our two daughters, within our own, and the third, with two beds, for the reft of the children.

The little republic to which I gave laws, was regulated in the following manner: by fun-rife we all affembled in our common apartment; the fire being previoufly 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 deftroys friendfhip, we all bent in gratitude to that Being who gave us another day. This duty being performed, my fon and I went to purfue our ufual induftry abroad, while my wife and daughters employed themselves in providing breakfaft, 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 purfued our labours after it was gone down, but returned home to the expecting family; where fmiling looks, a neat hearth, and pleafant fire were prepared for our reception. Nor were we without guefts: fometimes farmer Flamborough, our talkative neighbour, and often the blind piper would pay us a vifit, and tafte our goofeberry wine; for the making of which we had loft, neither the receipt nor the reputation. Thefe harmless people had feveral ways of being good company; while one played, the other would fing fome foothing ballad, Johnny Armstrong's laft good night, or the cruelty of Barbara Allen. The night was concluded in the manner we began the morning, my youngest boys being appointed to read · the leffons of the day, and he that read loudest, diftincteft, and beft, was to have an halfpenny on Sunday to put in the poor's box.

When

When Sunday came, it was indeed a day of finery, which all my fumptuary edicts could not reftrain. How well fo ever I fancied my lectures againft pride had conquered the vanity of my daughters; yet I ftill found them fecretly attached to all their former finery: they still loved laces, ribbands, bugles and catgut; my wife herfelf retained a paffion for her crimfon paduafoy, because I formerly happened to fay it became her.

The first Sunday in particular their behaviour ferved to mortify me: I had defired my girls the preceding night to be dreft early the next day; for I always loved to be at church a good while before the rest of the congregation. They punctually obeyed my directions; but when we were to affemble in the morning at breakfast, down came my wife and daughters, dreft out in all their former fplendour: their hair plaftered up with pomatum, their faces patched to taste, their trains bundled up in an heap behind, and ruftling at every motion. I could not help fmiling at their vanity, particularly that of my wife, from whom I expected more difcretion. In this exigence, therefore, my only refource was to order my fon, with an important air, to call our coach. The girls were amazed at the command; but I repeated it with more folemnity than before. "Surely, my dear, you jeft," cried my wife, we can walk it perfectly well: we want no coach "to carry us now." You mistake, child," returned I," we do want a coach; for if we walk to "church in this trim, the very children in the "parish will hoot after us.". "Indeed," replied my wife," I always imagined that my Charles was "fond of feeing his children neat and handfome

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about him." "You may be as neat as you "please," interrupted I, " and I fhall love you the "better for it; but all this is not neatness, but frippery. These rufflings, and pinkings, and

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C 2

"patch

patchings will only make us hated by all the "wives of all our neighbours. No, my children,' continued I, more gravely, "thofe gowns may be "altered into fomething of a plainer cut; for finery "is very unbecoming in us, who want the means "of decency. I do not know whether fuch flounc"ing and fhredding is becoming even in the rich, "if we confider, upon a moderate calculation, that "the nakednefs of the indigent world may be "cloathed from the trimmings of the vain."

This remonftrance had the proper effect; they went with great compofure, that very inftant, to change their drefs; and the next day I had the fatisfaction of finding my daughters, at their own request, employed in cutting up their trains into Sunday waistcoats for Dick and Bill, the two little ones, and what was ftill more fatisfactory, the gowns feemed improved by this curtailing.

CHAP. V.

A new and great acquaintance introduced. What we place most hopes upon, generally proves most fatal.

Ат a fmall diftance from the house my predeceffor had made a feat, overfhaded by an hedge of hawthorn and honeyfuckle. Here, when the weather was fine and our labour foon finifhed, we ufually fat together, to enjoy an extensive landscape, in the calm of the evening. Here too we drank tea, which was now become an occafional banquet; and as we had it but seldom, it diffused a new joy, the preparations for it being made with no fmall fhare of bufile and ceremony. On these occafions our

two

two little ones always read to us, and they were regularly ferved after we had done. Sometimes, to give a variety to our amufements, the girls fung to the guitar; and while they thus formed a little concert, my wife and I would ftroll down the floping field, that was embellished with blue bells and centaury, talk of our children with rapture, and enjoy the breeze that wafted both health and harmony.

In this manner we began to find that every fituation in life might bring its own peculiar pleasures: every morning waked us to a repetition of toil; but the evening repaid it with vacant hilarity.

It was about the beginning of autumn, on a holiday, for I kept fuch as intervals of relaxation from labour, that I had drawn out my family to our usual place of amusement, and our young muficians began their usual concert. As we were thus engaged, we faw a ftag bound nimbly by, within about twenty paces of where we were fitting, and by its panting, it seemed preft by the hunters. We had not much time to reflect upon the poor animal's diftrefs, when we perceived the dogs and horfemen come fweeping along at fome diftance behind, and making the very path it had taken. I was inftantly for returning in with my family; but either curiofity or furprize, or fome more hidden motive held my wife and daughters to their feats. The huntfinan, who rode foremost, paft us with great swiftness, followed by four or five perfons more, who feemed in equal hafte. At last, a young gentleman of a more genteel appearance than the reft, came forward, and for a while regarding us, inftead of pursuing the chace, topt fhort, and giving his horfe to a fervant who attended, approached us with a careless fuperior air. He feemed to want no introduction, but was going to falute my daughters as one certain of a kind reception; but they had early learnt the leffon of looking

looking prefumption out of countenance. Upon which he let us know his name was Thornhill, and that he was owner of the eftate that lay for fome extent round us. He again therefore offered to falute the female part of the family; and fuch was the power of fortune and fine cloaths, that he found no fecond repulfe. As his address, though confident, was eafy, we foon became more familiar; and perceiving mufical inftruments lying near, he begged to be favoured with a fong. As I did not approve of fuch difproportioned acquaintances, I winked upon my daughters in order to prevent their compliance; but my hint was counteracted by one from their mother; fo that with a cheerful air, they gave us a favourite fong of Dryden's. Mr. Thornhill feemed highly delighted with their performance and choice, and then took up the guitar himself. He played but very indifferently; however, my eldeft daughter repaid his former applause with intereft, and affured him that his tones were louder than even those of her mafter. At this compliment he bowed, which the returned with a courtfey. He praised her tafte, and the commended his underftanding: an age could not have made them better acquainted. While the fond mother, too, equally happy, infifted upon her landlord's ftepping in, and tafting a glafs of her gooseberry. The whole family feemed earneft to please him: my girls attempted to entertain him with topics they thought moft modern, while Mofes, on the contrary, gave him a queftion or two from the ancients, for which he had the fatisfaction of being laughed at my little ones were no lefs bufy, and fondly ftuck close to the ftranger. All my endeavours could scarcely keep their dirty fingers from handling and tarnishing the lace on his cloaths, and lifting up the flaps of his pocket-holes, to fee what was there. At the approach of evening he took leave; but not till he had requefted permiffion to

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