and lazy waterfalls, they are paffed by as fit only for country Corydons, or fhepherdeffes bemufed. Far different is the attractive scenery of a world's man and woman-the broad and beaten track amidst the crush and clatter of coaches, which are fo wedged together, that they move, as if in funeral proceffion,-walks fo crammed that you cannot pafs without difficulty,-a cluster of glaring lamps ftuck upon trees, to the blush of the moon beam-the fun himself shut out to make way for a parcel of artificial lights, brought into an unwholefome room crowded with company and card tables,-a kind of elegant pesthouse, where people infect one another by common confent, and are fuffocated on principles of politenefs:-These are the appreciated fcenes of men and women of the world! And I ought not to fail obferving, that, amongst these well-bred broiled and roasted, who fit with the perfeverance of an hatching hen, as if nailed to the fides of the card table-there is always a certain number of fentimental miffes, who affect to have fouls fuperior to fuch wafte of time, and build up a fort of reputation on never touching a card, but when politeness, or a dowager mamma, insists on her making up the fet.-These damfels fidget, or glide about the rooms, and ogle their fair images in the pier glaffes, till picked up by ftray batchelors, or cut out married men, or fong-tran fcribing fcribing young ftriplings, who get into prattling parties, or file off into corners for a touch of the pathetics, or conftruct the horn-work of a future fiege in a whispered tête-à-tête. Most of thefe light troops affure you of their deteftation of the town, but yet run their pretty faces into one or other of its hot-houses every night, and go through a fummer campaign amidst more fire and smoke, than would melt down the conftitution of the whole body of aldermen. Meantime there is another fet difperfed here and there, infidiously laying mines to blow up reputations, and while the game of the other parties goes on, these engineers prepare a very notable masked battery, and' play off their artillery, as if only in a mock action, at your wife or daughter, till they almost furrender at difcretion before your face. The play amongst the card veterans, becomes too intenfe for obferving any ftratagems but their own: the card paffions are all at work, breaking the unlucky chairs of fome, biting the lips, gnashing the teeth, flapping the forehead, or ftamping the feet of others: and while the honours are loft by one, and the odd trick gained by another, the mistress of the house flaves in hofpitality, and ftruggles through the elegant mob, with more toil and difficulty, than a landlady at an election dinner! "But "But fomewhat too much of this." Let us fly from these artificial beings, to the children of nature and the heart. Suffer me to re-conduct you to the fimple, yet ever-blooming paths, from which these world-warped tribes have too long led us aftray. Allow me to place you once more within fight of the flute and voice I mentioned to you before, and liften to the magick that enfued. The wood notes, wild as they were, charmed me. I rofe and advanced. A few paces brought me within fight of a cottage door, which was wide open. The fong and mufick proceeded, mingled with dancing, of which I could rather hear the happy ftep, than perceive the enlivening figure. But I was presently observed; and actually as fair a maid, accompanied by as blooming a youth as Arcadia ever fancied, tripped forward without quitting hands to invite me into their dwelling. You are here prepared for "The white washed wall, the nicely fanded floor, "The decent clock that click'd hehind the door," &c. All these, and more, were to be feen; but the infides of cottages in all countries have been fo many thousand times furnished and unfurnished, either by real tour-makers, or those who, like the Virtuofo in the comedy, only travel in books, then publish their travels through other people's books,-all which you know, may be very com modiously modiously done at home, without ftirring out of their elbow-chairs-and, moreover, bookcottages are all fo much alike for neatnefs, accommodation, arrangement, and furniture, that I could rather wish you would upon this, as upon a former occafion, make choice of the defcription you like best, out of the whole collection of voy, ages and travels that may be in your library, and affure yourself, that whatever comes nearest to a fimplicity, which does not exclude con venience, will give you a juft idea of my Weft, phalian cot. As the first day of the Carme was folemnizing while I was at the village chapel, fo that on which I entered this woodland habitation was the laft of that feftival; and this peafant family were then celebrating it. Religion, therefore, no less than hofpitality, and both under guidance of fincerity, invited me to affift at the felicity. Every fimple delicacy of fruit and flower was in an inftant placed before me.. The difcourfe was fo provincial, that probably a German citizen of Cleves might have found a difficulty to decipher it. But the language of bounty, like that of love, is univerfal: All heads can reach it, and all hearts conceive." It is the volume of nature; one of its fairest pages was spread open. Had I run I could have read * read it; and, believe me, my generous friend, it exhibited inftruction well worth the observance of those who live in prouder dwellings. I found here no broad, coarfe ridicule at my ignorance; none at my intrufion. I was a stranger within the gate, but I received the welcome of a friend. I discovered no wish to know from whence I came, or whither I was going, fave a fhort expreffed affurance, that when I fhould find myself inclined to depart, I might be fure of being put into the right way. A very old man and woman, a labourer, who was the musician, the youth and maiden whom I have before mentioned, and three more couple of lads and laffes, formed the affembly. Soon after my entrance, every body found something to do for me expreffive of good-will. The aged man gave up his rush arm-chair, and infifted on my occupying it; the matron, his wife, contributed a cushion from a wicker one that stood oppofite; the eldest daughter, still in a dancing step,-the carriage of the lightest articles difputed by her attendant youth, in his dancing measures alfo,-brought to the table and fpread on it a cloth, white even as her apparent innocency. Another prefented me with a bowl of new milk, another with fruits, another came bounding in with flowers moiftened by the evening dew-drop. Bread, butter, and flices of ham, were added to the banquet, and when I had no thing |