696 ON RURAL IMPROVEMENT, AND BOOK III, 



counts of the progress made in their several occupations. They 

 all view him with an eye of reverence and esteem as their kind 

 father and protector. 



Ashe advances in life, he carries with him his son, who is to 

 succeed to a populous and enriched estate. He bestows his 

 best advice with all the affection of an aged father, and all the 

 wisdom of a man who has studied human life in every stage, 

 visited different countries, and had more than a common share 

 of knowledge and experience. He recounts the condition in 

 which he found the estate that he is about to leave, mentions 

 the general plan of improvements that he adopted, and the 

 ample success which followed it. He advises him to tread in 

 the same footsteps, if, like him, he wishes to approach to old 

 age with respect and esteem, and look forward to futurity 

 with hope and confidence. He recommends to him a country 

 life, and the constant study of the comfort of all his depen- 

 dants, as the true way of being happy himself. He then 

 commits to him the particular care of some veterans who had 

 been his faithful companions in battle, whose old age he had 

 undertaken to provide for, and who were likely to survive him. 

 Soon after this he quietly expires * on a seat in the Saxon 



* Some perhaps may think this rather an unpleasant circumstance to introduce 

 here. I have heard of a gentleman who was content to lose the view of a distant 

 prospect from his library, (after a drawing had been made out, shewing what would 



