we abhor. Some little atonement, however, this implacable power might have made in taste, for its mischiefs in religion, if it had deterred our ancestors from connecting their manfions with ruins once dedicated to facred ufes. We might then have enjoyed in per fection many noble scenes, which are now either entirely effaced or miserably mangled. Before we leave these fcenes, I must relate a ftory of the monks of Ford, which does great credit to their piety. It happened (in what century tradition fays not) that a gentleman of the name of Courtney, a benefactor to the abbey, was overtaken at sea by a violent storm; and the seamen having toiled many hours in vain, and being entirely spent, abandoned themselves to defpair. "My good lads," (faid Courtney, calling them together, and pulling out his watch, if watches were then in use,) "My good lads, you fee it is now four o'clock. "At five we shall certainly be relieved. At "that hour the monks of Ford rife to their de❝votions, and in their prayers to St. Francis, "will be fure to rembember me among their "benefactors; and you will have the benefit "of being faved in my company. Perfevere ર only one hour, and you may depend on "what "what I fay." This fpeech reanimated the whole crew. Some flew to the pump, others to the leak; all was life and fpirit. By this vigorous effort, at five o'clock the ship was so near the shore, that she easily reached it; and St. Francis got all the credit of the escape. T4 SECT. XXXI. FROM Ford-abbey we were obliged to re The turn to Axminster, and from thence we fet out for Bridport, traversing vaft cultivated hills, from which, on the left, we had views into the country, and on the right, over the fea. ifle of Portland ranged in the distance, many leagues along the shore, forming a long white beach; which made an uncommon appearance. From Bridport to Dorchefter we paffed through a more inland country, though in other refpects fimilar to the country we had juft left. The features of it are broad and determined. Sweeping hills with harsh edges interfect each other. Here and there a bottom is cultivated, inclosed, and adorned with a farm-house and a few trees; but, in general, the whole country is an extended down. It is every where fed with little rough sheep; which have formed it, with conftant grazing, into the finest pafturage. Indeed a chalky soil itself, which is the fubftratum of these downs, is naturally inclined to produce a neat smooth surface. The several flocks which pasture these wide domains, have their refpective walks; and are generally found within the distance of a mile from each other. We faw them once or twice iffuing from their pens, to take their morning's repaft after a hungry night. It was a pleafing fight to fee fuch numbers of innocent animals made happy, and in the following lines it is beautifully defcribed: -The fold Poured out its fleecy tenants o'er the glebe. But the progreffive motion here described, is one of thofe incidents, which is a better fubject for poetry than painting. For, in the first place, a feeding flock is feldom well grouped; they commonly feparate; or, as the poet well expreffes it, they are fcattered by degrees, and whiten all the land. Nor are their attitudes varied, as they all usually move the fame way, progreffive like a fiream. Indeed the shape of a feeding sheep is not the most pleasing, as its back and neck make a round heavy line, which in contraft only has its effect. To fee a flock of of sheep in their most picturesque form, we fhould see them repofing after their meal is over; and if they are in funshine, they are still the more beautiful. In repofing they are generally better grouped, and their forms are more varied. Some are commonly standing, and others lying on the ground, with their little ruminating heads in various forms. And if the light be strong, it spreads over the whole one general mass; and is contrafted, at the fame time, by a shadow equally ftrong, which the flock throws upon the ground. It may be observed also, that the fleece itself is well difpofed to receive a beautiful effect of light. It does not indeed, like the fmooth covering of hair, allow the eye to trace the mufcular form of the animal. But it has a beauty of a different kind: the flakiness of the wool catches the light, and breaking it into many parts, yet without destroying the mass, gives it a peculiar richnefs. We faw another circumftance also, in which sheep appear to advantage. The weather was fultry, the day calm, and the roads dusty. Along these roads we faw, once or twice, a flock of fheep driven, which raised a confiderable cloud. As we were a little higher on the downs, |