I have all I defire in this world, and reign more happily over my few fubjects, in this airy, filent, fecret fpot, than the greatest inonarch can do on a throne. My people are only one young man, who is my gardener, my footman, and my groom, and two old women, my maids. These are ever attentive to my will, and by their good behaviour and management, make my lodge as agreeable, and life as pleafing, as can be expected in this fyftem of things.

Monckton's story pleafed me much, and I wondered greatly at his happy temper, when he faw his beloved wife buttoning up the breeches of the man. But did you ever hear what became of her after?-And faulty as fhe was, may there not be found an ho neft charming woman, to render your hours more delightful than ftudy and contrivance can make them, without a foft partner thro' life? Come into the world with me, Sir, and I will engage to find out for you a mere primitive christian of a woman, with all the beauties of body that Lucian gives his images.

You are very good, Sir, (Monckton replied) in offering to look out for another wife for me, and I thank you very heartily, for your wellmeant kindness; but as I never enquired what became of my firft wife, from the morning I left her, and know only that she is dead,

as

as her jointure has not been demanded for feveral years paft; fo fhall I never be concerned with a fecond. Perhaps there are fome honeft women in the world. I hope fo: but I have had enough of marriage. Befide, I think it time now to turn my thoughts a better way. In the forty-fifth year of my age, it cannot be weak, to begin to confider the great change before me, and fix my hopes on a good remove into fome better and happier region. If I was unfortunate with a wife when a young man, I have little reafon to expect better days with one, as age comes on. I might find myself again most fadly miftaken. But there can be no difappointment in making it the principal work of life, to prepare, in fuch a retirement as this, for that approaching hour, when we must fubmit to the power and tyranny of death and corruption. By this means, the greatest happiness may be fecured. In every thing else, there is uncertainty and vanity. I fpeak principally in refpect of my time of life, who am haftning fast to fifty: but at every time, it is my opinion, that men, as rationals, and beings who take on themselves the honourable profeffion of the christian religion, fhould not comply with the criminal liberties allowed in the world, and give into the illicit ufages and cuftoms of place and company, for fear of ridicule, or to avoid giving offence; but keep

I

ftrictly

and the ar

rival of

Mifs Turner of

ftrictly to the will and laws of their higher country, and in all things have a special regard to holiness, and truth, and purity.

I

I do not fay this by way of preaching, but that you may thereby have a truer idea of the man you chanced to find in a lone houfe on this vaft common. Seven years have I now lived here, and in all that time, have not been once in London: but fometimes I ride to a neighbouring village, and if on the road, or at an inn, I can pick up a fenfible agreeable man, I love to dine with him, and drink a pint of wine. Such a man I frequently ride in queft of, and if he be intirely to my mind, (which is very rarely the cafe,) I invite him home with me, to pass at my lodge two or three days. Far then am I from being unfocial, though I live in folitude; but I left the world, because I was illufed in it, and happen to think very differently from the generality of men. Here Monckton ended his ftory, and a little after we parted.

A bait at a §. 5. I rid for fix hours without meeting lone inn, with any thing remarkable; but as I baited about three o'clock at a lone inn, the fituation of which was fo fine in foreft and water, that Skelmore I determined to go no further that day, there arrived a little after, a young lady, her maid, and two men fervants. They were all well-mounted, and the lady's beast in particular.

vale.

ticular, as great a beauty of its kind, as its
mistress was among women. I thought I
had seen the face before, and had been fome
where or other in her company; but as it
must be several years ago, and her face and
perfon were a little altered, I could not im-
mediately recollect her: but Finn, my lad,
coming up to me, asked me, if I did not re-
member Miss Turner of Skelfmore-vale*? Mifs
Turner, I faid; to be fure, now I think,
it is fhe; but this lady just arrived here is
much fatter, and, if it be poffible, fomething
handfomer. It is her, believe me, quoth Finn,
and you ought to wait upon her inftantly. I
went. It was Mifs Turner, one of the
beauties that adorns a gallery of pictures in
the North, and who is with great truth in
the following lines described, in a Poem writ-
ten on this collection of paintings.

But fee! Emilia rifes to the fight
In every virtue, in every beauty bright!
See thofe victorious eyes, that heav'nly mien !
Behold her fhine like Love's refiftless Queen!
Thou fairest wonder of thy fairest kind!
By heav'n fome image of itself design'd !
As if in thee it took peculiar care,

And form'd thee like fome fav'rite feraph there!
But tho' thy beauty ftrikes the ravish'd fight,
Thy virtue fhines diftinguishingly bright!
And all the graces of thy form combin'd,
Yield to the charms of thy unblemish'd mind;

See the Life of John Buncle, Vol. I. p. 404.
B b

Where

The pic

ture of Mifs Tur

ner.

My addrefs

to Mifs Turner.

Where all is fpótlefs, gentle, and ferene,
One calm of life untouch'd by guilt or pain!
Could I in equal lays thy worth defign,
Or paint exalted merit fuch as thine!
To lateft ages fhould thy name furvive,
And in my verfe Emilia ever live;

Th' admiring world should liften to thy praife,
And the fair portrait charm fucceeding days.

This lady knew me at once, on my entring the room where fhe was, and we dined together. She told me, her brother, my friend, died in Italy, on his return home; and Mifs Jaquelot, her coufin and companion, was happily married; and that being thus left alone, by these two accidents, fhe was going up to London, to refide in the world.

§. 6. Miss Turner, (I faid then) as you are now your own miftrefs, I may with justice make my addreffes, and tell you, that from the first hour I faw you, I was in love with you, and am fo ftill that if you will do me the honour to be my wife, I will make the best of husbands. I have now fome fortune, and if you will allow, that an honeft man is the best companion for an honeft woman, let us marry in the country, and inftead of going up to that noify tumultuous place called London, retire to fome still delightful retreat, and there live, content with each other, as happy as it is poffible for two young mortals to be in this lower hemifphere. What do you fay, Mifs Turner?

§. 7.