FRANCE. 263 



that it would be impofiible ever to want com- 

 pany in her prefence ; fuch a mind, not 

 biafled or turned afide by any quarrels, 

 bickerings, or difputes, and living in per- 

 fect harmony, is to me a treafure I mall 

 not attempt to value. Thus, Sir, with a 

 wife, a family, and a farm, in all of whom 

 equally happy, how am I to be dull for 

 want of company ? Yet we are not abfo- 

 lutely without company ; we have occa- 

 iional virus from people, who, though un- 

 known to me, are defirous of feeing our im- 

 provements, and to all fuch we efteem hof- 

 pitality no lefs a duty of our fituation, than 

 pleafing to ourfelves. This is, becaufe I 

 never put myfelf the leaft out of my courfe 

 of life on account of any vifitant, whatever 

 may be his rank -, vifits of this fort would 

 be odious to me, if I was amamed to be 

 feen in a homely dirty drefs, and the fpade 

 or axe in my hand ; and if my wife had an 

 idea of blufhing if found in her dairy among 

 the maids, feeing to the butter and cheefe, 

 and drefled little better than the meaneft of 

 them. If this fyftem of reftraint was to be 

 the confequence, we mould mut our doors 

 eternally againft all comers. The Marquis 

 84 de 



