FRAGMENT. 285 



Befides, the nature of the labours in which I had 

 engaged, could not poffibly intereft any Minifter 

 in my favour. I thought of prefenting to public 

 view, fuch of them as I deemed moft calculated to 

 merit the proteftion of Government. I publiflied 

 my Studies of Nature. I have the confolation 

 of believing that 1 have, in that Work, confuted 

 fundry dangerous errors, and demonftrated fome 

 important truths. Their fuccefs has procured for 

 me, without folicitation, a great many compli- 

 ments on the part of the Public, and fome annual 

 marks of favour from the Court, but of fo little fo- 

 lidity, that a flight revolution in an adminiftration, 

 has ftripped me of moft of them, and together with 

 them, what is much more vexatious, fome others 

 of ftill higher confideration, which I had enjoyed 

 for fourteen years. Court favour had the fem- 

 blance of doing me good : the benevolence of the 

 Public has given a more fteady fupport to me and 

 my Work. To it I am indebted for a tranfient 

 tranquillity and repofe ; and under thefe aufpices 

 I fend into the World this firft Book, entitled The 

 Gauls, to ferve as an Introduâiion to the Arcadia. 

 I have not enjoyed the fatisfaâiion of talking on 

 the fubjcd: of it to John-James. It was rather too 

 rude for the placidnefs of our converfations. But, 

 rough and wild as it may be, it is an opening in 

 the rocks, from whence there is a glimple of the 

 valley in which he fometimes lepofed. Nay, when 



he 



