rofe at my wonted early hour, and stepping into his ftudy, found it unoccupied. Upon examining a heap of books and papers that lay confufedly mingled on the table and the floor, I was furprised to find, that by much the greater part of them, inftead of politics, metaphyfics, and morals, (the sciences connected with his fcheme of writing), treated of Belles Lettres, or were calculated merely for amufement. The Tale of a Tub lay open on the table, and feemed to have concluded the ftudies of the day before. The letters of Junius, Brydone's travels, the World, Triftrant Shandy, and two or three volumes of the British Poets, much ufed, and very dirty, lay fcattered above a heap of quarto's, which, after blowing the duft from them, I found to be an Effay on the Wealth of Nations, Helvetius de l'Efprit, Hume's Effays, the Spirit of Laws, Bayle, and a commonplace-book. The last contained a great deal of paper, and an excellent arrangement, under the heads of which, excepting thofe of anecdote and criticifm, hardly any thing was collected. The papers in his own hand-writing were, a parallel between Mr Gray's Elegy and Parrell's Nightpiece on Death; fome detached thoughts on L 3 propriety propriety of conduct and behaviour; a Fairy tale in verfe; and feveral letters to the Author of the MIRROR, all of them blotted and unfinished. There was befides a journal of his occupations for several weeks, from which, as it affords a picture of his fituation, I tran fcribe a part. Thursday, eleven at night, went to bed: ordered my fervant to wake me at fix, refolving to be bufy all next day. Friday morning: Waked a quarter before fix; fell asleep again, and did not wake till eight. Till nine, read the first act of Voltaire's Mahomet, as it was too late to begin ferious bufiness. Ten: Having fwallowed a fhort breakfast, went out for a moment in my flippers -The wind having left the east, am engaged, by the beauty of the day, to continue my walk- Find a fituation by the river, where the found of my flute produced a very fingular and beautiful echo-make a ftanza and a half by way of ad dress to it vifit the Shepherd lying ill of a low fever-find him fomewhat better (Mem. to fend him fome wine)-meet the parfon: and cannet avoid afking him & dinner-returning home, find my reapers at work — superin tend tend them in the absence of John, whom I send to inform the house of the parfon's vifit-read, in the mean time, part of Thomson's Seasons, which I had with me. From one to fix pla gued with the parfon's news and stories- take up Mahomet to put me in good humour — finish it, the time allotted for ferious ftudy being e• lapfed at eight, applied to for advice by a poor country-man, who had been oppressed. cannot fay as to the law: Give him fome money walk out at fun fet, to confider the caufes of the pleafure arifing from it at nine, fuß, and fit till eleven, hearing my nephew read, and converfing with my mother, who was remarkably well and cheerful—go to bed. Saturday: Some company arrived-to be filled up to-morrow (for that, and the two fucceeding days, there was no further entry in the journal). Tuesday waked at seven; but the weather being rainy, and threatening to confine me all day, lay till after nine - Ten, breakfafted and read the news-papers-very dull and drowsy Eleven, day clears up, and I refolve on a fhort ride to clear my head. A few days refidence with him showed me that his life was in reality, as it is here represented, a medley of feeble exertions, indolent pleafures, pleasures, fecret benevolence, and broken refolutions. Nor did he pretend to conceal from me, that his activity was not now fo constant as it had been; but he insisted that he ftill could, when he thought proper, apply with his former vigour, and flattered himself, that these frequent deviations from his plan of employment, which, in reality, were the fruit of indolence and weakness, arose from reafon and conviction. After all, faid he to me one day, when I was endeavouring to undeceive him, after all, granting what you al ledge, if I be happy, and I really am so, what more could activity, fame, or preferment, be Stow upon me? After a ftay of fome weeks, I departed, convinced that his malady was paft a cure, and lamenting, that fo much real excellence and ability fhould be thus, in a great measure, loft to the world, as well as to their poffeffor, by the attendance of a single fault. I am, Sir, yours, &c. N° 51. I N° 51. TUESDAY, July 20. 1779. To the AUTHOR of the MIRROR. Mr MIRROR, AM the daughter of a gentleman of eafy, though moderate fortune. My mother died a few weeks after I was born; and, before I could be fenfible of the lofs, a fifter of hers, the widow of an English gentleman, carried me to London, where the refided. As my aunt had no children, I became the chief object of her affections; and her favourite amusement confifted in fuperintending my education. As I grew up, I was attended by the best masters; and every new accomplishment I acquired, gave fresh pleasure to my kind benefactrefs. But her own converfation tended more than any thing elfe to form and to improve my mind. Well acquainted herself with the best authors in the English, French, and Italian languages, fhe was careful to put into my hands fuch books as were beft calcu lated |