[ 271 ] 



The greateft and indeed the only objc£b of 

 his thoughts is the improvement of the wilds 

 that fur round him ; over which he cafts an 

 anxious, but magnanimous eye, wiihing 

 for the freedom to attack, w^ith his own 

 hands, an enemy, the conquell of whom 

 would yield laurels to a man of ample 

 fortune. 



I afked him what he would do if he had 

 his whole time to apply to his farm, *' I 

 would perform fomething : " faid he, " at 

 prefent I do nothing." Hinting to him that 

 I would mention to Mr. Danby^ the releafing 

 him from the colliery, that all his time 

 might be applyed to farming, his coun- 

 tenance w^as animated at the very idea, — 

 his eyes fparkled with pleafure. 



Upon my afking him, if he did not think 

 every part of the moors were highly fufcep- 

 tible of improvement — " Improvement ! 

 Sir," he replied with eagernefs, *' there 

 is not an acre but might be made as good 

 land as a man would wifh to farm." 



Upon my afking him further, if he 

 thought he could improve a larger trad: than 

 was within the power of one pair of hands, 

 by having men, horfes and carts, &c. put 

 under his direction ? " Aye fure," he replied, 

 " for it is nothing more than extending the 

 proportion of ten acres to a great number. 

 It would be hard indeed. Sir, if a man that 

 had improved ten acres with his own hands, 



could 



