covered with heath, except a few patches round the house, which my father, by his skill in agriculture, had brought to bear grafs and

corn.

come to

My mother-in-law, a good looking woman, about forty, with a countenance that bespoke franknefs and good humour, rather than senfibility or delicacy, received me with much kindness; and, after giving me a hearty welprefented me to her two daughters, girls about fourteen or fifteen, with ruddy complexions, and every appearance of health and contentment. We found with them a Mr Plow-fbare, a young gentleman of the neighbourhood, who I afterwards learned farmed his own eftate, and was confidered by my father as the most respectable man in the county. They immediately got into a differtation on farming, and the different modes of agriculture practifed in the dif ferent parts of the country, which continued ́ almost without interruption till fome time after dinner, when my father fell faft afleep. But this made no material alteration in the difcourfe; for Mr Plow-fbare and the ladies then entered into a difcuffion of the most approved methods of feeding poultry and fatten

ing pigs, which lafted till the evening was pretty far advanced. It is now fome months fince I arrived at my father's, during all which time I have scarcely ever heard any other converfation. You may easily conceive, Sir, the figure I make on fuch occafions. Though the good nature of my mother-in-law prevents her from faying fo, I can plainly perceive that fhe, as well as my fifters, confiders me as one who has been extremely ill educated, and is ignorant of every thing that a young woman ought to know.

When I came to the country, I propofed to pafs great part of my time in my favourite amusement of reading; but, on inquiry, I found that my father's library confified of a large family Bible, Dickfon's Agriculture, and a treatife on Farriery; and that the only books my mother was poffeffed of were, the Domeftic Medicine, and the Compleat Houfe-wife.

In fhort, Sir, in the midst of a family hap py in themselves, and defirous to make me fo, I find myself wretched. My mind preys upon itfelf. When I look forward, I can discover no profpect of any period to my forrows. At times I am difpofed to envy the happiness of my fifters, and to wish that I had never ac

quired thofe accomplishments from which I formerly received fo much pleasure. Is it vanity that checks this with, and leads me, at other times, to think, that even happiness may be purchased at too dear a rate?

Some time ago I accidentally met with your paper, and at length refolved to defcribe my fituation to you, partly to fill up one of my tedious hours, and partly in hopes of being favoured with your fentiments on a fpecies of diftrefs, which is perhaps more poignant than many other kinds of affliction that figure more in the eyes of mankind.

I am, &c.

H. B

E

M 3

N° 52*

N° 52.

SATURDAY, July 24. 1779

To the AUTHOR of the MIRROR.

Dulce et decorum eft pro patria mori.

HOR.

SIR,

T has always been a favourite opinion with that, whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grafs grow upon

me,

a spot of ground, where only one grew be"fore, would deferve better of mankind, and "do more effential service to his country, than

the whole race of politicians put together." Poffeffed with this idea, I have long bent my thoughts and ftudy towards thofe inquiries which conduce to the melioration of the earth's productions, and to increase the ferti lity of my native country. I fhall not at prefent tire you with an account of the various projects I have devifed, the fundry experiments I have made, and the many mifcarriages I have met with. Suffice it to fay, that I

have now in my brain a scheme, the fuccefs of which, I am confident, can fcarcely fail. The frequent difappointments, however, I have formerly experienced, induce me to confult you about my plan, before I take any farther fteps towards carrying it into execution. You are an author, Sir, and must confequently be a man of learning: You informed us you had travelled, and you must of course be a much wifer man than I, who never was an hundred miles from the place where I now write. For thefe reafons, I am induced to lay my prefent fcheme before you, and to entreat your opinion of it.

In the introduction to the Tales of Guillaume Vadé, publifhed by the celebrated Voltaire, is the following paffage, given as part of the fpeech of Vadé to his coufin Catharine Vade, when fhe asked him where he would be buried. After cenfuring the practice of busying in towns and churches, and commending the better cuftom of the Greeks and Ro who were interred in the country, "What pleasure," fays he, "would it afford "to a good citizen to be fent to fatten, for "example, the barren plain of Sablons, and "to contribute to raife plentiful harvests

mans,

"there?