CHARLES WATERT0N, ESQ. xli 



particular, dreadful and hopeless to all appearance, 

 have placed his wonderful abilities in so positive 

 a light before my eyes, that I consider him at 

 the head of his profession as bone-setter, and as 

 rectifier of the most alarming dislocations, which 

 are perpetually occuring to man in his laborious 

 journey through this disastrous " vale of tears/' 



Thus much for accidents by " flood and field." 

 Warned by experience, I shall prefer in future, 

 to mount into trees without the aid of ladders ; and 

 should I again have to grope my midnight way 

 along the edge of an unprotected pier, I will bear 

 in mind, at every step, the dismal dip at Dover. 



Barring these two sudden and nearly fatal 

 accidents, I have had most excellent health ; and 

 whilst engaged in my late annual trips to the 

 continent, in company with my sisters, nothing has 

 intervened to damp the usual flow of spirits. 



In Belgium, fine opportunities have occurred, 

 of seeing^many rare summer birds of passage. At 

 the ancient castellated villa of Viscount de Croezer, 

 now alas, no more. I could go and hear the 

 (C tuneful nightingale charm the forest with its 

 tale," andjsee the golden orioles at their nests, close 

 to the villa's moat ; — a treat denied us here in 

 England, by plundering boys and wanton gun-men, 

 ever on the look out, to steal the eggs and take 



