41 8 A VOYAGE TO Book IX. 



fociety: and thus to him I owe the acquaintance 

 of many perfons of dilHndion, and the marks of 

 friéndíhip I received from them. He condefcended 

 to carry me to the moil famous mufeum.s, places of 

 delight to a rational curiofity, where ail nature is col- 

 leded into a living hiftory of the feveral produd§ 

 of the waters and earth, both in the mineral, vege- 

 table and animal kingdoms. He further brought me 

 acquainted with feveral of the moil dillinguiihed lite- 

 rati : and carried his friendfhip very far beyond any 

 thing I could have expeded. 



The recommendation of fo diftinguifhed a perfon, 

 to whofe judgment fo much deference was paid in 

 all things, together with the honour of having been 

 one of the two appointed for meafuring the degrees 

 of the earth in Peru, had fuch an influence on the 

 patrons of fcience, that 1 fhould wrong them did I 

 not acknowledge, that to them 1 chiefly owe the hap- 

 pinefs of recovering my papers, my liberty, and the 

 polite treatment feveral perfons of rank and quality 

 were pleafed to ihew me. 



Actions like thefe convinced me of the fincerity 

 of the Englilh, their candour, their benevolence and 

 difintereücd complaifance. 1 oblerved the tempers, 

 inclinations, particular cuftoms, government, confti- 

 tution and policy of this praife- worthy nation, which, 

 in its oeconomical conduct and focial virtues, may be 

 a pattern to thofe who boall of fuperior talents, to all 

 the reft of mankind. 



Mr. FoLKhs having gone through my papers, made 

 his report to the admiralty j and fo much in my 

 favour, that were I to infert it here, it would be the 

 moft honourable tcilimonial of our works and that 

 board being thoroughly fatisfied, gave him leave^ 

 according to his cicfire, to deliver them up to me ; 

 which he did on the 25th of May. But as a more 

 illuñrious teftimony of the great efteem with which 

 he honoured me, he propofed to Earl Stanhope and 



feveral 



