4i8 A VOYAGE TO BookIX. 



fociety : and thus to him I owe the acquaintance 

 of many perfons of diRinclion, and the marks of 

 friendlhip I received from them. He condefcended 

 to carry me to the moii famous mufeums, places 

 of delight to a rational curiofity, where all nature is 

 collected into a living hiflory of the feveral products 

 of the waters and earth, both in the mineral, vege- 

 table and animal kingdoms. He further brought me 

 acquainted with feveral of the moft diitinguifhed li- 

 terati : and carried his friendfnip very far beyond any 

 thing I could have expected. 



The recommendation of fo diftinguillied a perfon, 

 to whofe judgment fo much deference was paid in 

 all things, together with the honour of having been 

 one of the two appointed for meafuring the degrees 

 of the earth in Peru, had fuch an influence on the 

 patrons of fciencc, that I fhould wrong them did I 

 not acknowledge, that to them I chiefly owe the 

 happinefs of recovering my papers, my liberty, and 

 the polite treatment leveral perfons of rank and qua- 

 lity were pleafed to fnev/ me. 



Actions like thefe convinced me of the fmcerity 

 of the Englifn, their candor, their benevolence and 

 difinterefted cornplaifance. I obferved the tempers, 

 inclinations, particular cuftoms, government, confti- 

 tution and policy of this praife-worthy nation, which, 

 in its oeconomical conduft and focial virtues, may be 

 a pattern to thofe who boaft of fuperior talents, to all 

 the reft of mankind. 



Mr. Folkes having gone through my papers, made 

 his report to the admiralty ; and fo much in my 

 favour, that were I to infert it here, it would be the 

 moll honourable teftimonial of our work; and that 

 board being thoroughly fatisfied, gave him leave, 

 according to his defire, to deliver them up to me; 

 which he did on the 25th of May. But as a more 

 illuftrious teftimony of the great efieem with which 

 he honoured me, he propofed to Earl Stanhope and 



feveral 



