tal fpirit; that in the bour of agony, a virtuous mind, purity of confcience, and good actions, may procure us the favour of God, and the guidance of his good spirit to the manfions of the bleffed, where new pleafures are for ever fpringing up, and the happiness of the heavenly inhabitants is perpetually increafing. This is the one thing needful. Death demonftrates, that this world of darkness and error, changes and chances, is not worth fixing our heart on. To fecure our paffage into the regions of perfect and eternal day, fhould be the employment of immortal mortals. §. 7. Thus did I reflect as I fat among the dead, with my eyes faftened on the breathlefs corps of Charlotte, and I wished, if it was poffible, to have leave to depart, and in the hofpitable grave lie down from toil and pain, to take my last repofe; for I knew not what to do, nor where to go. I was not qualified for the world; nor had I a friend, or even an acquaintance in it, that I knew where to find. But in vain I prayed; it was otherwise decreed: I must go on, or continue a folitary in the wild I was in. The latter it was not poffible for me to do, in the state of mind I was in; overwhelmed with forrow, and without a companion of any kind; and therefore, I must of ne ceffity ceffity go to fome other place. I fold all the living things I had to Fryar Fleming, and locked up my doors. My furniture, linen, clothes, books, liquors, and fome falt provifions, inftruments of various kinds, and fuch like things, I left in their feveral places. There was no one to take them, or probability that any one would come there to difturb them; and perhaps, fome time or other, the fates might bring me back again to the lone place. Though it was then a defolate, filent habitation, a ftriking memento of the vanity and precarious existence of all human good things; yet it was poffible, that hearty friendship, feftivity, and focial life, might once more be seen there. The force and operation of casualties did wonders every day, and time might give me even a relifh for the folitude in a few years more. Thus did 1 fettle affairs in that remote place; and, taking leave of my friend the fryar with my lad O Finn, rode off. VOL. III. C SECT. SECT. II. Collect thy powers divine, and then drive off Through life ftill cherish'd, and in death held fast. Day Thoughts. Auguft 4. 1727. The author's departure from OrtonLodge, to try his for tune once more. §. I. TH HE fun was rifing, when we mounted our horfes, and I again went out to try my fortune in the world; not like the Chevalier of La Mancha, in hopes of conquering a kingdom, or marrying fome great Princefs; but to fee if I could find another good country girl for a wife, and get a little more money; as they were the only two things united, that could fecure me from melancholy, and confer real happinefs. To this purpose, as the day was extremely fine, and Finn had fomething cold, and a couple of bottles at the end of his wallet, I gave my horse the rein, and let him take what way his fancy chose. For fome time, he gently trotted the path he had often gone, and over many a mountain made his road: but at laft, he brought me to a place I was quite a stranger to, and made a full ftop at a deep and rapid. water, which ran by the bottom of a very high hill I had not been up before. Over this river I made him go, though it was far from being fafe, and in an hour's ride from that flood, came to a fine rural fcene. A delightful pot of earth among the fells of Weltmoreland. §. 2. It was pafture-ground, of a large extent, and in many places covered with groves of trees, of various kinds; walnuts, chefnuts, and oaks; the poplar, the plane-tree, the mulberry, and maple. There was likewise the Phænician cedar, the larix, the large-leafed laurel, and the cytiffus of Virgil. In the middle of this place were the ruins of an old feat, over-run with fhrubby plants; the Virginia creeper, the box-thorn, the jeffamine, the honey-fuckle, the periwinkle, the birdweed, the ivy, and the climber; and near the door was a flowing fpring of water, which formed a beautiful ftream, and babbled to the river we came from. Charming fcene! fo filent, fweet, C 2 and and pretty, that I was highly pleased with the discovery. A defcription of Bafil Groves, the Seat of Charles Henley, Efq; §. 3. On the margin of the brook, under a mulberry tree, I dined, on fomething which Finn produced from his wallet, tongue and ham, and potted black cock; and having drank a pint of cyder, fet out again, to try what land lay right onwards. In an hour, we came to a large and dangerous watery moor, which we croffed over with great difficulty, and then arrived at a range of mountains, through which there was a narrow pafs, wet and ftony, a long and tedious ride, which ended on the border of a fine country: at four in the afternoon, we arrived on the confines of a plain, about a hundred acres, which was ftrewed with various flowers of the earth's natural produce, that rendered the glebe delightful to behold, and was furrounded with groves. The place had all the charms that verdure, forest, and vale, can give a country. In the centre of this ground was a handsome square building, and behind it a large and beautiful garden, which had a low, thick, holly-hedge, that encompassed it. As the door of this houfe was not locked, but opened by a filver fpring turn er, |