tion of cafualties, that could bring you to my house, and I affure you upon my word, that you are moft heartily welcome. As I lay in my cabbin on hip-board, I conceived a great regard for you, on account of many things I heard you fay, and particularly, for your lively arguments with Dr. Whaley, before the storm began, in defence of the divine Unity, and against that miserable theology which the monks have invented, and continue to fupport, tho' it militates with the revealed truths of God, and the reason and fitnefs of things. I was greatly pleafed with your different definitions of churchifm and religion, and honoured you not a little for what you faid in oppofition to unintelligible mystery, and the glare of ceremony; at the fame time, that you contended for the worship of the univerfal Father, and that fober, righteous, and godly life, which fprings from the love of truth, virtue, and moral rectitude. Once more then I affure you, Sir, I am moft heartily glad to fee you, and I fhall take it as a great favour if you will pafs the fummer with me in this wild country place. Every thing fhall be made as agreeable as poffible, and, exclufive of this clofet of books, which you fhall poffefs while you ftay here, we will hunt, and fet, and fhoot, and enjoy all the pleafures of the field: but in the VOL. II.

K

mean

mean time, as it is now ten o'clock, we ought to think of breakfast, and he defired his fifter, a most charming creature, to call for it immediately, and I foon saw several fervants bring in every thing that was elegant and excellent. He told me I need be under no uneafinefs about my mare and horses, for there was a fteep narrow way for them to come down to his ftables, about half a mile from the place I left them, and he would immediately send one of his fervants to bring them.

This was vaftly civil and affectionate, and I told Mr. Berrisfort, that I was under great obligations to him for his goodness, which I fhould ever have an extreme sense of, but I was obliged to go on upon bufinefs a few days however I would enjoy the happiness he offered me, and we paffed them in a very delightful manner.

Manner of living at "YeoverinGreen.

89. Early in the morning we went out with the hounds, and for half a dozen hours, had the dogs in full cry before us. We had hawks and pointers in the afternoon, and enjoyed abroad all the fports of the field. Within, when our labours were over, we had the most elegant dinners and fuppers; every thing of meat and drink, that the

2

best

best taste could defire: and the conversation was excellent after the repafts.

Characters of

Mr. Berrif
fort, his

fifter, and

90. Mr. Berrisfort was a man of letters and breeding; and the ladies had fenfe, and were no strangers to the beft English books. They understood no Mifs Fox. other language than their mother tongue, but the choiceft authors of every kind that our country has produced, they had read with great care. The mafter of YeoverinGreen was a learned, worthy, polite man, free in difcourfe (if he knew his company, and liked them, but otherwife quite mute,) and he was inftructive in every thing he faid. His fifter and coufin were very good; discreet in their behaviour, temperate in their discourse, and eafy in their manner. They had no learning, they pretended to no criticism; but talked, without vanity, of the best things, and what they did fay, they expreffed in a moft agreeable way. There was no being dull with fuch people, in fuch a place. I have feen very few young ladies in my time that I liked better than thofe girls. They both charmed me with their perfons, their faces, their good manners, and their chat; but I could not enough admire Mifs Berrisfort for one particular, in which the not only excelled Miss Fox

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Fox, but all the women that I have ever seen. This was in hunting. In the field, fhe feemed the filver-fhafted queen.

The daring

Berrisfort in

bunting.

91. Mr. Berrisfort and Mifs Spirit of Mifs Fox followed the dogs with Caution, and never attempted any thing that could hazard their necks or their bones: but the charming Juliet Berrisfort had so violent a paffion for the diverfion of the field, that he was feized with a kind of enthufiafm when fhe heard the cry of the hounds, and as if the had been the goddess of the filver bow, or one of her immortal train, went on without a thought of her having brittle limbs. She leaped every thing to keep in with the dogs; five-bar gates; the most dangerous ditches and pales; and drove full-speed down the steepest hills, if it was poffible for a horse to keep his feet on them. She frightened me the first morning I was out with her. She made my heart bounce a thousand times. I expected every now and then that he would break her neck; that neck where lillies grew. I was reckoned a very defperate rider by all that knew me, and yet, with this young lady, I paufed feveral times at fome leaps, when she did not hesitate at all. Over he went, in a moment, without thinking of the perils in

her way; and then, if I broke my neck, I could not but pursue.

When glory call'd, and beauty led the way, What man could think of life, and poorly stay?

An account of

we falls in

the field.

92. It was not in my complexion to ftay, and by that means, I got a terrible fall the fecond day; whether by my own fault, or my horfe's, I cannot tell: but as no bone was broke, and I had received no other mifchief than a black eye, a bruise in my fide, and a torn face, I was foon on my mare again, and by Mifs Berrisfort's fide. She laughed immoderately at me, while the dogs were at fault, as my bones were safe, and advifed me, with a humorous tenderness, to ride with her brother and Mifs Fox. It was not however very long before I had more fatisfaction than I defired; for in half an hour's time, we came to some pales, which the ftag went over, and I leaped firft; but Mils Berrisfort's horfe, tho' one of the best in the world, unfortunately ftruck, and cleared them in fuch a manner, that the lovely Juliet came over his head. She fell very fafely in high grafs, where I waited for her, for fear of an accident of any kind, and did not receive the