262 TRAVELS THROUGH 



Not in the leaft j that the eagerncfs of his 

 agricultural purfuits did not leave time for 

 fuch & reflection. Was I to lead an indo- 

 lent life, and only lounge about my fields 

 to fee my men, reflections, and poflibly dif- 

 agreeable ones, would arife j but both my 

 mind and body are employed, and no night 

 comes that meets me unfatigued : fo far is 

 fuch a fituation from feeling a difguft at 

 folitarinefs, I have no fuch emotion, no 

 idea of folitarinefs; my people, giving 

 directions to my bailiffs, feeing to the 

 execution, fetting right all the little frays 

 that happen in the village over which I am 

 a perfect fovereign, being much with all 

 my labourers, attending my cattle of all 

 forts, and feeing that they are fed at ftated 

 hours, -all this by degrees contracts you to 

 the people, and even to the animals, fo that, 

 I aflure you, I have what I might almoft call 

 contracted friendships with oxen, calves, 

 horfes, &c. as fportfmen find a pleafure in 

 the company of their dogs. All this is a 

 great fund, and a much greater is the com- 

 pany of my Cecilia, who, though my wife, 

 I mail fay, has fuch a fund of converfation 

 in the quicknefs and originality of her ideas, 



that 



