ftbe (Barton 



of which is a statue of white marble. This is 

 separated from a large parterre by a low wall, 

 and from thence through a pair of iron gates, you 

 are led into a long broad walk of the finest turf, 

 set on each side with tall yews, and on either 

 hand bordered by a canal, which on the right 

 divides the walk from a wilderness parted into 

 variety of alleys and arbors, and on the left 

 from a kind of amphitheatre, which is the re- 

 ceptacle of a great number of oranges and 

 myrtles. The moon shone bright, and seemed 

 then most agreeably to supply the place of the 

 sun, obliging me with as much light as was neces- 

 sary to discover a thousand pleasing objects, 

 and at the same time divested of all power of 

 heat. The reflection of it in the water, the 

 fanning of the wind rustling on the leaves, the 

 singing of the thrush and nightingale, and the 

 coolness of the walks, all conspired to make me 

 lay aside all displeasing thoughts, and brought 

 me into such a tranquillity of mind, as is I be- 

 lieve the next happiness to that of hereafter. 

 In this sweet retirement I naturally fell into the 

 repetition of some lines out of a poem of Mil- 

 ton's, which he entitles " IlPenseroso," the ideas 

 of which were exquisitely suited to my present 

 wanderings of thought : 



" Sweet bird ! thou shun'st the noise of folly, 

 Most musical ! most melancholy ! 



