5 
326 | 
that a young man becomes conitected 
with a nobleman’s family in fome official 
capacity, and turns farmer only when he 
marries. But even his marriage does not 
necefiarily preclude ‘his continued con- 
nection with the family; for fhould his 
fervices. be deemed of futticient confe- 
ei a contiguous abode is. provided 
im. 
The houfes of the farmers are com-- 
monly built of wood, and’ have merely 
a ground-floor. On the exterior, they 
are, in every point of view, humble, 
very often mean in appearance ; the in- 
terior is occafionally fomewhat better ; 
though an Englifhman looks in vain for 
any thing like comfort, There are ufu- 
ally two or three.ordinary rooms’ white- 
wathed, though one only ferves, for the 
moft part, as afitting-room. The floors 
are fometimes of earth only, but more 
frequently planked. A bed almoft al- 
ways ftands in every room, fometimes 
though rarely with curtains, The only 
double bed, however, is that for the 
matter and mittrefs of the family; and 
which ftands in the principal room ; the 
othérs are mere couches for fingle per- 
fons, placed in the corners. In the 
midft of all thefe homely appearances, 
_ you are much, though equally, furprized 
at feeing the table fet out with confi- 
derable neatnefs, and abundantly {fup- 
plied with good things. Every plate is 
furnifhed with a napkin and a fiver 
Sork; the courfes are almoft as numer- 
-~ wus, and follow the fame order as in the 
houfe of a: nobleman, from which the 
whole is obviouily imitated. There is 
fome little incongruity in all this, it muft 
be owned; but mcongruities of this de- 
{cription are abundant in Poland. 
To give the reader fome idea of the 
value of land in Poland, I thall mention 
a purchafe, with the particulars of which 
I happened to be made acquainted. The 
manufacturer of porcelain, above-men- 
tioned, had become rieh enough to have 
a quantity of fuperfluous capital, which 
he was defirous of vefting in the folid 
property of land. Accordingly, he pur- 
chaied an eftate, for which he gave about 
two thoufand pounds fterling. The ex- 
act number of acres. it is not in my 
power to fiate; but from the informa- 
tion of a gentleman prefent who had been 
an England, I learnt, that the whole 
mutt be about two thoufand acres, half 
of which, however, was in foreft. The 
“houfe on this eftate was the largeft and 
zhe beit, exclufive of thofe of the nobles, 
Saxon Chronicles. 
[May 1, 
I had feen. There were feveral rooms 
larger than ordinary, well whitewathed, 
and the furniture and general appearance 
fufficiently neat and commodious; yet 
it was built folely of wood. It had alfo 
a fpacious garden, fenced by a wooden 
enclofure, and laid out into walks, &c. 
‘T have been thus particular in my ac- 
count of this purchiate, becaufe this fingle 
inftance furnifhes a itriking proof, how 
certainly manufactures are followed by 
opulence and improvement. 
f Ea 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
N your very ufeful and entertaining 
Mifcellany, under the head Lite- 
rary and Philofophical Varieties, I ob- 
ferve announced, certain book{fellers of 
London have undertaken to publifh a 
Splendid and cofily edition of Hollinfhead, 
which they intend to follow by fimilar edi- 
tions of others of the early Chronicles of 
England. It ftrikes mews very fingular, 
-that they fliould have made fuch a grand 
miltake, as to begin at the wrong end, 
and prefer Hollinfhead, who was only 2 
compiler, and not an original author (ex- 
cept what he relates in his own time.) , 
It has been long lamented we have 
had no Gibfon to tranflate our Saxon au- 
thors or manufcripts; all our modern 
publications on antiquities are moft mi- 
ferably poor, and extremely unfatisfac- 
tory. 
Thewhole Society of Antiquarians have 
never dared to publifh our Saxon Chro- 
nicles, but continue to go on working 
like moles blindfold for the good of the 
general readers of Engelith hiltory. I 
with you would recommend through your 
ufeful Magazine, the early tranilation 
into Englith, of all our Saxon manu- 
{criptsnow lying dead and ufelefs in the 
Britifh Mufeum. 
Tam fully perfuaded, Sir, were they 
tranilated into Englifh, and printed in a 
neat, but not /plendid or expenjive ftyle, 
that 6000 cupies would be fold before a 
twelvemonth. 
Tn every gentleman’s houfe I go-inte 
in the country, it feems to be the gene- 
ral wifh and defire. The foundation of 
our hiftory at prefent is fo obfeured and 
clouded, that no man can tell whom to 
believe on the fubjeét of our hiltory prior 
to the Conquetft. 
Apoiogizing for the trefpafs on your 
time, I remain with great ref{pect, 
AN ENGLISH READER OF ENGLISH © 
HISTORY. i 
te : Te 
