12 BENEFITOF 



travellers, who feldom return home laden wItH 

 any thing, but fine founding, and empty words 

 colleded out of the European languages. What 

 do they learn, but to prate about theatres, and 

 plays, and the modes of drefs amongft the Ita- 

 lians, the Spaniards, the Germans, and above 

 all the French ? If they were well advifed they 

 would not flir a foot out of their own coun- 

 trey -, that they migh£ not deftroy their for- 

 tunes, their time, their health, nay their very 

 life itfelf by luxury, and voluptuouihefs. They 

 would not then return, as too frequently iiap- 

 pens, entirely ufelefs to themfelves, and coun- 

 trey, and a burthen upon the face of the earth, 

 But whither am i hurried ? 



My defign was, in the little time allotted me, 

 to fpeak to you, gentlemen, nor of the peculiar 

 advantages of univerfities, or of fojourning at 

 this, rather than any foreign one ; but chiefly 

 of travelling in one's own countrey, thro' its 

 fields, and roads ; a kind of travelling, i con- 

 fefs, hitherto little ufed, and which is looked up- 

 on as fit only for amufement. I once more, moil 

 honorable auditors, beg your patience, and that 

 i may not forfeit all right to your favor, and 

 benevolence, i promife to be as fhort as pofTibie^ 

 You know what the poet fays, 



The 



