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annum J I renrienaber the fame lands fold in fee at 

 20S. per acre; and I know them at prefent to be 

 worth 40s. per acre per annum. I know thoufands 

 of acres improved to double and treble their value, 

 and the inhabitants of Burnham alone are forty 



voluntarily and with much feeming good-humour, his charatfler is 

 eftabliihed, and he is never more diflurbed: but if he fhould happen to 

 grumble, he is plagued into a compliance. However, the Rev. Mr. 

 Diaper, of Eaft-Brent, adlually refufed — ^the child died, not without 

 fufpicion of foul play — law enfued, and the parfon wrote a very feverc 

 and violent fatire, on Brent, printed, if I remember right, in the 

 London Magazine, about the year 1738 ; I believe it may be read, 

 with fome alterations, in Dr. Bowden's Poems. I could repeat the 

 verfes when a boy, and recoUedl one at prefent : 



« The bleak knoll, and all the marlhes round, 

 « A fort of chaos and unfalhion'd ground ; 

 *' 'Twere made in winter we may fafely fwear, 

 <* For winter is the only feafon here," 



Mr. Diaper barely efcaped with the flcin of his teeth, but his Poem 

 tended greatly to' enrich the inhabitants of this country, by keeping 

 out all ftrangers, and keeping the price of land low. The judicious 

 have allowed this poem to be a perfuafive'to the lords for difmember- 

 ing their manors; — a lucky circumftance for the lelTees, who became 

 the- chief purchafers, and whofe defcendants now live comfortably 

 upon their own freeholds. 



I could fay much about wrecks. The laft we had was on a Sunday, 

 in time of Divine fervice, when every living foul deferted the parfon, 

 exctpt myfelf and the clerk who had but one leg. However, if I 

 were to write the hiflory of this, or any other wreck, I might Hand a 

 good chance " to go to civreck'^ myfelf. It will therefore be moft ad- 

 - vifeable to be filent on a fubjedl that, if divulged, would give offenc^ 

 to our neighbours. 



thoufanc} 



