74 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



hazy horizon ; the languid flocks, on the fides of 

 the mountains, with their necks ftrctched out to- 

 ward Heaven, and drawing in the air with diffi^ 

 culty, made the vallies refound with their mourn- 

 ful cries : even the cafre, who conduded them, 

 lay along the ground, endeavouring to cool him- 

 felf, in that pofnion. Every where the foil was 

 fcorching hot, and the flifling air refounded with 

 the buzzing of infeds, which fought to quench 

 their thirll with the blood of men, and of animals: 



One of thefe parching nights, Virginia felt all the 

 fymptoms of her malady redouble. She got up, 

 (he fat down, fhe returned to bed, but in no atti- 

 tude could (he find either lleep or repofe. She 

 rambled, by the light of the moon, toward the 

 fountain j flie perceived it's fource, which, in de- 

 fiance of the drought, dill flowed in filver fillets, 

 over the duiky fides of the rock. Without hefita- 

 tion, flie plunged herfelf into it's bafon; at firil, the 

 freflinefs re-animated her ; and a thoufand agree- 

 able recollerions prefented themfelves to her mind. 

 She remembered how, in the days of infancy, her 

 mother and Margaret amufed themfelves with 

 bathing Paul and her in that very ftream, and how 

 Pauk afterwards, appropriating this bath folely to 

 her ufe, had deepened it's bed, covered the bot- 

 tom with fand, and fowed aromatic herbs around 

 it's brink. On her naked arms, and on her bofom. 



Hie 



