l88 THEBEEy OR Feb. 2, 



Sir Edward, a Story. 

 Sir Edward F — r, to -^'hora I had the pleafure of.bang fn- 

 trodiiced at Florence, was a ckarafler much beyond that? 

 which dillin8;uiPaes the generality of Englilh travellers of 

 fortune. His ftory was known to fome of his countrymen, 

 who then refided in Italy •, from one of whom, who could 

 now and then talk of fomething' befides pidures and operas^ 

 I had a particular recital of it'. 



He had been nr!t abroad at an e^irfy period of Hff, foon 

 after the death of his father had left him mafter of a very 

 large eftate, which he had the gbod fortune to inherit, and 

 all the inclination natural to youth to enjoy. Tliough al- 

 ways fumptuous, however, and fometimes profufe, he w-as 

 obferved never to be ridiculous in his expcnces ; and though 

 he was now and then talked of a« a man of pleafure and- 

 diiripation, he always left behind him more inftances of be- 

 neficence than of irregularity. For that refpecl and erteem 

 in which his charailer, amidll all his little errors, was ge- 

 nerally held, he was fappofcd a good deal indebted to the 

 fociety of a gentleman wiio had been his companion at theuni- 

 verfitv. and now attended him rather as a friend than a tutor. 

 This gentleman was unfo^tUnateIy feized at Marfcilles with 

 a lingering diforder, iqr which he was under the necefTity 

 of taking a fea-voyage, leaving Sir Edward to profccute 

 the remaining part os" his intended tour alone. 



Defce iding into one of the vallies of Piedmont, where, 

 fiotwiihftanding the riggednefs of the road, Sir Edward, 

 with a prejudice natural to Lis country, preferred the con- 

 veyance of an Engliili hunter to that of an Italian mule, 

 Lis horfe unluckily rnsde a falfe rten, and fell with his rider 

 to the ground, from which Sir Edward was lifted by hi;, 

 fervants, with fcarce any (igns of life. They conveyed him 

 on a litter to the neareft houfe, which happened to be the 

 dwelling of a peafant, rather above the common rank, at 

 whofe .^oor fome of his neighbours were affenibled at a fcene 

 of rural merriment, when the train of Sir Edward brought up 

 their mailer, in the condition I have defcribed. The cooi- 



