MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS. 
‘habit a good house in town for 
four months of the year, and to 
reside amongst my tenants and 
neighbours for the remaining eight 
wich credit and hospitality. lam 
indeed myself so fond of the coun- 
try, and so averse in my nature to 
every thing of hurry aad bustle, 
that, if I consulted only my own 
taste, J nae never feel a wish to 
leave the shelter of my own oaks 
in the dreariest séason of the year ; 
but I looked upon our annual visit 
to London as a proper compli ance 
with the gayer disposition ‘of my 
wife, and ihe iatural curiosity of 
the younger part of the family ; 
“besides, to say the truth, it had its 
ge i avoiding a round of 
dinners and catd parties, which 
We must otherwise have engaged 
in for the winter season, or have 
-been branded with the appellation 
‘of unsociable. Our journey gave 
me an opportunity ef furnishing 
my study with some new books id 
prints ; and my wife of grat ifying 
her neighbours with some orna- 
mental trifles, before their value 
‘was sunk by becoming common, 
er of producing at her table, or in 
her furniture, some sew invented 
refinement of fashionable elegance. 
Obr hall was the first that was light. 
ed by the lamp d’Argand; and I 
still remember how we were gra- 
tified by the papombmene of our 
guests, when sSiy wife with an au- 
give voice called to the footman 
or the tongs to he'p to the aspa. 
‘ragus with. We found it pleasact 
too to be enabled to taik of capital 
aftists and favourite actors ; and I 
‘made the better figure in gny po- 
litical debates, from having heard 
the most popular speakers. in the 
house. 
~ Once too, to redtity my wife’s 
[479 
spirits, after a tedious conjfine- 
ment from a lying-in, we passed 
a season at Bath. In this manner 
therefore things went on very 
well in the main, till of late my fa- 
mily have discovered that we lead- 
a very dull kind of life ; and that 
it is impossible to exist with com. 
fort, or indeed to enjoy a tolerable 
share of health, without spending 
a good part of every summer at a 
watering-place.. I held out as 
long as f could. One may beal.: 
lowed to resist the plans of dissi- 
pation, but the plea of health 
carmot decently be withstood, 
it was soon discovered that my 
eldest daughter wanted bracing, 
and my wife had a bifious com. 
plaint, against which our family 
physician declared, that sea bath. 
ing would be particularly service. 
able. Tiverefore,” though it was 
my Own private opinion that my. 
davghter’s nerves might have been 
as well braced by morning rides 
upon the Northamptonshire etl 
as by evening dances in the pub- 
lic apcin, and that my wiie’s bile, 
would have been greatly lessened 
by Roietiante with. her husband, 
I acquiesced; and preparations 
were made for our journey. These 
indeed were but slight, for the 
chief gratification proposed i in this 
sthente was, an entire freedom 
fram care and form. We should 
find every thing requisite in our 
lodgings ; it was of no conseqypence 
whether the rooms we should occu. 
py for a few months in the sum- 
mer, were elegant or not; the 
simplicity of a country life would 
be the more enjoyed by the little 
shifts we should be put to; and 
all necessaries would be provided 
inour lodgings, It was not there. 
fore. till after we had taken them, 
that 
