Honour to the Family, fhe gave 300 l. to a Suffering Branch of it; and retir'd to a Cheap Country, that the 100 . which remain'd to her, might carry her with Decency to the Grave; and about four Years ago fhe ⚫ ended a Life that edified all that had the Bleffing of her • Acquaintance.

THIS may be received for an undoubted Truth,

Ducite ab Urbe Domum, mea Carmina, ducite Daphnim.

Virg.

AM now arriv'd at an Age that difpofes a Perfon chiefly to Contemplation; being paft thofe trifling Enjoyments, which captivate the Hearts of Youth, and blind the Understanding; fo that the Senfe with which I obferve human Things having its full Liberty, I can, in a more clear Light, diftinguish between the Paffions of Man and Man; and as I fee both Sexes furnish'd with Disorders of their own contriving, am naturally led into a Strife of Thought, whether in Juftice I ought to pity or contemn them: However that is, Nature inclinés me to the former, and I can no more ftifle my Compaffion at a Story of a Perfon's Misfortunes, than a Child can conquer his Tears when he is under Correction.

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I must own the Follies of the Age, or the modern Fashion of Oeconomy, which is much the fame thing, is fome Excufe, at leaft, for Perfons unqualified for the Speculative Part of Conduct; and others are not wholly to blame, either for want of Theory or Practice, fince they only tread in the Steps of their Predeceffors;. nor indeed is it any great Wonder that Perfons of Senfe, when they are young, are carried away by two fuch ftrong Motives as Cuftom and Inclination.

WHAT gave me many of these Reflexions was, the laft Summer, being in the Country, I obferved, as I travell'd the different Roads, feveral ancient Seats, beautiful in Structure, and most of them in fine Situations, either by advantage of being plac'd on a Hill commanding a various and diftant Profpect, or furrounded with a noble Park, whofe Pales or Wall-Fence are in a spacious Spot of Ground, containing here a Grove and there a Plain; my Curiofity to know the Families they belong'd to, ever induced me to an Inquiry; but that I fhould meet fo often with the fame Answer furpris'd me. In fhort, they were most of them abandon. ed by the Owners, whofe Ambition to fhine in our Metropolis, in the Fops Race of Glory, run out their Fortunes, and embrac'd their Ruin. When there is a Neceffity for Perfons to have Refidence at Court, as being an honourable Member of our Head, the Figure they make is reputable to our Country, and Grains of Allowance are always to be thrown into the Scale; but how ridiculous is it to fee People of moderate Eftates defert their paternal Place of Abode, who have no other end but a great Equipage, and are content to be at the expence of three or four Hundred Pounds a Year for a Lodging, when they are Mafters of a Palace in a fine Country, and can have fuch House-Room for nothing: Some of these who have Families are attended with fad Circumftances, and one I am fure (not the leaf) is the poor Children, whofe future Subfiitence is no where to be found, but in the Accompt Books of Mercers, Taylors, and Coach-makers.

HAD we a Court of Judicature, that might take Cognifance of fuch Evils, with Power to inflict Corpo

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ral Punishments on those who have Families, and live above their Fortunes, perhaps the Pain and publick Shame might be effectual; but then let us confider, if this is only imaginary, there is one to come, not fictitious, but a certain Day of Reckoning, where the strictest Justice: will be done, and where, even their smallest Indiscretions, to the Prejudice of others, will be taken notice of.

FOR my part, I am exceffively pleas'd to hear a little Narrarive in the behalfof theMaster of a House,when his provident Management, good Decorum, and Care of those under his Charge, is the Subject.

MY old Friend Rurigenus deferves this Character as much as any one, and it is very justly bestow'd on him by all that have the Happiness of being his Acquaintance. I happen'd laft June, in the beginning of the Month, to be within half a day's Journey of his Manfion-Houfe in the fame Country where he lives; he has about fourteen in Family, keeps a right Proportion of Ground in his own hands for Employment, spending his Time for the Profit of his House, and a juft Regard for his Children; that is always the Example he has fhewn to his Neighbours, who are all Inhabitants in a Country about fifty Miles from London. One Morn ing, being very fine, I took my Horse to go thither; but when I was got within two Miles of my Friend's House, I could not contain my felf from alighting by the fide of a River to look upon a Profpect which pleas'd me; my Man walk'd the Horses whilft I continued to take a View of one of the most beautiful Landskips in the World It was a Hill which I ftood upon, and the River ran at the foot of it, border'd on each fide with a Row of tall Trees, which grew upon a Pafture of a delicate Green and even Turf; the Shade of thofe Trees gave a folemn dark Verdure to the Water, unless here and there an Opening let in the bright Reflexion of the Sky, and chequer'd her with a fweet pale Blue. As my Eye ran, I could fee the fartheft Hills tip'd with Gold” from the Sun-Beams, and the Clouds beyond with different Lights, in fo many various Shapes, as it were, Rocks and Plains, Groves and Hills, were all blended together; I discover'd new. Beauties all around me, for the Soils

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conjoining, and each bearing an oppofite Tincture to the next, became a Foil to fet off one another: I had that Harmony of Peace within me at that time, methought it was almoft poffible for my Idea to have fome Glimmering of the Tranquillity and State of the firft Innocents, the Parents of Mankind.

I was but a little while wrapp'd in these agreeable Emotions of Soul, when the Noife of a Coach at fome distance, grating foftly upon a Gravel Road, interrupted and drew my Eyes that way: Sometimes I could fee it appear, and then the Valleys and Lanes obfcur'd it; but I being near the Tract, it foon discover'd the Owner to be the Perfon I intended to vifit.

WHEN we were within Call, he knowing me at the fame time, ftopp' and faluted me with his Voice in the moft welcome manner, bidding me come into the Coach, that we might difcourfe the rest of the way home: I obey'd and found only his youngest Daughter with him, who is very pretty, and about the Age of Sixteen. After our Compliments were paft, he told me, They had been to pay a Vifit to a Neighbour, a wealthy Farmer, with whom he had just then concluded a Treaty of Marriage between this young Lady and the Farmer's eldeft Son, who was newly arriv'd from the University, where he had completed his Studies, and was now every way qualified for a handfom Benefice, which his Father had provided for him. I could not help cafting my Eyes upon this pretty Fair One now and then, as the Story was repeating, tho' I was concern'd to fee the Confufion her Bashfulness occafion'd; and yet I own, I had a delight to obferve the little Contrivances fhe had to interrupt her Father ; for he was continually dropping her Glove, her Snuff-Box, or her Fan. My Friend went on, and was pleas'd to tell me, I came very opportunely to do honour to the Nuptials of his three Daughters: My eldeft, fays he, is already betroth'd to a worthy Knight, and the Ceremony to be perform'd to morrow: My fecond I have alfo provided a Husband for; and though his Father is only a Yeoman of Kent, he has enabled his Son to make

good Settlement upon her; and all hands are agreed to celebrate each Wedding according to Seniority, and the younger

younger to be nine Days after the elder. Thus, old Acquaintance, fays he, I have by my Industry completed and fix'd, I may almost venture to say, a Period to my worldby Cares, my Sons being already married. I have nows full Leifure to spend the remaining Part of my Life_in Quiet, and give every Day up to the Author of my Being, to return Thanks for the many Bleffings he has Shower'd upon me.

I was prevail'd upon to ftay at my Friend's Seat, and be a Witness to the Marriage of his three Daughters; and I confess I was wonderfully taken with those fair Ladies modeft and dutiful Behaviour, who were all of them polite enough for the Town, without Coquetry; innocent, without want of Wit; and chearful, with a becoming Decency.

WHAT a happy Remain is this old Man Poffeffor of, who has employ'd the paft, in the feveral Duties of each Station; making a difcreet Batchelor, a true Friend, a kind Husband, a loving and a prudent Father: His Neighbours, his Servants, and the Country he belongs to, give him the Praises which are his due; that he is. Grateful without Trouble, Charitable without Vanity,. and without Pride hofpitable.