are acted in the Howling Wilderness and in the Great Deep, that can never come to our Knowledge. Befides that there are infinitely more Species of Creatures which are not to be seen without, nor indeed with the help of the finest Glaffes, than of fuch as are bulky enough for the naked Eye to take hold of. However, from the Confideration of fuch Animals as lie within the Compass of our Knowledge, we might eafily form a Conclufion of the reft, that the fame Variety of Wisdom and Goodness runs through the whole Creation, and puts every Creature in a Condition to provide for its Safety and Subfistence in its pre= per Station. TULLY has given us an admirable Sketch of Natural Hiftory, in his fecond Book concerning the Nature of the Gods; and that in a Stile fo raised by Metaphors and Defcriptions, that it lifts the Subject above Rallery and Ridicule, which frequently fall on fuch nice Obfervations when they pass thro' the Hands of an ordinary Writer. L N° 122. Friday, July 20. Comes jucundus in via pro vehiculo eft. Publ. Syr. Frag. A Man's firft Care fhould be to avoid the Reproaches of his own Heart; his next, to escape the Cenfures of the World: If the laft interferes with the former, it ought to be intirely neglected; but otherwise there cannot be a greater Satisfaction to an honeft Mind, than to fee thofe Approbations which it gives it felf fe conded by the Applaufes of the Publick: A Man is more fure of his Conduct, when the Verdict which he paffes upon his own Behaviour is thus warranted and confirmed by the Opinion of all that know him. MY worthy Friend Sir ROGER is one of those who is not only at Peace within himself, but beloved and esteemed by all about him. He receives a fuitable Tribute for his univerfal Benevolence to Mankind, in the Returns of Affection and Good-will, which are paid him by every one that lives within his Neighbourhood.. I lately met with two or three G4 three odd Inftances of that general Respect which is fhewn to the good old Knight. He would needs carry Will. Wimble and my felf with him to the County Affizes: As we were upon the Road Will. Wimble join'd a couple of plain Men who rid before us, and converfed with them for fome time; during which my Friend Sir ROGER acquainted me with their Characters. THE first of them, fays he, that has a Spaniel by his Side, is a Yeoman of about an hundred Pounds a Year, an honest Man : He is juft within the Game-Act, and qualified to kill an Hare or a Pheasant: He knocks down a Dinner with his Gun twice or thrice a Week; and by that means lives much cheaper than those who have not fo good an Eftate as himself. He would be a good Neighbour if he did not deftroy fo many Partridges in short, he is a very fenfible Man; fhoots flying; and has been several times Foreman of the Petty-Jury. : THE other that rides along with him is Tom Touchy, a Fellow famous for taking the Law of every Body. There is not one in the Town where he lives that he has not fued at a Quarter-Seffions. The Rogue had once the Impudence to go to Law with the Widow. His Head is fall of Cofts, Damages, and Ejectments: He plagued a couple of honeft Gentlemen fo long for a Trefpafs in breaking one of his Hedges, till he was forced to fell the Ground it inclofed to defray the Charges of the Profecution His Father left him fourfcore Pounds a Year; but he has caft and been caft so often, that he is not now worth thirty. I suppose he is going upon the old Bufinefs of the Willow-Tree. AS Sir ROGER was giving me this Account of Tom Touchy, Will. Wimble and his two Companions ftopped. fhort till we came up to them. After having paid their Refpects to Sir ROGER, Will. told him that Mr. Touchy and he must appeal to him upon a Difpute that arose between them. Will. it seems had been giving his FellowTraveller, an Account of his angling one Day in fuch a Hole; when Tom Touchy,inftead of hearing out his Story, told him that Mr. fuch an One, if he pleased, might take the Law of him for fishing in that Part of the River. My Friend Sir ROGER heard them both, upon a round Trot; and after having paufed fome time told them, with the Air of a Man who would not give his Judgment rafhly, that much might be faid on both Sides. They were neither of them diffatisfied with the Knight's Determination, because neither of them found himself in the Wrong by it: Upon which we made the best of our Way to the Affizes. THE Court was fat before Sir ROGER came, but notwithstanding all the Juftices had taken their Places upon the Bench, they made room for the old Knight at the Head of them; who for his Reputation in the Country took occafion to whisper in the Judge's Ear, That he was glad his Lord,hip had met with so much good Weather in his Circuit. I was liftening to the Proceeding of the Court with much Attention, and infinitely pleas'd with that great Appearance and Solemnity which fo properly accompanies fuch a publick Administration of our Laws; when, after about an Hour's Sitting, I obferved to my great Surprize, in the midst of a Trial, that my Friend Sir ROGER was getting up to fpeak. I was in fome Pain for him, 'till I found he had acquitted himself of two or three Sentences, with a Look of much Business and great Intrepidity. UPON his firft Rifing the Court was hufhed, and a general Whisper ran among the Country People that Sir ROGER was up. The Speech he made was fo little to the Purpose, that I fhall not trouble my Readers with an Account of it; and I believe was not fo much defigned by the Knight himself to inform the Court, as to give him a Figure in my Eye, and keep up his Credit in the Country. I was highly delighted, when the Court rofe, to fee the Gentlemen of the Country gathering about my old Friend, and ftriving who should compliment him moft; at the fame time that the ordinary People gazed upon him at a Distance, not a little admiring his Courage, that was not afraid to speak to the Judge. IN our Return home we met with a very odd Accident; which I cannot forbear relating, because it fhews how defirous all who know Sir ROGER are of giving him Marks of their Efteem. When we were arrived upon the Verge of his Eftate, we stopped at a little Inn to reft our felves and our Horfes. The Man of the House had it feems been formerly a Servant in the Knight's G 5 Family Family; and to do Honour to his old Master, had fome time fince,unknown to Sir ROGER, put him up in a Signpoft before the Door; so that the Knight's Head had hung out upon the Road about a Week before he himself knew any thing of the Matter. As foon as Sir ROGER was acquainted with it, finding that his Servant's Indifcretion proceeded wholly from Affection and Good-will, he only told him that he had made him too high a Compliment; and when the Fellow feemed to think that could hardly be, added with a more decifive Look, That it was too great an Honour for any Man under a Duke; but told him at the fame time, that it might be altered with a very few Touches, and that he himself would be at the Charge of it. Accordingly they got a Painter by the Knight's Directions to add a Pair of Whiskers to the Face, and by a little Aggravation of the Features to change it into the Saracen's-Head. I should not have known this Story had not the Inn-keeper, upon Sir ROGER's alighting, told him in my Hearing, That his Honour's Head was brought back laft Night with the Alterations that he had ordered. to be made in it. Upon this my Friend with his usual Chearfulness related the Particulars above-mentioned, and ordered the Head to be brought into the Room. I could not forbear discovering greater Expreffions of Mirth than ordinary upon the Appearance of this monstrous Face, under which, notwithstanding it was made to frown and ftare in a most extraordinary Manner, I could ftill difcover a distant Refemblance of my old Friend, Sir ROGER, upon feeing me laugh, defired me to tell him truly if I thought it poffible for People to know him in that Difguife. I at firft kept my ufual Silence; but upon the Knight's conjuring me to tell him whether it was not still more like himself than a Saracen, I compofed my Countenance in the best manner I could, and replied, That much might be faid on both Sides. THESE feveral Adventures, with the Knight's Behaviour in them, gave me as pleasant a Day as ever I met with in any of my Travels.. L I Saturday, A Saturday, July 21. Doctrina fed vim promovet infitam, Dedecorant bene nata culpa. Hor SI was Yesterday taking the Air with my Friend Sir ROGER, we were met by a fresh-coloured ruddy young Man who rid by us full Speed, with a couple of Servants behind him. Upon my Inquiry who he was, Sir ROGER told me that he was a young Gentleman of a confiderable Estate, who had been educated by a tender Mother that lived not many Miles from the Place where we were. She is a very good Lady, fays my Friend, but took fo much care of her Son's Health that she has made him good for nothing. She quickly found that Reading was bad for his Eyes, and that Writing made his Head ake. He was let loofe among the Woods as foon as he was able to ride on Horfeback, or to carry a Gun upon his Shoulder. To be brief, I found, by my Friend's Account of him, that he had got a great Stock of Health, but nothing elfe; and that if it were a Man's Bufinefs only to live, there would not be a more accomplished young Follow in the whole County. THE Truth of it is, fince my refiding in these Parts I have seen and heard innumerable Inftances of young Heirs and elder Brothers who either from their own reflecting upon the Eftates they are born to, and therefore thinking all other Accomplishments unneceffary, or from hearing thefe Notions frequently inculcated to them by the Flattery of their Servants and Domesticks, or from. the fame foolish Thought prevailing in those who have the Care of their Education, are of no manner of use but to keep up their Families, and tranfmit their Lands and Houfes in a Line to Pofterity. |