For this purpose, in his own whim-' fical manner, he travelled through Europe on foot, and now, though he has scarce attained the age of thirty, his circumstances are more affluent than ever. At prefent, his bounties are more rational and moderate than before; but ftill he preferves the cha⚫racter of an humourift, and finds most pleasure in eccentric virtues.'

My attention was fo much taken up by Mr. Burchell's account, that I fcarce 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 midft of a rapid ftream, thrown from her horfe, and ftruggling with the torrent. She had funk twice, nor was it in my power to difengage myfelf in time to bring her relief. My fenfations were even too violent to permit my attempting her refcue: the must 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 rest of the family got fafely over; where we had an opportunity of joining our acknowledgments to her's. Her gratitude may be more readily

readily imagined than defcribed: fhe thanked her deliverer more with looks than words, and continued to lean upon his arm, as if ftill willing to receive affistance. My wife alfo hoped one day to have the pleafure of returning his kindness at her own house. 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 journey: my wife obferving as we went, that he liked him extremely, and protesting, that if he had birth and fortune to entitle him to match into fuch a family as our's, fhe knew no man fhe 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 harmless delufions that tend to make us more happy.

CHAP. IV.

A proof that even the humbleft fortune may grant happinefs, which depends not on circumftance, but conftitu

tion.

THE

HE place of our retreat was in a little neigh bourhood, confifting of farmers, who tilled their own grounds, and were equal strangers to opulence and poverty. As they had almost all the conveniencies of life within themselves, they feldom vifited towns or cities in fearch of fuperfluities. Remote from the polite, they still retained the primeval fimplicity of manners; and frugal by habit, they fcarce knew that temperance was a virtue. They wrought, with cheerfulness on days of labour; but obferved feftivals as intervals of idleness and pleasure. They kept up the Christmas carol, fent true-loveknots on Valentine morning, ate pancakes on Shrovetide, fhewed their wit on the first of April, and religiously cracked nuts on Michaelmas eve. Being apprifed of our approach, the whole neighbourhood came out to meet their minifter, dreffed in their fine

clothes,