excell their Statues and Pictures, by fo much is Virtue in Example more amiable and attractive than in Precepts and Difcourfes. In good Example we fee Virtue alive, and in Motion, exerting itself in the most omely Actions and gracful Gestures.

Letter from Mr. GAY to Mr. F***.

THE

Stanton Harcourt, Aug. 9, 1718.

HE only News that you can expect from me here, is News from Heaven, for I am quite out of the World; and there is fcarce any Thing that can reach me, except the Noise of Thunder, which undoubtedly you have heard too. We have read in old Authors of high Towers levelled by it to the Ground, while the humble Valleys have efcaped: The only Thing that is Proof against it is the Laurel, which however I take to be no great Security to the Brains of modern Authors. But to let you fee that the contrary to this often happens, I must acquaint you that the highest and most extravagant Heap of Towers in the Univerfe, which is in this Neighbourhood, ftand still undefaced, while a Cock of Barley in our next Field has been confumed to Ashes. Would to GOD that this Heap of Barley had been all that had perished! For unhappily beneath this little Shelter fat two much more conftant Lovers than ever were found in Romance under the Shade of a Beach Tree. John Hewit was a wellfet Man of about Five and Twenty; Sarah Drew might be rather called comely than beautiful, and was about the fame Age. They had passed through the various Labours of the Year together with the greatest

greateft Satisfaction. If the milked, it was his Morning and Evening Care to bring the Cows to her Hand. It was but laft Fair that he bought her a Prefent of Green Silk for her Straw Hat, and the Pofy on her Silver Ring was of his chufing. Their Love was the Talk of the whole Neighbourhood; for Scandal never affirmed, that he had any other Views than the lawful Poffeffion of her in Marriage. It was that very Morning that he had obtained the Confent of her Parents, and it was but till the next Week that they were to wait to be happy. Perhaps in the Intervals of their Work they were now talking of their Wedding Cloaths, and John was fuiting feveral Sorts of Poppies and Field Flowers to her Complexion, to chufe her a Knot for her Wedding Day. While they were thus bufied (it was on the last of July, between two and three in the Afternoon) the Clouds grew black, and such a Storm of Lightning and Thunder enfued, that all the Labourers made the best of their Way to what Shelter the Trees and Hedges afforded.

Sarah was frighted, and fell down in a Swoon on a heap of Barley. John, who never feparated from her, fat down by her Side, having raked to gether two or three Heaps, the better to fecure her from the Storm. Immediately there was heard fo loud a Crack, as if Heaven had split afunder; every one was now folicitous for the Safety of his Neighbour, and called to one another throughout the Field: No Answer being returned to those who called to our Lovers, they ftept to the Place where they lay; they perceived the Barley all in a Smoak,

and

and fpied this faithful Pair, John with one Arm about Sarah's Neck, and the other held over as to fcreen her from the Lightning. They were ftruck dead, and stiffened in this tender Pofture. Sarah's left Eyebrow was finged, and there appeared a black Spot on her Breaft: Her Lover was all over black, but not the leaft Signs of Life were found in either. Attended by their melancholy Companions, they were conveyed to the Town, and the next Day were interred in Stanton-Harcourt ChurchYard.

Yours, &c.

Human Life, a Pilgrimage; illuftrated by an Eaftern

A

Story.

SPECTATOR.

DERVISE travelling through Tartary, being arrived at the Town of Balk, went into the King's Palace by a Mistake, as thinking it to be a public Inn or Caravanfary. Having looked about him for fome Time, he entered into a long Gallery, where he laid down his Wallet, and ipread his Carpet, in order to repose himself upon it after the Manner of the Eaftern Nations. He had not been long in this Pofture, before he was discovered by fome of the Guards, who afked him what was his Bufinefs in that Place? The Dervife told them, he intended to take up his Night's Lodging in that Caravanfary. The Guards let him know, in a very angry Manner, that the House he was in, was not a Caravanfary, but the King's Palace. It happened that the King himself paffed through the Gallery

K

Juring

during this Debate, and fmiling at the Miftake of the Dervife, afked him how he could poffibly be fo dull as not to diftinguish a Palace from a Caravanfary? Sir, fays the Derwife, give me Leave to ask your Majefty a Question or two. Who were the Perfons that lodged in this Houfe when it was first built the King replied, His Ancestors. And who, fays the Dervife, was the laft Person that lodged here the King replied. His Father. And who is it, fays the Dervife, that lodges here at prefent? The King told him, that it was he himself. And who, fays the Derwife, will be here after you? The King answered. The young Prince his Son. "Ah Sir! faid the Dervife, a Houfe that changes "its Inhabitants fo often, and receives fuch a perpetual Succeffion of Guets, is not a Palace but a "Caravanlary."

66

The prefent Life, confidered merely in itself, a low Scene of Action.

WH

BURNET'S Theory

HAT is this Life but a Circulation of little mean Actions? We lie down and rife again. Drefs and undrefs, feed and wax hungry, work or play, and are weary, and then we lie down again, and the Circle returns. We spend the Day in Trifles, and when the Night comes, we throw ourselves into the Bed of Folly, amongst Dreams and broken Thoughts, and wild Imagi nations. Our Reason lies asleep by us, and we for the Time as arrant Brutes as thofe that fleep in the Stalls or in the Field, Are not the Capaci

are

ties

ties of Man higher than these? And ought not his Ambition and Expectations to be greater? Let us be Adventurers for another World: 'Tis at least a fair and noble Chance; and there is nothing in this worth our Thoughts or our Paffions. If we fhould be disappointed, we are still no worse than the reft of our Fellow Mortals; and if we fucceed in our Expectations, we are eternally happy.

The Folly and Danger of Procrastination in Religion. TILLOTSON.

TH

HERE is no greater Evidence that a Man doth not really intend to do a Thing, than when notwithstanding he ought upon all Accounts, and may in all Refpects better do it at prefent than hereafter, yet he ftill puts it off. Whatever thou pretendeft, this is a meer Shift to get rid of a prefent Trouble. It is like giving good Words, and making fair Promises to a clamorous and importunate Creditor, and appointing him to come another Day, when the Man knows in his Conscience that he intends not to pay him, and that he shall be less able to discharge the Debt then, than he is at prefent. Whatever Reasons thou haft against reforming thy Life now, will still remain and be in as full Force hereafter, nay probably stronger than they are at present. Thou art unwilling now, and fo thou wilt be hereafter, and in all Likelihood much more unwilling. So that this Reason will every Day improve upon thy Hands, and have fo much the more Strength by how much the longer thou continueft in thy Sins. Thou haft no Reason in K z

the