The be my ac with Mifs Cranmer, mation and clergy (10).— But it is time to return to the cottage of Christopher the fisherman, and fee what happened to Antonia and Agness. §. 10. When I came back to the poor ginning of man's cottage, he told me the ladies were quaintance come home, and as he had given Mifs Cranmer fome account of me, as a traveller who and how it had journeyed into that remote corner of the ended in a world, in fearch of antiquities and curiofities, he did not think this lady would be averfe to seeing me and hearing me too, if I contrived any plaufible pretence to throw my→ felf in her way. marriage. Immediately A word or (10) Note, reader, in the fourth volume of a work, two relat- called, Notes relating to Men, and Things, and Books, you ing to tran- will find fome more of my remarks on the Abbé Le fubftantia- Blanc's epiftles. You will fee, among other obfervations tjon. on this monk, a vindication of Archbishop Tillotson. The Abbé rails at one of this prelate's fine fermons, with great malice and impudence, and has the vanity to think his miferable declamation an anfwer. This wretched and defpicable Romish apoftate has the impu dence and impiety to defend the worthip of his God of dough, and would, if it were in his power, perfuade the readers of his letters, to adore the tiny cake he prorates himself before, For this the reader will find the mass-prift well chaflifed in the work I have referred to; and fee the doctrine of the Lord's Supper fet in a true light. You will find there a curious hiftory of the mass, from the time the topish doctors first drew it out of the bottomless pit; and fee it made quite evident, that Immediately then I croffed the water, went up to the house, and as I faw her and the fair Agness, her coufin, walking in the garden, near the ba, leaped it over immediately, broad as it was, and with my hat in my hand, made her a low bow, began an apology for prefuming to introduce myself to her prefence in fuch a manner, and concluded with my being in love with her charming character, before I had the honour and happiness of seeing her. What a condition then muft I be in, when a heavenborn maid, like her, appeared! Strange pleasures filled my foul, unloofed my tongue, that in this abominable article of their faith, as well as in every other part of their execrable religion, they make void the law of God, and fink the human race into the vileft flavery and idolatry. Beware then, Chriftians, of popery. Still bravely dare to protest against her infernal fchemes and inventions, and draw your religion from the book of God, that holy volume of ineftimable treasure. It is our light in darknefs,-our comfort under affliction,—our direction to heaven,-and let us die in defence of it, if ever there fhould be occafion, rather than fuffer the blood-thirsty papists, the red-handed idolaters, to fnatch it out of our hands. They will give us for it the defpicable legends of fictitious faints and falfe miracles;-a hiftory of difeafes cured inftantly by relicks;-accounts of speaking images;-ftories of travelling chapels ;-wonders done by a Madona;—and the devil knows what he has crowded into their wretched heads. Down with popery then, the religion of hell, and may that happy ftate be erected, when truth and love fhall embrace and reign. Come Lord Jefus come quickly. K 4 and and my first talk could not be any thing but love. A deal I faid on the fubject, not worth repeating to the reader; and the iffue of the matter was, that I became fo well acquainted with this innocent beauty, that, on taking my leave, I had an invitation to breakfast with her the next morning. I was there by eight, and really and truly quite charmed with her. She was pretty as it was poffible for flesh and blood to be, had a beautiful understanding; and as she had very little notion of men, having feen very few, except the two old fervants who lived with her, fhe had not a notion of any danger that could come from converfing freely with a man she knew nothing of, and who might be an enemy in difguife. After breakfast, I offered to go, but she afked me to ftay and dine; and to fum up the matter, I did dine, fup, and breakfaft with her every day, for a month, till my good prieft, Friar Fleming, arrived, on a letter I had fent him, and we were married before the end of fix weeks. We loved to excefs, and did enhance human happiness to a high degree. She was good as an angel; and for two years we lived in unfpeakable felicity. For the greatest part of that time, we were at Orton-Lodge, as he liked the wild place. There he likewife died of the finall-pox, in the first month of the third up year, and left me the most disconfolate of men. Four days I fat with my eyes fhut, on account of this lofs, and then left the Lodge once more, to live if I could, fince my religion ordered me so to do, and see what I was next to meet with in the world. As grief fat powerfully on my fpirits, and if not diflodged, would have drank them all very foon, I refolved to haften to Harrogate, and in the feftivities of that place forget my departed partner as foon as I could. I laid my Antonia by my Charlotte and my Statia, and then rode off. What happened at the Wells, and all the obfervations I made there, and thereabout, the reader will find in my fifth fection. N. B. As I mention nothing of any children by fo many wives, fome readers may perhaps wonder at this, and therefore, to give a general anfwer, once for all, I think it fufficient to obferve, that I had a great many, to carry on the fucceffion; but as they never were concerned in any extraordinary affairs, nor ever did any remarkable things, that I heard of; - only rife and breakfast, read and faunter, drink and eat, it would not be fair, in my opinion, to make any one pay for their history. SECTION The au thor goes to Harrogate. §. I. SECTION V. As once, ('twas in Aftrea's reign) And Hefper's golden lamp was last. IN N the year 1731, I arrived at Harrogate, in the Weft-riding of Yorkfhire, in order to amufe my mind with the 5 diverfions |