water. To this I was obliged to fubmit, tho' with great reluctance, as I think it the worst mixture in the world. By this time my appetite grew exceeding fharp, and as I had resolved not to lose my dinner entirely, I feized upon a pigeon that was near me, and was on the point of putting a bit into my mouth, when, as if from a confpiracy to ftarve me, every perfon at the table roared out, Sir I drink your health; Sir, my bumble fervice to you. I had already been hobor-nob'd two and twenty times, and every body had drunk my health thirteen times, and as I found this was still to be repeated, I laid down my knife and fork, and the rest of the dinner I fpent entirely in returning the compliment with Sir, I thank you, and curfed most heartily in my own mind both Love and Friendfbip. The water was served, and the mistress of the house waited till every body had washed their mouths and fpit about, to make the ufual concluding fpeech of affuring the company, that noboly had eat a bit that day, and that she was forry he had not got something that they could have liked. They affured her in their turn that they had eat monftroufly and prodigiously; which was true in fact, as was evident from their sweaty countenances, which the ladies endeavoured to cool by pulling their fans out of their pockets, and the gentlemen by opening their waistcoats, and the bofoms of their fhirts. The ladies retired, and the piper was introduced. I foon grew heartily fick of wine, noife and nonfenfe, and would have left the room, but to my great inortification found the door locked. I prayed and intreated but to no purpose, my difappointment produced K 3 duced a hearty laugh, and my friend made me fit down again, affuring me, to my great comfort, that nobody had ever dined with him that did not get a hearty bottle, or in other words, was made dead drunk. The beft wine lofes it flavour in bad company. It had also loft its usual effect on me, for in proportion as the company grew outrageously merry I funk into extreme ftupidity. However, my friend falling asleep foon after, I took the advantage of it, ftole the key of the door out of his pocket, and fet myself at liberty. The fatigues of the day had fo exhausted my ftrength and fpirits, that I had much ado to creep up ftairs to bed. In the way I met the mistress of the house, who told me that he had ordered the state-bed for me. Upon enquiry I found that by lying in ftate I should infallibly get the rheumatifm, as the bed had not been lain in for nine months, but I was obliged to acquiefce, and went to bed, having requested that there should be no fire in the room for fear of the asthma, and taken particular care to draw back the curtains. My exceffive weariness foon fet me to fleep, but I had not been long in that fituation when I awoke, with great terror, in a state of fuffocation. It was fome time before I could recollect myself enough to find out the caufe, which was a great smoke. I thought the house might have been on fire, and was leaping out of bed in a great hurry, but found the bed was clofed on all fides and barred my paffage, nor could I get even a hand out to ring the bell. My amazement was exceffive, as 1 could not conceive the reafon of my confinement, but I was foon let into the cause of it by the lady of the houfe, whom the noise I made had brought into the the room. She told me, that for fear I fhould get cold, fhe had got a fire made in the room, and as the could not conceive how any mortal could lie with the curtains open, fhe and her maid had been employed an hour in pinning them up. I left the inhofpitable manfion early in the morning, thanking my ftars that I had escaped from a family in which I had not for the whole time done any thing but what was difagreeable to me, and where I had literally been almoft killed with kindness. M. I am, Sir, your very humble fervant, ****** No. 20. Thursday, May 31, 1770. Rure vacuo potitur, et aperto æthere Innocuus errat SEN. Hipp. Rofe very early the other morning in order to fet about a fpeculation; but finding a myfelf much indifpofed, I threw away my pen, and determined to unbend my mind by walking into the country, and devoting that one day entirely to diffipation and amufement. Accordingly I took my route fouthward, that I might the better lose myself in fcenes compleatly retired, and leave behind me every trace of the river below the town, which, however beautiful to the eye, keeps up in the mind an idea of business and hurry, that to me feems totally inconfiftent with rural imagery. There are few perfons better fitted to enjoy a fcheme of this kind than I am. The nerves of my imagination imagination (if I may use the phrase) are uncommonly fenfit ve to the change of seasons. The return of this delightful month always brings with it a peculiar suite of ideas which I have no language to exprefs. In winter, I feel every avenue to the fancy as it were frozen and blocked up, except when occafionally relaxed by an artificial thaw of chearful fociety, or when I am carried into a more genial climate by the gentle conveyance of a book. But at this time I grow young again. My mind partakes in the general renovation of nature. It unbinds and opens with the earth at the fun's return, and becomes enamelled with ten thousand flowery ideas for which I have no name. The truth is, that in the early part of life, when the imagination is warm and active, and apt to animate every object about us with those gay tints which no pencil but it's own can impart, my hours were fpent more among books than men. Works of fancy were principally my amufement, and affociations of pleafing images, beyond the extent of nature, were formed, which will hold their place when the mind is rendered, by time and common life, too grofs and inert to combine any more. This happy circumstance detaches me, in a great measure, from dull realities, and fets me free from the narrow circle of reafon and the fenfes. Thofe only who are in this valuable fecret can conceive the boundless entertainment which it affords. It deals entirely in metamorphofes, and varies every shape to it's own liking with the utmost facility. It raises images too fine and fickle to abide the mental analysis of LOCKE, and tinges them with colours of which the laborious fagacity of NEWTON never dreamed. Full Full of this happy difpofition I got out of the town just as the fun began to fhew the edge of his magnificent furface above the hill, and in a few minutes, his whole orb was in view in all it's grandeur. To a perfon generally confined in town fuch a profpect is fingularly ftriking. My attention was immediately arrested, and I stood før fome time to admire this first object of inanimate creation, with a kind of mixed delight, which a contemplative mind can conceive better than I can defcribe. Is it not amazing, thought I, that fo many who are indulged with opportunities of enjoying this unequalled scene, shall prefer to it the feverish bed of floth, and never fee it in their lives; or, if seen, regard it only as the fource of private profit by it's influence on the earth, or the mechanical measurer of that time which they fhamefully mifemploy the idolatry of the poor Perfian is religion when compared with fuch infenfibility! But recollecting the purpofe of the day, I broke from my reverie, and purfued my way through all the freshness of the morning, with a delicious chearfulness of fpirits, turning into every by-path that offered, until, about feven o'clock, I found myself in a lovely spot, furrounded with every circumstance of rural beauty. It lay on an eafy flope, but retired under the projection of a hill, and commanded an extenfive view. I threw myself on a tuft to enjoy the scene. The fpires of the town rose faintly at a distance, and, with the ear of fancy, Icould Hear, and but hear, the human tempeft roar. Vernal pleasures, in all their youthful forms, crowded about me. The infant verdure of the trees and grafs ftill retained the lovely varnish of the dew. Round all the hills the rich flowering furze ran like a vein of gold. |