"Oh fields! oh woods! when, when fhall I "be made "The happy tenant of your fhade ?” "That blifsful period, my dear friend, is at length arrived. I yesterday made a formal "refignation of all concern in the house in «favour of my nephew, a deferving young fs man, who, I doubt not, will have the entire "benefit of those numerous connections with "perfons in trade, whofe good opinion his "uncle never, to his knowledge, forfeited. "I have made a purchase of a fmall estate -fhire, of about 200 acres. The in - "Hic gelidi fontes, hic mollia prata, 66 "My houfe is fmall, but wonderfully com " modious. It is embofomed in a tall grove "of oak and elm, which opens only to the "fouth. A green hill rifes behind the house, "partly covered with furze, and feamed with "a winding fheep path. On one fide is an "irregular garden, or rather border of shrub¬ I bery, adorning the floping bank of a rivulet; but intermixed, without the fmalleft injury to its beauty, with all the variety of herbs "herbs for the kitchen. On the other fide, ،، a little more remote, but ftill in fight of "the houfe, is an orchard filled with excel"lent fruit-trees. The brook which runs "through my garden retires into a hollow "dell, fhaded with birch and hazle copfe, " and, after a winding course of half a mile, joins a large river. These are the outlines of my little paradifc. - And now, my dear "friend, what have I more to wifh, but that you, and a very few others, whose fouls are "congenial to my own, fhould witness my "happiness? In two days hence I bid adieu "to the town, a long, a laft adieu ! "Farewel, thou bufy world! and may "The remainder of my life I dedicate to those "pursuits in which the best and wifeft of men "did not blush to employ themselves; the "delightful occupations of a country-life, "which Cicero well faid, and after him Colu"mella, are next in kindred to true philofo❝phy. What charming fchemes have I al"ready formed; what luxurious plans of "fweet and rational entertainment! But thefe, "my friend, you must approve and participatę. "I thall look for you about the beginning of "May; when, if you can spare me a couple " of months, I can venture to promise that "time will not linger with us. I am, with "much regard, yours," &c. As I am, myself, very fond of the country, it was with confiderable regret that I found it not in my power to accept of my friend's invitation, an unexpected piece of business having detained me in town during the greatest part of the fummer. I heard nothing of Euphanor till about nine months after, when he again wrote me as follows: "My dear SIR, "It was a fenfible mortification to me not "to have the pleasure of seeing you laft fum<< mer in fhire, when I fhould have «been much the better for your advice in a "difagreeable affair, which, I am afraid, will "occafion my paying a vifit to town much "fooner than I expected. I have always had σε a horror at going to law, but now I find εσ myself unavoidably compelled to it. σε Sir Ralph Surly, whose estate adjoins to my little "property, has, for the purpose of supplying "a new barley-mill, turned afide the courfe " of a small ftream which ran through my "garden and inclofures, and which form "ed, "ed, indeed, their greatest ornaments. "place of a beautiful winding rivulet, with a "variety of fine natural falls, there is now "nothing but a dry ditch, or rather crooked "gulph, which is hideous to look at. The "malice of this procedure is fufficiently con fpicuous, when I tell you, that there is "another, and a larger ftream, in the fame "grounds, which I have offered to be at the "fole expence of conducting to his mill. I "think the law muft do me juftice. At any "rate, it is impoffible tamely to bear fuch an injury. I fhall probably fee you in a few days. To fay the truth, my dear friend, "even before this laft mortification, I had be"gun to find, that the expectations I had "formed of the pleafures of a country-life "were by far too fanguine. I must confefs, "that, notwithstanding the high relish I have "for the beauties of nature, I have often felt, "amidst the moft romantic fcenes, that lan"guor of spirit which nothing but fociety can diffipate. Even when occupied with my "favourite ftudies, I have fometimes thought, "with the bard of Mantua, that the eafe and "retirement which I courted were rather ig"noble. I have fuffered an additional, difappointment in the ideas I had formed g "the characters of the country-people. It is B 5 << but "but a treacherous picture, my friend, which "the poets give us of their innocence and "honeft fimplicity. I have met with fome "instances of infincerity, chicane, and even "downright knavery, in my fhort acquaint"ance with them, that have quite fhocked and "mortified me. "Whether I fhall ever again enter into the bufy world (a fmall concern in the house, "without allowing my name to appear, would "perhaps be fome amufement), I have not yet determined. Of this, and other matters, "we fhall talk fully at meeting. Meantime "believe me, dear Sir, yours, EUPHANOR." Euphanor has been, for this month past, in town. I expected to have found him peevish, fhagrined, and out of humour with the world. But in this I was disappointed. I have never feen my friend in better health, or higher fpirits. I have been with him at feveral convivial meetings with our old acquaintances, who felt equal fatisfaction with himself at what they term his recovery. He has actually refumed a fmall fhare in trade, and purpofes, for the future, to devote one half of the year to bufinefs. His counfel have given him affurance of gaining his law-fuit: he expects, in a few months, |