coining on, and our Converfation almoft at an End. My Regret is increafed, by the Confideration of your intended Journey. Though Business obliges. you to depart; it will, I hope afford you Leifure to write. This will be fome Compenfation for the Want of your Company: Yonder Sun is finking below the Horizon, and juft taking his leave of our Earth. To retard the departing Radiance, at least to alleviate the approaching Lofs, thofe western Clouds catch the Rays; and reflect them to our View, in a most amufing Diverfity of Colours. By this means, we enjoy the great Luminary in his Beams, even when his Orb is withdrawn from our Sight.-An epiftolary Correfpondence has fomething of the fame Nature. Letters may be called the Talk of abfent Friends. By this Expedient, they communicate their Thoughts, even though Countries, Kingdoms, or Seas intercept their Speech. You muft, therefore, promise me this Satisfaction; and let me converse with my Afpafia by the Pen, when I can no longer.. have an Intercourfe with him in Perfon. Afp. You have anticipated me, Theron. Other wife, what is now my Promife, would have heen my Request. I cannot but take notice of another Particularity, in that magnificent Affemblage of Clouds. How they varied their Appearance, as the Lamp of Day changed its Situation.A little while ago, thofe Curtains of the Sky, were streaked with Orange, or tinged with Amber. Prefently, they borrowed the Bluth of the Rofe, or the foftened Red of the Pink... Ere long, they glow with Vermilion, or deepen into Crimfon. Soon fucceeds the purple-tinctured Robe of Majesty; and as foon (thus tranfient is all fublunary Grandeur!) gives place to the fable Veil of Evening, or the gloomy Pall of Night.-Such, I G 3 truft truft, will be the Iffue of my Theron's prefent Apprehenfions. All his fplendid Ideas of human Excellency and Self-righteousness, will become faint; will lofe their imaginary Luftre; till, at length, they fade away, and darken into abfolute Self-abafement. Then, the SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS will be amiable, will be desirable, as the Beauties of the Dawn, breaking upon the Shades of Night. A A SERI ERI E S O F LETTER S. LETTER I. ASPASIO to THERON. Dear THERON, AM now at the Seat of my worthy Friend Camillus; where Bufinefs and Inclination will fix me for fome Weeks.-This Evening we had a most pleasing Ramble. I have met with nothing fo agreeable, fince I left your House, and loft your Company. The Time was just arrived, and the Scene was fully opened, which furnished our great Poet with his fine Defcription; Now was the Sun in western Cadence low, At this Juncture, Camillus invited me to take the Air. We walked, feveral Times, along a clofe thady Alley, arched with the Foliage of Filberts. Here, hid from every Eye, and the whole World withdrawn from our View, we feemed like Monks ftroling in their Cloysters.—Turning fhort at the End, we enter a parallel Range of majestic and uniformly fpreading Wallnut Trees. This Tranfition, was fomewhat like advancing, through a low Porch, into the Ifles of a magnificent Cathedral. The broad Leaf, and large Trunk of thofe lordly Trees-their very diffufive Spread, added to their prodigious Height-give them an Air of uncommon Diguity. It fwells the Imagination with vaft Ideas, and entertains us with a romantic Kind of Delight, to expatiate amidst fuch huge Columns, and under fuch fuperb Elevations, of living Architecture. Quitting our Cathedral, we turn once again, and pafs into a grand Colonade of Oaks: fo regular in their Situation, fo fimilar in their Size, and fo remarkably correfpondent in every Circumftance, that they looked like the Twins of Nature; not only belonging to the fame Family, but produced at the fame Birth.-Through these lay a Walk, ftrait, fpācious, and gracefully long. Far exceeding the laft in the Extent of its Area, though much inferior in the Stateliness of its Cieling. It put me in mind of that divine Benignity, which has allowed us fix Days, for the Prosecution of our own comparatively low Af fairs; and fet apart but one, for the more immediate Attendance on the fublime Exercises of Devotion. This Walk was covered with the neatest Gravel; and not a Weed to be feen, nor one.Spire of Grafs, through the whole extended Surface. It ftole into a continual Afcent; yet fo very gradually, that the Rife was fcarce difcernable, either by the fearching Eye, the toiling Feet, or the panting Breath.-At the Extremity, a handfome Summerhoufe thewed a Flight of Steps, and half a Venetian Door. The reft of the Building was hid by the clustering Branches. As foon as we enter the Apartment, Camillus throws open the Left-hand Saih; and, with it, a moft inlarged and amufive Profpect.-The Structure appeared fituate on the Brow of a confiderable Eminence. Whofe Sides were partly confused and wild with broken Rocks, partly fhagged and perplexed with thorny Shrubs. The Spectator is agreeably furprised, to find himself accommodated with fo elegant a Man. a Manfion, on the Summit of fo rude and ruinous a Spot.-But, how greatly is his Surprise and his Satisfaction augmented, when he cafts his Eye forward; and beholds the beautiful Meads, which, from the Foot of this ragged Hill, ftretch themselves into a Space almost unmeasureable! Through the midst of this extenfive Vale, which was decked with the finest Verdure, and replenished with the richest Herbage, a River rolled its copious Flood. Rolled in a thousand ferpentine Meanders, as though it had loft its Way in the flowery Labyrinth, or made repeated Efforts of flowing back to its Source.-Till, at laft, having wandered more. than twice the Length of the Meadows; having held a Mirror to the afpiring Poplars, and bending Willows; having paid a welcome Salute to feveral ornamented Villas, and paffed through the Arches of two or three curioufly pendent Bridges,;. it seemed to meet the Sky, and mingle with the Horizon. Oppofite to the Front Window, a Cafcade fell from the adjacent Stream. It flashed and foamed along the broad Slope, indented with fmall Pits, and jagged with protuberant Stones. The Current, vexed and embarrassed, seemed to rave at the intervening Obstacles; and forcing its rapid, indignant, fonorous Way, ftruck the Ear with a Peal of liquid Thunder. Thefe fretful Waters-let our angry Paf. fions observe the Admonition, and follow the Example-foon were pacified; foon forgot to chide. Collected into a little Rivulet, they ran off in calm and filent Lapfe, till they loft themselves amongst Beds of Ofier, and Plantations of Alder. The River, widening as it flowed, was parted here and there by feveral little Iflands. Some tufted with Reeds, and the Refort of Swans. Some, adorned with ftately Porticos, and fplendid Alcoves, the graceful Retreats of rural Pleasure. Some, furnished with green |