of piety and morality, and confequently afforded a ready entrance to infidelity, to cruelty, and rapacity; whether afssuming the lion port of open hoftility, or, ferpent like, crouching with infidious art to lick the feet of the pseudo goddess of liberty,

Be it our praife, be it recorded in the annals of time, that the Close of this Century, as the Close of the last, finds us again in the character of the Saviours of Europe; that we have again opposed, fuccefsfully opposed ourselves to an irruption, which, like the bursting of Æt. na, was spreading destruction and devar. tation to every creature, and every thing which was so unfortunate as to be liable to its collision.

It has alfo been the peculiar happiness of this country, that during those years in which a rapid fucceffion of fanguinary scenes have ttained the immenfe canvass displayed upon the theatre of the world, our domeftic representations, whether we confider them as delineated by the pencil of the arts, or the pen of literature, guided by the unerring hands of nature and truth: whether they have been ren. dered bufy and interefting by unlimited commerce, doubly gilt and decorated by opulence, or illuminated by the lamps of science, have, with respect to ourselves, been calculated to leave a pleasing impreffion upon our minds. Vices we certainly have! but our domeftic vices, if they have in the present Century in. creased, or are at this hour increasing, are perhaps the consequences and concomitants of our domestic profperity, and not, in their effect upon society, so dreadful as those tranfmarine crimes which, had not the legislature, interfered, were daily importing, and which, with refpect to other nations, have counteracted the labours of divines and moralists, have driven back their advances toward civilization and refinement through nine tenths of the Century, and, as has been observed, at the Close of it brought them precifely to the point whence they fet out.

To elucidate this by a short observation, it is well known that the first year of this era, was the first of the reign of a man who seemed, by his leaving a part of his people in a state of poverty and diftress, while he led another to certain destruction, to have been formed for a democratic leader, a conful, or dictator, rather than a monarch, but who has by his flatterers, with more truth than judgment, been styled the Alexander of the North. The reader will anticipate that

I mean Charles the XIIth, who, in imi tation of the "Macedonian Madman," extended his conquests from the shore of the Baltic to the banks of the Borinthe. nes. There the star of victory, which had fo long lighted him on his erratic course, and in the fall of kingdoms and the fate of kings, discovered icenes fimilar to those so lately asted in Italy, funk into the waves. That of the Ruffian Emperor and empire arote, and, as at the Close of this Century, we have feen its fuperior influence stopped that devaf tation which was upon the point of overwhekning Europe.

It would be an unpleasing task more fully to record, as it certainly is an un pleasing speculation to reffect, that in the circle of this Century, fo many of the years which form integral parts of it, have been stained with rebellion, facri ficed to war, or that those of the preced. ing periods, taken from the Norman Conquest, nay, from an era much incre remote, do not seem to have been leis turbulent: yet, when we confider " alt those things as having paffed away like a fhadow," and that every object around us is in the same state of transition; we shall find confolation in the lapse of time operating upon the brevity of human existence. We shall find confolation even in the idea, that although a thousand years are in the light of the Omnipotent but as yesterday, and our age as nothing before him; though we have fuffered the past of this Century in which we have lived to recede from our fight without being able to retiace it by those marks those veftiges of wildom and virtue which we ought to have erected, like columns and obelisks by the way fide, as guides and directors for posterity; yet sfill, if we make a proper use of the few or many years that are allotted to us, if we take a warning instead of an example from the events that have paffed, we may even arrest the small portion of this Century which is within the grafp of time, and when it inks like the Phoenix into its own ashes, rife on the morning of the morning next with a renovation of mentalitrength sufficient to enable us to foar with the fabled bird, far, far beyond the atmosphe.. ric influence of those little paffions and prejudices, of those paltry stimulations of ambition and interest which have diftinguished our career on this fublunary spot, and flying on the wings of time, arrive at the blissful mansions of eternity.

I'

Bishop's Court, Dec. 21, 1756. F distance of fituation and delay of correfpondence can poffibly be conbitent with undiminished affection and regard, then my dear friend and brother H will allow that fuch may be the cafe between him and me.

If, Sir, you should question, Whether I have not wrote oftener to other friends? You have for anfwer, Those on neceffary business excepted, I scarce think I have. One great and real occafion of delay is the hindrances I meet with from fitting down to write a long letter; for I have no notion of short ones to particular friends, and especially from this foreign land; where it is not like fending by the bakers or market folks from Hitchin: we must wait here for veffels, and wind, and opportunity of transmitting to our ports 1.4 or 15 miles. And what will my good friend fay, when I affure him, I have now no less than between 30 and 40 letters on my hands at this time unanfwered: fome of 'em indeed may perhaps not require immediate notice. Be that as 'twill, I would only defire 'you, dear Sir, to believe I have not wil fully or designedly neglected you: but if the appearance of it be too much even for your great candour to acquit me of; I am at your mercy, the penalty is ready, viz. as long a ceffation of the direction of your pen toward Bishop's Court, which, if you think I deferve, you may depend on its being what I shall sensibly teel, for I have left nobody behind me, whose friendship I should more regret the lofs

of.

You was to enquire of our welfare, I hear, from our late fervant upon her'return to Hitchin; by whom doubtless you expected more than a verbal compliment from me: and from that time, I suppose, you began to give me up. Conveyance of letters by goods or travellers, to fave pottage, we by no means approve, hav. ing had fome 6 weeks or 2 months paffing that way. We learn from her, that the was not able to convince you of our being in a place much different from the delerts of Arabia, or that we fee the fun here much more than those under the poles. That we are fome degrees North et our former fituation is undeniable:

but no less true is it, that we have far less froft and snow than in the South of England, at least of any continuance. Though fuel is cheap, we had no fire int our parlour till after Michaelmas, which perhaps is more than you can say at L: and Mrs. Hildesley, notwithstanding the is out every day, puts onl neither hat, hood, nor cloak. Neither are the variations of heat and cold fo great as in England: the extremes in the whole year here, don't differ above twenty degrees, at least they have not in the time we have been here; whereas I have known that of 30 at Hitchin in the space of three or four days: you know I am a great weather obferver. Bateing a few fits of the cholick last Spring, which I attri buted to my eating frequently of Ling fish, which I am fond of, I don't know for years, that I have had fewer com. plaints, than fince I have been in this new climate. I never was an athletic ftrong hero: witness the trial in our northern tour, when I was some years younger, what more than enough you had to do, to get me on from stage to stage. Alert in a morning, and impatient to wait your Reverence's folemn motions, and regular preparations,-but when out, who was fure to be lag but poor Mark? I often think of that journey, and of the pretended fuperexcellencies of the North, witness the meat we saw in the market at Scarborough, and the cherries we had in the middle of July. Did I tell you that my chum Ingram died about the time I left London, and that I received a draught of ten pounds from his widow, being a legacy in his will? - But once more as to the boasts of the North of England: I affure you we poor Manks-iflanders won't yield to them.- I call our brother Robinfon countryman, for I think we have every thing full as good as in Lancashire: the is so modest or so juft-only to except potatoes; but we are too near Ireland, even to admit that preference. Fish, wine, and poultry of all forts, 'tis certain, we have very good and cheap here; in all other articles (perhaps too I may except coals and candles) we must fubmit to South-England. - My wife reckons the parted from England, when she turned

ber

her back upon Lichfield: for after that, the inns began to be very poor and mean, not better I think than your Sugar Loaf at L:-which we wondered at in so great a road as that to Westchester. I can't say she in any respects likes this place so well as I do; notwithstanding the privilege of the women in this country, in having a legal claim to a moiety of their busbands eftates real and personal, so as to be capable of disposing of it by will-What think you of that, Mrs. H? A rare law this to make good husbands, and do as their wives bid 'em! -But you have a good one you'll fay without fuch a law, and therefore have no defire to come to Manks-land for the receipt.

How goes grain with my brother far. mer? Wheat is here at 5s, and barley at 3s. per bushel: which we call dear. But perhaps we shall find it dearer from England; if we could have it from thence; of which it seems we are debarred by the embargo. This, as we are part of his Majefty's dominions, we think a little hard. You fay, pray what taxes or excise do you pay to the king? Sir, I've done. We must do as well as we can with our own provender. How you go on in England, we sometimes hear as the wind blows us a bit of news. But we don't much concern ourselves about political matters; as we have no places of great profit or preheminence to contend for. And our detached fituation makes us the more indifferent about those that have. We go to church and pray for our king, and wish well to the establish ment of our mother church and country, -and eat our herrings and are quiet.

When you next fee Sir Thomas Salusbury, pray present him with my best respects; and I should be much obliged to him, if attention to more material bufiness, when he is next in town, will admit of it, that he will be fo good as to procure for me, from Dr. Hay, or at the office where it is lodged, a copy of the paper I subscribed in the vestry room, jutt before my confirmation, at St. Martin's; and whatever fee may be due to the clerk for the fame, you'll be pleased to anfwer for me. For though I did not subscribe what I did not read, yet I should be glad to be gratified with the revifal of it.

Speak us with particular regard to the family at the Temple when you see them; (if they have not by this time orgot their neighbour Mark and his wife Betty). I hope they all enjoy their

healths. -And pray aequaint us with the state of your own and Mrs. H's, How have you fared as to rheumatic pains? Do you ride, or take physick, or neither? Went you your usual tour after harvest, into Cambridgeshire, &c. The Bishop of Durham wrote me of Sir Fran. St. John's death. If Mrs. H- had no relation to his large fortunes; she is, however, related to them that had. I have one less friend, then I had, to receive me, if I live to revisit my native country; for though he was rather a recluse and referved man, and of few ac. quaintance, yet I believe I was as much in his favour as any one almost-that were not in his will. But as one of our

acquaintance used facetioufly to say, Don't tell me of respect and kindness, that is the time to know who loves us, when they are dead, and not when they are living. For my part, I had no fort of expectance of fuch posthumous testimony. He was an ingenious gentleman like many one that had a just sense of religion, and in those capacities I thought, the friendly notices he always bestowed on so little a man as I, exclufive of relationship, an honour to me. He was one of the first that paid me the compliment of a visit at Covent Garden on account of my nomination to this fee, and not finding me there came to me to Hano ver Square: which showed, at least, he was well pleased at my advancement. For he was of that set, who thought it an advancement-though in a foreign land. I sometimes think what a melancholy place England will appear to me, if I should stay till there is nobody left there that will own me? What with some that are dead and some that are offended that I did not first write to 'em, or in properer time or manner-and fome that will have forgot me through long absence, and some that may confider me as a foreigner, with whom they have now no connection; and some that think I ought to have staid where I was, and took it ill that I should be so rude as to leave my old station.-So that sometimes I think I may e'en as well fet up my staff in this exile state, and not think of fo long a journey to pay my refpects to old friends, who may, if not dead themselves, look upon me as dead and gone. But if ever I should live to cross to the other side, I shall probably have the affurance to hazard a reception at the parsonage of L-, or wherever the present owner's merits and friends may by that time have otherwise disposed of him. Sometimes I think, I think, our brethren of the Society, of which I was once an unworthy member, will be to kind as to pais me from one to t'other, and give me the run of their kitchen for a few days each. But if, instead thereof, they only compliment me with their wishes for my translation, &c. I think 'tis as much as if they saidGood bye, Mark! For if they have no hopes of teeing me till then-they may as well shake their final adieu. As to my wite, she seems to give up all thoughts of ever troubling or being troubled with the ocean again, till the is forced on it by my demife and my fuccessor's ejectment of her. She has not lost her spirits yet to that degree fome may imagine by her transportation hither (to this jabbering country as the calls it), but can still make her fides and tell a facetious story in her droll manner, which you know (if you haven't forgot her) the is pretty much mistress of. And now having faid all I have at present to fay of my felt and better half, it is time to release you :and which I cannot do better than by repeating my affurances that we are, with the most invariable affection and esteem, [Signed for my Self and Confort] Dear Mr. and Mrs. H's fincere Friends and Servants, MARK, SODOR & MANN.

My Sister defires your and Mrs. 's acceptance of her compliments. Thank God we are all in health.

Dec. 27, 1756.

You see, now I am got to you, I am loth to part: and by the two dates what interruptions I am liable to, and what delays before opportunity offers for conVeyance. And even now it is a great chance whether this will reach you time enough for the compliments of the feafon. I hope you had as fine a Christmas day as we had here. It was so bright and pleasant with us, that though my Farriage was at the door, I chose to waik a mile to church, rather than get into it, What think you of 140 communicants at a village, and where the people lock upon Eafter as the chief time for receiving? There is a custom in this ifle, I should be glad to fee dropped, viz. the Clergy's attending at each of their parish churches to read prayers, either late at night or by 4 in the morning of Christmas day; when the congregation young and old, as they happen to be furnished, ftand up by turns to fing Manks carols, ot long Scripture stones; which though for the

most part performed with great decency and decorum, yet as it breaks in upon the reft both of minister and people, mut be no smali obstruction to the due attendance on the more regular and appointed duty of the day. But as they are much attached to ancient customs, I fear I shall have enough to do to break through this. 'Tis also usual, after prayers in the holidays, for a fiddle to attend at the Cross, and great numbers to dance by couples, like the milk maids in London, ane which, if the weather permits, lasts an hour or two. They do the like, when they come out of church from a wedding. A man takes out a woman, and so alternately, like the French dances in Eng. land. And searce any refufe: bafhfulneis being no growth of this country: for they are all pleased to shew their dexterity. As the country is very populous, furplice fees would be confiderable to the clergy; marriages and chriften. ings always going forward. But the celebration fee, I think, is but 6d. and a licence 38. 6d. and confequently banns are very rarely if ever published. I believe I told you, that none can be married here till they have been confirmed and at the communion, or, at least, not without giving bond to the Lord of the Ifle, that they will take the first opportunity to be inftructed for the due compliance with those duties. I find the language very difficult to pronounce, or I thould be able foon to be master of it to read prayers. But at present I am content with fufficient for the absolution, confirmation, the blefing, and delivering the elements at the facrament. And in these, by repeating often, they compliment me with allowing I am quite a Marksman. It is not with them alike difficult to speak English. Those that do, are far more intelligible than the northern English: as having no broad and particular dialect. My English steward I brought over hither, has taken to him a Manks wife and I have the late Bishop's in his room, who is a very good one, and has the advantage of having both languages; and knows better therefore to manage the demesne tenants who are my labourers, though very imi. properly called such, for they are much afraid of killing themselves with worki and require much looking to. But you will lay, what can a man be supposed to do for 5d, per day, which is their pay, and is 1d. more than the late Bishop gave. And what is remarkable, the women are as good hands at all forts of husbandry