Contains a poetical Gleaning. Remarks on the dif- ferent impreffions and figns of Grief on different Return to Amfterdam-Effect of Contraft-Bad be baviour and general ill manners of young English- Anecdotes of the German Timber-merchants-The author gleans the Duchy of Guilderland-Nime- guen-Arnem-and their beautiful environs-The Superior opportunities of a Traveller to indulge in a LETTER LIY, The pleasure of lofing one's way-Advice to the with fome Scenery which you will wish to vifit, Prince of Orange, and celebration of his Birth-day -An Effay on Dutch and German Warming- GLEANINGS, &c. LETTER XXVI. TO THE HONOURABLE MRS. B. HelveotЛluice. IDO not think we can enter on the SECOND SHEAF of our GLEANINGS better, than attending to what a traveller is moft embarraffed about on his firft landing-the best and cheapest mode of proceeding on his journey: fince it is but too certain, that all the information which he can get from books, on this subject, is very infufficient.-The tour-makers, indeed, have hurried on, as deeming the first port too trifling to merit their notice: and, either difgufted with, what they have called, impofitions, fatigued with their voyage, or wishing to "rush into the midft of things" all at once, they have made a fort of running fight, from whom they conceive to be enemies of their purses, and fit down "in the fick fit," to give fplenetic accounts of their skirmishes VOL. II. B with with boatmen, porters, and waggoners, currente calamo. In all this, there happens nothing but what must be expected from so much haste, namely, folly and ignorance. The direct reverfe of fuch conduct would be knowledge and truth: the effects would alter with the causes. So far from the place of landing, in any country, being unimportant, it fhould be looked upon as the key to every other, by whofe aid alone we can open the cabinet of its curiofities, and become acquainted with its fecrets. A general may as well affect to flight a frontier town, as a traveller his port of arrival; the poffeffion of which, in both cafes, is of the first confequence.. Under this affurance, I fhall take it for granted, neither you, nor any perfon, into whofe hands these papers may fall, will deem the time mifufed which is to be occupied in giving full inftructions on this neceffary subject; and you fhall judge, from what follows, whether travellers have not left more Gleanings than they ought to have done at the port Helveotfluice, of For For the fake of a thorough intelligence, let us ftoop a little to take up the fubject in the outlet. On your fide of the water, a common London Directory will inftruct thofe, who cannot pleasantly afford the luxury of a chaise, that the coach goes to Harwich every mailday, at seven in the morning, from the Spread Eagle in Gracechurch-ftreet, and arrives in time to give the passengers refreshment before the packet fails, as well as to get the pass from the king's agent in that town. This paffport cofts twelve shillings and fix-pence, on payment of which there is ufually a demur on the part of my countrymen, to ask what it is paid for? when this anfwer as ufually enfues-for the King! Hereupon follow, commonly, the whys and wherefores, by the reverberation and multiplication of which, fomething, even more valuable than money, is loft-time and temper; and after they are gone, the faid twelve fhillings and fix-pence muft nevertheless actually be paid. A man about to be decapi tated, may as well reason with the axe, while his head is laid upon the block by the ftrong hand of the law, as difpute with an agent of government about the payment of a tax; and yet, I fear, scarcely one traveller, out of one hundred, but comes away growling at the fhameful B 2 |