the feats near the pulpit, was taken from thence and placed in the north part of the nave, where it now lies, defended by iron crofs bars. Mr. Gregory, prebendary of Winterborne Earles, after a good deal of trouble in fearching old ftatues and M. SS. we are told, found that the children of the choir anciently elected a chorifier bishop on St. Nicholas's day; from that to Innocent's day he was dreffed in pontifical robes; his fellows were prebends, and they performed every fervice, except the mafs, which the real bishop, dean, and prebends, ufually did. They made proceffions, fung part of the mafs, and, fo careful was the church that no interruption nor prefs fhould incommode them, that, by a ftatute of Sarum, it was pronounced excommunication for any to do fo. If the choral bishop died within the month, his exequies were folemnized with an anfwerable pomp and fadness: he was buried as all other bifhops, in his ornaments. It is certain, therefore, that this ftone monument belongs to a choral bishop dying within the month, and may be deemed a real curiofity. Nor muft I quit the cathedral, without noticing its beautiful window, on which, after the defign of Weft, has been painted in glowing colours our Saviour's Refurrection. The countenance and attitude of the Meffiah are finely expreffive of that grand event. We behold him starting from amidst the darkness and oblivion of the tomb

With fears of honour in his flesh,
And triumph in his eyes!

WATTS.

This church has a fine cloifter, and a chapter-house of a fingular form. It is an octagon of 150 feet in circumference, and yet the roof bears all upon one fmall pillar, in the centre, fo much too weak in appearance for the fupport of fuch a prodigious weight, that the building is, on this account, thought to be one of the greatest curiofities in England.

Old

Old Sarum ftands at the distance of one mile north of Salisbury; it is as ancient as the old Britons. The inhabitants labouring under inconveniences for the want of water, and on account of the bleakness of the air to which the height of their fituation expofed them, removed to the new city. Old Sarum is now reduced to a fingle farm houfe, yet it ftill fends two members to parliament!

The beautiful feats of Wilton, Fonthill, and Wardour, all of them not far diftant from Salisbury, must be paffed over in filence, having had no time for their infpection. A particular sketch of them, however, may be found in various publications.

It was my with alfo to have vifited the ancient city of Winchester, were it only to have contemplated the fpot in the cathedral, where lie interred the remains of the venerable and excellent ISAAC WALTON, whose Complete Angler has amufed many of my vacant hours. His Biography likewife of Dr. Donne, Sir Henry Wotton, Richard Hooker, George Herbert, and Bishop Sanderfon, is peculiarly valuable on account of the fimplicity and benevolence with which it is written. Mr. Zouch, a refpectable clergyman of the church of England, has lately published an handsome edition, in quarto, of thefe lives, accompanied with notes by way of illuftration. WALTON died in 1683, upwards of ninety years of age, coming to his grave like a shock of corn in its full feafon. Serve God and be cheerful, was the principle on which this good man uniformly acted. His memory I revere, and his virtues are deferving of my imitation. In all his religious fentiments, indeed, I do not acquiefce; but no difference of opinion fhall ever induce me to think lefs favourably of that moral worth by which he was eminently distin guished, and which predominates in a lefs or greater degree through all the denominations of the Chriftian world.

Kk 3

My

My friend and I now feriously fet our faces homeward; taking the stage for London, we first came to the little town of Stockbridge, a borough which Sir Richard Steele formerly reprefented in parliament. A curious incident is related refpecting his being chosen at this place. He carried his election by sticking a large apple full of guineas, and declaring it fhould be the prize of that man whofe wife fhould be the first brought to bed after that day nine months. This merry offer procured him the intereft of all the ladies, who, it is faid, commemorate Sir Richard's bounty to this day, and once made a vigorous effort to procure a standing order of the corporation, that no man fhould ever be received as a candidate, who did not offer himself on the fame The town has fome good inns, and is thought to contain the best wheelwrights and carpenters in the

terms.

country.

The other towns, Bafingfoke, Bagfhot, Egham, Staines, and Hounslow, through which we paffed, have been already defcribed in my first letter, and, therefore, fhall only notice our approach to the Metropolis, the glory of our island, and the wonder of the world.

The nearer we drew to London, we obferved that the roads were more frequented, and every thing indicated an air of bustle and confufion. The continual travelling to and from the capital, is a matter of juft aftonishment. It is thought to contain a MILLION of inhabitants, which is the number of perfons faid to have Occupied the whole ifland at the time of its invafion by Julius Cæfar, about fifty years before the birth of Chrift. The entrance at Hyde Park Corner is grand, and worthy of a great city. Its cluster of lighted lamps makes a vivid impreffion on the eye, in a winter's evening, and on his return to the metropolis, announces to the weary traveller the approaching termination of his journey. Its foothing effect cannot be eafily imagined but by those who have actually felt it.

Τα

To conclude this little Tour, in the language of an ingenious writer: "I have long obferved and much enjoyed the felicity of being a Briton. GREAT BRITAIN is the finest country in the world, and the God of Nature hath ftored it with every thing that can make its inhabitants happy. Its infular fituation, the extent and figure of its coafts, the islands that furround it; its fprings, waters, and navigable rivers; its timbers, fruits, herbs, corn, and all other productions of its luxuriant foil; its immenfe treafures of earths, falts, foffils, minerals, stone, marble, and fuel; its animals, wild and tame flocks, herds, hives, dairies, poultry, fisheries, decoys; the ftately horfe and the hardy afs, all miniftering to the fubfiftence and pleasure of its inhabitants; the ftature, genius, fecundity, and longevity of its natives; the temperature of its climate; in one word, the natural advantages of Great Britain render it, upon the whole, the most beautiful and defirable country in the world. The whole is a rich prefent, which the bounty of Providence has bestowed upon us. I have obferved alfo, with the utmost pleasure, the art and industry of my countrymen affifting nature. Agriculture, architecture, navigation, commerce, literature, arts, fciences in endless varieties, give grace and elegance to this lovely ifland. Who can behold cities full of inhabitants, artifts, and manufacturers, employed in thousands; fhops thronged with customers, warehouses full of ftores and goods, markets and fairs expofing plenty at our doors; reads, rivers, fields, villages, mines, and fea-ports, all alive; I afk who can behold all these in his own native spot, and not exclaim--may my Country flourish to the ead of time!"

You have now, my dear fir, in your poffeffion, the sketch of my Excurfion into the Weft, in which I have endeavoured to combine a degree of entertainment and inftruction. The fuccefs of the attempt is left to the decifion of your candid and fuperior judgment. The tour itself, indeed, highly pleafed me; but it would require

require an uncommon portion of prefumption for me, to suppose, that the perufal of this faint delineation of it can have imparted a proportionable gratification.

Perfuaded that, in the middle ftation of life, virtue and happiness are beft fecured; I feel, my good friend, no particular defire of quitting it. That my ability, however, for doing of good, might be extended; that my collection of books might be enlarged, and that I might have it in my power to devote a few months of every year to an excurfion into the country, are the three reafons why I have fometimes wifhed myfelf in the poffeffion of wealth. Worldly fubftance can, by no means, be pronounced incompatible with real worth; and though it increases our accountability, yet, properly employed, becomes the moft diftinguished of earthly bleflings. It widens the fphere of utility, by render. ing us the more extenfively useful to fociety.

I remain, my dear fir, with every fentiment of respect,

Hoxton Square,

Yours, very fincerely,

J. EVANS.

December 12, 1799.

E

ON THE

PLEASURE AND ADVANTAGE

OF

EARLY RISING.

Diliculo furgere faluberrimum eft.

How foolish they who lengthen night,
And flumber in the morning light;
How fweet, at early morning's rife,
To view the glories of the fkies.

ARMSTRONG.

ARLY rifing is one of thofe agreeable habits that carry their rewards with them. It is a pleafure of which every one that enjoys health can partici

pate;