88 



THE RURAL SOCR.ATES. 



the fuccefs of all our enquiries depends. All our 

 {peculations will be tVuilleis, if you are dilatory in 

 performing your part ; and if, convinced as you are of 

 the integrity of our intentions, you delay to execute the 

 plans we recommend. It depends on your endeavors 

 to render this a happy and fiouriihrng country. Your 

 virtues, your candor, are lure guarantees of your 

 acquielcence : you will then ha\e a jufl right to the 

 glorious title of benefactors to your country : you 

 will chea demonflrate that the occupation ot a huf- 

 bandman, is, in its confequences, the mod: important 

 and honorable of all that are exerciled in civil locic- 

 ty ; and, at the fame time, the mod agreeable and 

 fatisfa(Story to fulfil. What can be more .pleafing 

 than a perpetual contemplation of the woiks of the 

 Creator ; breathing a pure and fiee air; confirming 

 the health of the body by exertife and labcr ; and be- 

 holding a happy fertility, the reward of care and dil- 

 igence ? What employment can be more eafy to ful- 

 fil than tlut, where the greater past of the lucccis de- 

 pends on a man'^s own condudl ? How much moie 

 unfortunate in this refpev5l aie we, who fpend much 

 time and care before we can rer^der our ideas accept- 

 able to others I And what a number of efforts miif^ 

 be made, and obihules be furmounlcd, before we 

 can introduce thern into prad^ice, or reap the leaft ad- 

 vantage from our esei rions : — Continue then, my 

 friends, to fecond us with all your might ; give us 

 your conficleiice and friendQup. You (hall fee us, in 

 our turn, do every thing in our p6wer to convince yoti 

 of our ftncere regard ; and to render of general u(e 

 the maxims we have learned from books, from expe- 

 riments, and from your converfation. May this 

 nni4>n of interefts procure ojr country all thofe blef- 

 fmgs which there is reafon tocxpedl from it." — I had 

 the fatisfadlion m finiihing my difcourfe, to ohferve fomc 

 emotions in the countenai^.ce of my auditors^ cxprcllivc 

 of their approbation. 



The 



