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N° 89. SATURDAY, October 14, 1786.

To the AUTHOR of the Lounger.

- SIR,

I Read with infinite fatisfaction your 87th

Number, on the Pleafures of the Country, and the moral ufe of that "rural fentiment," the effects of which you know fo well how to paint. But thus it is that brilliant fiction ever delights us; while you were defcribing in town, I was witneffing in the country. I have just returned from an excurfion into a distant county, "6 a hundred miles from town, its inhabit"ants, and its bufinefs." "Twas at the house of Mr. L, a relation and intimate acquaintance of mine, where I have been preffingly invited these several years paft, to spend a month or two of the autumn; to leave the thick air and unwholesome streets, the bustle, cares, and diffipation of the town, for the pure breeze, the healthful walk, the quiet, the peacefulness, and fobriety of the country. I had often heard of my friend L's charming place, his excellent houfe, his every thing, in fhort, that great

wealth

wealth (for he is a man of a very large estate) could bestow, and tafte (for every body talked of his and Mrs. L's tafte) could adorn. I pictured his groves, his lawns, and his waterfalls, with fomewhat of that enthufiafm for country-scenery which you seem to feel; and I thought of his daughters (two elegant girls, whom I had just seen for a few minutes in their way from London) as the wood-nymphs of the fcene. All this "rural fentiment" I fet out with; and the fight of my friend's country-feat and beautiful grounds, which I reached on the third evening, did not belie it. How it has improved by my stay there, you shall judge by a short sketch of the country-life people lead at L Hall.

The party there, which my relation had told me was to be a felect one, and which made him' • doubly urgent in his defire to have me there this autumn, confifted of an elderly Dowager of rank and fortune, and her two unmarried daughters; a member of parliament, and his brother a clergyman from England; and two young officers of family, companions of Mr. L's eldeft fon, who has been about a year in the army. Thefe, with your humble fervant, in addition to Mr. L's own family, made up the standing establishment of the house. There were befides, every day, numerous occafional

vifitors

vifitors from the neighbourhood; Mr. L reprefenting the county in parliament, and receiving the inftructions of his constituents at this time of the year only.

Af

The night of my arrival, I took the liberty of retiring before the reft of the company, being a good deal fatigued with my journey. Next morning, however, I got up betimes to enjoy the beauties of the season, and of the calm clear landscape around me. But when I would have gone out, I found the house-door locked. ter various unsuccessful attempts to discover the retreat of the fervants, I met a ragged little fellow, who told me he was boy to the porter's man, and the only creature befide myself ftirring in the house; for that Mr. L's. gentleman had given a fupper to the fervants who had lately arrived from town, and they had all fat up at cards till five in the morning. By. the intereft of this young friend, I at last procured the key, and was let out. I ftrolled the way of the ftable, of which I found the entry much easier than the exit from the house, the door being left very conveniently open. The horfes from town had not been quite fo well entertained as the fervants; for they were standing with empty, mangers, and the dirt of the day before hardened on their skins. But this was not much to be wondered at, as a pack of

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cards

cards certainly affords a much pleasanter occupation than a curry-comb.

Having rubbed down a favourite poney, which I had brought to the country for an occafional ride, and locked the ftable-door, I turned down a little path that led to the fhrubbery; but I was afraid to enter any of the walks, as it was notified, by very legible inscriptions, that there were men-traps and steel-guns, for -the reception of intruders. I was forced therefote to restrict myfelf to a walk amidst the duft of the high-road till ten, when, on my return to the house, I found no lefs duft within doors; and was obliged to take refuge in my bed-room till the breakfafting parlour was put in order. By one of the fervants, whom, from his furly look, I fuppofed to be a lofer of the preceding night, I was informed that breakfast for some of the company would be ready by eleven..

At eleven I found fome of the company affembled accordingly. The Dowager did not appear, nor Mrs. L herfelf, but had chocolate in their different apartments: it seems they could not be made up, as one of the young Ladies expreffed it, fo early: their daughters feemed to have been made up in, hafte; for they came down in rumpled night-caps, and their hair in a brown pafte upon their fhoulders. The young gentlemen joined us with the second

tea

tea-pot; their heads were in diforder too, but of a different kind; they had drank, as they told us, three bowls of gin-toddy after the rest of the company had gone to bed. The master of the house entered the room when breakfast was nearly over: he asked pardon of his brother Senator and the Clergyman for being for late; but he had been detained, he faid, looking over his farm; for he is a great improver of the value as well as the beauty of his estate. "Did you ride or walk, Sir?" faid I. Mr. Lfmiled. "I walked only to the easy "chair in my library; I always view my farm "upon paper: Mr. Capability, my governor in "these matters, drives through it in his phae❝ton, and lays down every thing so accurately ❝ that I have no occafion to go near it."

Breakfast ended about one. The young gentlemen talked of going out a-shooting; but the weather was fuch as to fcare any but hardy sportsmen; fo they agreed to play billiards and cards within doors, in which they were joined by all the fenior gentlemen except myself. I proposed to betake myself to the library; but I found an unwillingness. in our hoft to let me take down any of the books, which were so ele-` gantly bound and gilt, and ranged in fuch beautiful order, that it seemed contrary to the etiquette of the house to remove any of them.

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