A proof that even the humblest fortune may grant happiness and delight, which depend not on circumftance, but conftitution. HE place of our new retreat was in THE a little neighbourhood, confifting of farmers, who tilled their own grounds, and were equal ftrangers to opulence and poverty. As they had almost all the conveniencies of life within themselves, they feldom vifited towns or cities in fearch of fuperfluity. Remote from the polite, they still retained a primæval fimplicity of manners, and frugal by long habit, scarce knew that temperance was a virtue. They wrought with chearfulness on days of labour; but obferved feftivals as intervals of idleness and pleasure. They kept up the Chrift C 5 Christmas carol, fent true love-knots on Valentine morning, eat pancakes on Shrovetide, fhewed their wit on the first of April, and religiously cracked nuts on Michaelmas eve. Being apprized of our approach, the whole neighbourhood came out to meet their minifter, dreft in their finest cloaths, and preceded by a pipe and tabor: alfo a feaft was provided for our reception, at which we fat chearfully down; and what the converfation wanted in wit, we made up in laughter. Our little habitation was fituated at the foot of a floping hill, fheltered with a beautiful underwood behind, and a pratling river before; on one fide a meadow, on the other a green. My farm confifted of about twenty acres of excellent land, having given an hundred pound for my predeceffor's good-will. Nothing could exceed the neatnefs of my little enclosures: the elms and hedge rows appearing with inexpreffible beauty. My houfe confifted of but one ftory, and was covered with thatch, which gave it an air of great fnug nefs; nefs; the walls on the infide were nicely white-washed, and my daughters undertook to adorn them with pictures of their own defigning. Though the fame room served us for parlour and kitchen, that only made it the warmer. Befides, as it was kept with the utmost neatness, the dishes, plates, and coppers, being well scoured, and all difposed in bright rows on the shelves, the eye was agreeably relieved, and did not seem to want rich furniture. There were three other apartments, one for my wife and me, another for our two daughters, within our own, and the third, with two beds, for the reft of my children. The little republic to which I gave laws, was regulated in the following manner: by fun-rise we all affembled in our common appartment; the fire being previously kindled by the fervant. After we had faluted each other with proper ceremony, for I always thought fit to keep up fome mechanical forms of good breeding, without which freedom ever destroys friendship, we we all bent in gratitude to that Being who gave us another day. This duty being performed, my fon and I went to pursue our usual industry abroad, while my wife and daughters employed themselves in providing breakfast, which was always ready at a certain time. I allowed half an hour for this meal, and an hour for dinner; which time was taken up in innocent mirth between my wife and daughters, and in philofophical arguments between my fon and me. As we rofe with the fun, fo we never pursued our labours after it was gone down, but returned home to the expecting family; where fmiling looks, a neat hearth, and pleasant fire, were prepared for our reception. Nor were we without other guests: fometimes farmer Flamborough, our talkative neighbour, and often the blind piper, would pay us a vifit, and taste our goofeberry wine; for the making of which we had loft neither the receipt nor the reputation. These harmless people had several ways |