vell'd, and of which I am now fitting down to give an account as much out of Neceffity, and the besoin de voyager, as any one in the class.

I am well aware, at the fame time, as both my travels and observations will be altogether of a different caft from any of my fore-runners; that I might have infifted upon a whole nitch entirely to myself-but I should break in upon the confines of the Vain Traveller, in wishing to draw attention towards me, till I have fome better grounds for it, than the mere Novelty of my Vehicle.

It is sufficient for my reader, if he has been a traveller himself, that with study and reflection hereupon he may be able to determine his own place and rank in the catalogue-it will be one step towards knowing himself; as it is great. B 4 odds,

i

odds, but he retains some tincture and resemblance, of what he imbibed or carried out, to the present hour.

The man who first transplanted the grape of Burgundy to the Cape of Good Hope (observe he was a Dutch man) never dreamt of drinking the same wine at the Cape, that the fame grape produced upon the French mountains - he was too phlegmatic for that-but undoubtedly he expected to drink fome fort of vinous liquor; but whether good, bad, or indifferent-he knew enough of this world to know, that it did not depend upon his choice, but that what is generally called chance was to decide his success: however, he hoped for the best; and in these hopes, by an intemperate confidence in the fortitude of his head, and the depth of his difcretion, Mynheer might poffibly overset both in his new vineyard; and by discovering his nakedness, become a laughingstock to his people.

Even so it fares with the poor Traveller, failing and pofting through the politer kingdoms of the globe in pursuit of knowledge and improvements.

Knowledge and improvements are to be got by failing and posting for that purpose; but whether useful knowledge and real improvements, is all a lotteryand even where the adventurer is successful, the acquired stock must be used with caution and fobriety to turn to any profit-but as the chances run prodigiouf. ly the other way both as to the acquifition and application, I am of opinion, That a man would act as wisely, if he could prevail upon himself, to live con

tented without foreign knowledge or fo

reign improvements, especially if he lives

in a country that has no absolute want of either and indeed, much grief of heart has it oft and many a time cost me, when I have observed how many a foul step the inquisitive Traveller has measured to fee fights and look into difco veries; all which as Sancho Pança faid to Don Quixote, they might have seen dry-shod at home. It is an age so full of light, that there is scarce a country or corner of Europe whose beams are not crossed and interchanged with others -Knowledge in most of its branches, and in moft affairs, is like mufic in an Italian street, whereof those may partake, who pay nothing-But there is no nation under heaven-and God is my record, (before whose tribunal I inust one day come and give an account of this work) -that I do not speak it vauntingly-But there is no nation under heaven abound ing with more variety of learning-whe

re

re the sciences may be more fitly woo'd, or more furely won than here - where art is encouraged, and will fo foon rife high-where Nature (take her all together) has so little to answer for-and, to close all, where there is more wit and variety of character to feed the mind with-Where then, my dear countrymen, are you going

-We are only looking at this chaise, faid they-Your most obedient servant, faid I, skipping out of it, and pulling off my hat-We were wondering, faid one of them, who, I found, was an inquisitive traveller-what could occafione its motion. 'Twas the agitation, faid I coolly, of writing a preface-I never heard, faid the other, who was a fimple traveller, of a preface wrote in a Defobligeant. It would have been better, faid I, in a Vis à Vis.

-As