me often fancy I am not sincere in my thoughts of soon leaving it: I am as busy in my garden, and as much surfeited with the Grande Monde, as ever Dioclesian was.

Sento qualche stupidita che me impedisce digodere una vita nella corte piena di splendore e ceremonia, tanto che quella chi si trova nella campagna senza gloria et senza turbenza*.

Every plant that flourishes gives me a pleasure, and every drooping tree infects me with lanquishing; I watch every decay among my flowers as a celebrated beauty would do gray hairs or wrinkles.

I have two or three sheep that perplex me as much as le Berger Extravagant's flock did him; and were I to indulge my rural delights, and return no more to the noisy Town, I should fall into the most soothing and agreeable madness imaginable.

Come, Amaryllis, come, and with me share
The blooming woodbines, and the fragrant air,
Together o'er the flow'ry walks we'll rove,
́Or sit beneath the shelter of the grove :
While flocks upon the hills around us bleat,
And Echoes to the streams their voice repeat,
Among the willows in a gloomy shade
By Nature form'd, there rushes a cascade;
Upon its banks you, undisturb'd, may ly,
While Contemplation wafts you to the sky.

CLEORA.

I feel within me a kind of stupidity which hinders me to enjoy that happiness at a court, taken up with splendour and ceremony, that I relish in a country life free from pomp and hurry.

LETTER IV.

PEOPLE seem at present more busily employed in preparing for the King's birth-day than for their own last; and appear to be in greater anxiety for a seat in the dancing-room than for a seat in paradise.

I was last night with ; a barge of music followed us; but, in the midst of this gayety, your letter was not the only thing that put me in mind of mortality: I had such a violent pain in my head, that neither the wit of the company, the softness of the music, nor the beauty of the evening, could give me any sincere delight.If pleasure be the lot of man, it must be in something beyond the grave; for, on this side, constant experience tells us all is vanity.

But this confession has hardly any influence on human conduct; for people in a high rank must often act against their reason to avoid being thought unfashionable; and for fear of being thought mad by the modish world, must act in a manner which they are sensible is being truly so, to keep in vogue with their polite contempotaries.

I cannot forbear thinking with myself, that if a being endowed with reason and a capacity of judg ing (an inhabitant of another planet, and an utter stranger to our nature) could take a view of

1

gine we were; and had he no informer, but were to judge by our conduct, he would certainly either imagine that we were a species who were insured always to live in the world we now inhabit; or else, that after enjoying ourselves here as long as we could, we were to be insensible for ever, without the least expectation of a future judgment, punishment or reward.

You would hardly make an apology for desiring me to writ to you, if you knew how much pleasure the injunction gives to

Your's unalterably,

CLEORA.

LETTER V.

THE news of my Lord

's death has been so great a shock to me, that I want all your arguments against long life to reconcile me to the shortness of his at the latter-end of seventy years. 1 have much ado to think that he did not die too young, since he had strength enough to endure the most exquisite torments. I loved him most sincerely as a relation, and esteemed him as a most valuable and faithful friend. My thoughts are con tinually employed about him, and I grieve for my own loss, and rejoice at his gain in the same moment, and cannot forbear following him with my speculations to the mansions of eternal Peace, and

inquiring, with Tickell, in his verses on the death

of Mr Addison,

In what new region to the just assign'd,

What new employments please th' unbody'd mind ?
A winged Virtue, through th' etherial sky,
From world to world unweary'd does he fly?
Or curious trace the long laborious maze

Of Heav'n's decrees, where wond'ring angels gaze?
Does he delight to hear bold seraphs tell
How Michael battled and the Dragon fell?
Or, mix'd with milder cherubim, to glow
In hymns of Love?-

I cannot help fancying how his soul is charmed to find itself at liberty, and no longer chained to an infirm body, which continually clogged it in all its operations. How is he transported to be admit ted to the presence of God his Saviour! and with what delight (if we may be allowed to conjecture that he remembers her) will he see his wife, for whom he has shed so many tears, in all the pomp of celestial glory! With what pleasure will he gaze upon the skies, while they unfold their sparkling treasures! and with what joy and wonder observe the planets in their courses, and look into all the deep philosophy of heaven! With what attention listen to the songs of angels, while they tune their golden lyres to the praise of God and of the Lamb! and how will his heart overflow with gratitude to his Saviour, while he reflects on what he suffered

me often fancy I am not sincere in my thoughts of soon leaving it: I am as busy in my garden, and as much surfeited with the Grande Monde, as ever Dioclesian was.

Sento qualche stupidita che me impedisce digodere una vita nella corte piena di splendore e ceremonia, tanto che quella chi si trova nella campagna senza gloria et senza turbenza*.

Every plant that flourishes gives me a pleasure, and every drooping tree infects me with lanquishing; I watch every decay among my flowers as a celebrated beauty would do gray hairs or wrinkles.

I have two or three sheep that perplex me as much as le Berger Extravagant's flock did him; and were I to indulge my rural delights, and return no more to the noisy Town, I should fall into the most soothing and agreeable madness imaginable.

Come, Amaryllis, come, and with me share
The blooming woodbines, and the fragrant air,
Together o'er the flow'ry walks we'll rove,
Or sit beneath the shelter of the grove :
While flocks upon the hills around us bleat,
And Echoes to the streams their voice repeat,
Among the willows in a gloomy shade
By Nature form'd, there rushes a cascade;
Upon its banks you, undisturb'd, may ly,
While Contemplation wafts you to the sky.

CLEORA.

I feel within me a kind of stupidity which hinders me to enjoy that happiness at a court, taken up with splendour 'and ceremony, that I relish in a country life free from pomp and hurry.