holy religion, and the charter of God's pardon granted to us by his bleffed Son. Befide, the philofophers were in fome f degree dark and doubtful, in refpect of death and futurity; and in relation to this world, there is not a power in their difcourfes, to preferve us from being undone by allurements, in the midst of plenty, and to fecure our peace against the cafualties of fortune, and the torments of difappointments; foto fave us from the cares and follicitudes which attend upon large poffeffions, and give us a mind capable of relishing the good things before us; to make us cafy and fatisfied as to the prefent, and render us fecure and void of fear as to the fu⚫ture. The morality of the ancient philofophers I admired. With delight I studied their writings, and received, I grate fully confefs, much improvement from them. But the relifigion of our blefied Lord I declared, for, and look on the promifed Meffiah as the moft confummate bleffing God of could bestow, or man receive.→→→→→

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The manner of my ftudying cofmography and mathema25 tics, is not worth fetting down, as there was nothing uncommon in it. In the one I only learned to diftinguish cli5 mates, latitudes, and the four divifions of the world; the provinces, nations, kingdoms, and republics, comprized 3therein, and to be able to difcourfe upon them:-And in the ì other, I went no further than to make myself a master of 16 vulgar and decimal arithmetic, the doctrine of infinite feries, and the application of algebra to the higher geometry f of curves.Algebra I Algebra I was charmed with, and found fo much pleasure in refolving its queftions, that I have often brofat till morning at the engaging work, without a notion of

its being day till I opened the fhutters of my clofet. I reff commend this ftudy in particular to young Gentlemen, and fam fatisfied, if they would but take fome pains at first to unbv derftand it, they would have fo great a relifh for its operabfcrations, as to prefer them many an evening to the clamorous -pleafures; or, at leaft, not be uneafy for being alone now and then, fince their algebra was with them.

-olah In reading history, (my last year's principal employment, during my refidence in college), I began with the belt writers of ancient hiftory, and ended with modern times.The laws, arts, learning, and manners, I carefully marked down; and obferved, not only how the firft governments were formed, but what the progrefs was of industry and property, which may be called the generative principle of 6 empire.

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When I had done with ancient Hiftory, I fat down to the beft modern ftories I could get, and read of diftant nations before I began to ftudy my country's conftitution, hiftory, and laws. When I had finished the hiftories France, and Spain, and Italy, and Germany, and many < more, then I turned to Great-Britain; and, in the first place, took a view of the English conftitution and government, in the ancient books of the common law, and

6 more modern writers, who out of them have given an ac• count of this government. From thence I proceeded to our

hiftory, and with it joined in every King's reign the laws <then made. This gave me an infight into the reafon of our • ftatutes, and fhewed me the true ground upon which they came to be made, and what weight they ought to have. By this means, I read the hiftory of my country with intelligence, and was able to examine into the excellence or defects of its government, and to judge of the fitnefs or unfitness of its orders and laws. By this method I did likewife know enough of the law for an English Gentleman, tho' quite ignorant of the chicane, or wrangling, and captious part of the law, and was well acquainted with the true • measure of right and wrong. The arts how to avoid doing right, and to fecure one's felf in doing wrong, I never looked into.

• Thus did I read Hiftory; and many noble lefions I learned from it; juft notions of true worth, true greatness, and folid happiness. It taught me to place merit where it only lies, not in birth, not in beauty, not in riches, not in external fhew and magnificence, not in voluptuoufnefs; but ¶ in a firm adherence to truth and rectitude; in an untainted heart, that would not pollute, or proffitute its integrity in any degree, to gain the higheft worldly honours, or to ward off the greatest worldly mifery.

Our Author proceeds, a few pages further, with his reflections on Religion, Government, &c. and after lamenting the corruptions and depravity that have crept into modern Christianity; he comes, at length, to the hiftory of his adventure with the beautiful, the ingenious, and learned Harriot Noel.

Like the Don of La Mancha, who could talk fo difcreetly and fenfibly, on every fubject, till Knight-errantry came on the carpet, our Author, hitherto ferious and fober, while engaged on ferious and fober fubjects, now begins, on the first mention of the Fair, to fall into his amorous reveries, Oroondates, or Palme

and freaks of gallantry; vying with

rin, or even the Red-crofs Knight himself, His firft adventure, however, does not partake fo much of the marvellous, as thofe in which his wayward fortune afterwards engaged him. But to the ftory. He thus, poetically, fets off:

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On the glorious firft of Auguft, before the beafts were Sroufed from their lodges, or the birds had foared upwards, to pour forth their morning harmony; while the mountains and the groves were overfhadowed by a dun obfcurity, and the dawn ftill dappled the drowsy Eaft with fpots of grey; in fhort, before the fun was up, or, with his aufpicious prefence, began to animate inferior nature, I left my chamber, and with my gun and dog went out to wander over a pleasant country. The different afpects, and the various points of view, were charming, as the light in fleecy rings increased; and when the whole flood of day defcended, the imbellished early fcene was a fine entertainment. Delighted with the beauties of this morning, I climbed up the mountains, and travelled through many a valley. The game was plenty, and, for full five hours, I journeyed onward without knowing where I was going, or thinking of a return to college.

About nine o'clock, however, I began to grow very hungry, and was looking round to fee if I could difcover any proper habitation to my purpofe, when I obferved in a valley, at fome diftance, fomething that looked like a manfion. That way, therefore, I moved, and, with no little difficulty, as I had a precipice to defcend, or muft go a mile round, to arrive at the place I wanted: down, therefore, I marched, got, a fall by the way, that had like to have deftroyed me, and after all found it to be a fhed for cattle. The bottom, however, was very beautiful, and the fides of the hills fweetly copfed with little woods.-

In this fweet and delicious folitude, I crept on for fome time, by the fide of the murmuring ftream, and followed as it winded through the vale, till I came to a little harmonick building, that had every charm and proportion architecture could give it. It was fituated on a rifing ground, in a broad part of the fruitful valley, and furrounded with a garden, that invited a penfive wanderer to roam in its delightful retreats, and walks amazingly beautiful. Every fide of this fine fpot was planted thick with underwood, and kept so low, as not to prevent a profpect to every pleafing remote object.

Finding one of the garden doors left open, Icntered immediately, and to fereen myself from the fceaching beams

of the fun, got into an imbowered way, that led me to als large fountain, in a ring or circular opening, and fromes thence, by a gradual, eafy, fhady afcent, to a femicircular amphitheatre of ever-greens, that was quite charming. In 1 this were feveral feats for eafe, repaft, or retirement;mandu: at either end of it a rotunda or temple of the Ionic order.s • One of them was converted into a grotto or fhell-houfe, Vin ⚫ which a politenefs of fancy had produced and blended thes greatest beauties of nature and decoration. The other was a library, filled with the finest books, and a vaft variety of mathematical inftruments. Here I faw Mifs Noel fittingg and fo intent at writing, that he did not take any notice of · me, as I ftood at the window, in aftonishment, looking at the things before me, and efpecially at the amazing beauties of her face, and the splendor of her eyes; as the raifed them now and then from the paper the writ on, to look into a Hebrew Bible, that lay open upon a small desk before her. The whole fcene was fo very uncommon, and fo vaftly amazing, that I thought myfelf for a while on fome spot of magic ground, and almost doubted the reality of whatomy eyes beheld; till Mifs Noel, by accident, looked full at me, and then came forward to the open window, to know wha ⚫ I wanted.

• Before I could anfwer, I found a venerable old Gentlemand ftanding by my fide, and he feemed much more furprized at the fight of me than his daughter was; for, as this young Lady told me afterward, the gueffed at once the whole affairsfeest ing me with my gun and dog, in a fhooting drefs; and knew it was a natural curiofity brought me into the garden, 1and1 * ftopped me at the window, when I faw her in fuch an attitude, and in fuch a place. This, I affured them, was the truth of my cafe, with this fmall addition, however, that I was rea dy to perifh for want of fomething to eat; having been from four in the morning at hard exercise, and had not yet broke $ my faft. If this be cafe, fays the good old man, you are welcome, Sir, to Eden-Park, and you faall foon have the beft breakfaft our houfe affords. one w

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Upon this Mr. Noel brought me into his houfe; and the lovely Harriot made tea for me, and had fuch plenty of fine cream, and extraordinary bread and butter, fet before me, that I breakfafted with uncommon pleasure. The honour' and happiness of her company rendered the repaft quite delightful. There was a civility fo very great in her manner, and a focial goodness fo charming in her talk and temper, that it was unspeakable delight to fit at table with her. She

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and people, and there was fo much good fenfe in books,

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quiry, fo much good humour in her reflections and replica tions, that I was entirely charmed with her mind; and foff's infadmiration, when I contemplated the wonders of her face band the beauties of her person10101 £ 11 10 has radis is? When breakfast was over, it was time for me to depart. and I made half a dozen attempts to rife from my chair; but ⚫ without her laying a rofy finger on me, this illuftrious maid had for totally fubdued my foul, had deprived me of all motive power that fat like the renowned Prince of the Maffa getes, who was ftiffened by enchantment in the apartment of the Princefs Phedima, as we read in Amadis de Gaul. • This Mifs Noel faw very plain, and in compaffion to my * misfortune, generoufly threw in a hint, now and then, for a little farther converfation, to colour my unreasonable delay. "But this could not have been of fervice much longer, as the clock had ftruck twelve, if the old Gentleman, her father, • had not returned to us, and told me, he infifted on my ftay6 ing to dine with him; for he loved to take a glass after din⚫ner with a facetious companion, and would be obliged to me ford my company. At prefent (Mr. Noel continued) you will excufe me, Sir, as bufinefs engages me till we dine: ⚫ but my daughter will chat the hours away with you, and fhew you the curiofities of her library and grott.

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This was a delightful invitation, indeed; and after re⚫ turning my hearty thanks to the old Gentleman, for the fa vour he did me, I addrefled myself to Mifs Noel, when her ⚫ father was gone, and we were walking back to the library in the garden, and told her ingenuously, that tho' I could not • bé pofitive as to the fituation of my foul, whether I was ⚫ love with her or not, as I never had experienced the paffion • before, nor knew what it was to admire a woman; having • lived till that morning in a state of indifference to her fex ⚫ yet I found very ftrange emotions within me, and I was fure' ⚫ I could not leave her without the moft lively and afflicting in ⚫ quietude. You will pardon, I hope, Madam, this effufion of my heart, and fuffer me to demonftrate, by a thousand ⚫ and a thousand actions, that I honour you in a manner ang! ⚫utterable, and, from this time, can imagine no happinels ⚫ but with you. suitely commons diw bafunicNO

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Sing (this inimitable maid replied you are an entire • ftranger to me, and to declare a paffion on a few hours ac•quaintance, smust be either to try my weakness, or becaufe $ you think a young woman is incapable of relishing any thing

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