for ever ftrangers to. After fupper, over fome little nectared-bowl, we fweetly chatted, till it was bed-time; or I played on my flute, and Charlotte divinely fung. It was a happy life; all the riches and honours of the world cannot produce fuch fcenes of blifs as we experienced in a cottage, in the Wilds of Westmoreland. Even the winter, which is ever boisterous and extreme cold in that part of the world, was no feverity to us. As we had most excellent provifions of every kind in abundance, and plenty of firing from the ancient woods, which cover many of thofe high hills; and two men fervants, and two maids, to do whatever tended to being and to well-being, to supply our wants, and to complete our happiness;

on Hindhead-heath, in the way to Portsmouth. It is as large as a good Darking fowl, and the colour is a deep iron-grey. Its eyes are large and fine as the black cock's; but, instead of the red circle round them, it has bright and beautiful fcarlet eye-brows.

The cock of the wood.

The cock of the wood, (as unknown in London as the black cock) is almoft as large as a turkey, but flies well. The back is a mixture of black, grey, and a reddish brown; the belly grey, and the breaft a pale brown, with tranfverfe lines of black, and a little white at the tips of the feathers. It has a large round head, of the pureft black, and over its fine hazle eyes, there is a naked space, that looks like an eye-brow of bright fcarlet. It is delicious eating, but far inferior to the black cock.

pinefs; this foftened the hard rough fcene, and the roaring waters, and the howling winds, appeared pleafing founds. In

fhort, every feason, and all our hours, were quite charming, and full of delight. Good Tom Fleming, our friend, did likewife enhance our felicity, by coming once or twice a week to fee us, and ftaying fometimes two or three days. In the fummer time we alfo went now and then to vifit him; and, if one was inclined to melancholy, yet it was impoffible to be dull while he was by; his humour, and his fongs, over a bowl of punch, were enough to charm the moft fplenetic, and make even rancour throw its face into fmiles.

The death of
Charlotte,

my friend
Tom Flem-
ing, and

others. 1727.

atat. 24.

§. 5. Two years, as I have faid, this fine fcene lafted and during that foft, tranf porting period, I was the happieft man on earth. But in came Death, when we leaft expected him, fnatched my charming partner from me, and melted all my happiness into air, into thin air. A fever, in a few days, fnapt off the thread of her life, and made me the child of affliction, when I had not a thought of the mourner. Language cannot paint the diftrefs this calamity reduced me to; nor give an idea of what I fuffered,

when

when I faw her eyes fwimming in death, and the throws of her departing fpirit. Bleft as she was, in the exercise of every virtue that adorns a woman, how inconfolable must her husband be! and to add to my distress, by the fame fever fell my friend Tom Fleming, who came the day before my wife fickened to fee us. One of my lads likewife died, and the two servant maids. They all lay dead around me, and I fat like one inanimate by the corps of Charlotte, till Fryer Fleming, (the brother of Tom,) brought coffins and buried them all. Thus did felicity vanifh from my fight, and I remained like a traveller in Greenland, who had loft the fun.

death.

§. 6. O eloquent, just, and Areflection on mighty death! (fays Raleigh) It is thou alone puts wifdom into the human heart, and fuddenly makes man to know himself. It is death that makes the conqueror afhamed of his fame, and with he had rather stolen out of the world, than' purchased the report of his actions, by rapine, oppreffion, and cruelty; by giving in fpoil the innocent and labouring foul to the idle and infolent; by emptying the ci ties of the world of their ancient inhabitants, and filling them again with fo many, and fo variable forts of forrows. It is death tells

tells the proud and infolent, that they are but abjects, and humbles them at the inftant; makes them cry, complain, and repent; yea, even to hate their former happiness. It is death takes the account of the rich, and proves him a beggar, a naked beggar, which hath intereft in nothing but the gravel which fills his mouth. It is death holds a glafs before the eyes of the most beautiful, and makes them fee therein their deformity and rottenness, and they acknowledge it.

Whom none could advise, thou haft perfuaded what none have dared, thou hast done and whom all the world hath flattered, thou only haft caft out of the world, and defpifed. Thou haft drawn together all the far-ftretched greatnefs, all the pride, cruelty, and ambition, of man; all the powerful charms of beauty; and covered it all over with these two narrow words, Hic jacet.

Nor is this all, mighty death! It is thou that leadeft to the refurrection of the dead; the diffolution of the world; the judgment day; and the eternal ftate of men. It is thou that finishes the trial of men, and feals their characters, for happiness or mifery for

ever.

Be

Be thou then, death, our morning and evening meditation: let us learn from thee the vanity of all human things; and that it is the most amazing folly to melt away time, and mifapply talents, as the generality of reasonable beings do: that we were not made men, thinking, rational beings, capable of the nobleft contemplations, to fpend all our thoughts and time in fenfe and pleasure, in dreffing, feeding, and sporting; or, in purchases, building, and planting; but to prepare for a dying hour; that, when at the call of God, we go out of the body, not knowing whither we go, we may, like Abraham, travel by faith, and trust to the conduct of the Lord of all countries. Since we must die, and thy power, O death, we fee, is uncontrolable: fince to the duft 'we must return, and take our trial at the bar of Almighty God, as intelligent and free agents; (for under moral government, and God is a perfectly wife and righteous governor, the wickedness of the wicked will be upon bim, and the righteousness of the righteous will be upon him ;)-fince we must be numbered with the dead, and our circumftances and condition indicate a future judgment, furely we ought to remove our chief concern from this world to the other, and transfer our principal regard to the immor

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