126 



look like many other parts of mine and of 

 all beautiful grounds; with but little to 

 mark the difference between what is close 

 to the house, and what is at a distance from 

 it; between the habitation of man, and that 

 of sheep. 



If I have detained the reader so long in 

 relating what personally concerns myself, I 

 did it, because there is nothing so useful to 

 others, however humiliating to ourselves, as 

 the frank confession of our errors, and of 

 their causes. No man can equally with 

 the person who committed them, impress 

 upon others the extent of the mischief done, 

 and the regret that follows it ; can compare 

 the former, with the present state, and what 

 might have been, with what has been done* 

 I cannot flatter myself that my example 

 will be followed by many statesmen : but 

 were the ministers who undertook the ma- 

 nagement of rash, impolitic wars to be 

 seized with a fit of repentance, and, for the 

 sake of making some reparation, to write 

 their confessions ; were they to give a frank 

 detail of their errors (if they deserve no 



