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collected in a late journey I made to Kentish-town, and this in the modern voyagers.

"Having heard much of Kentish-town, I conceived a ftrong defire to fee that celebrated place. I could have wished, indeed, to fatisfy my curiofity without going thither; but that was impracticable, and therefore I refolved to go. Travellers have two methods of going to Kentish-town; they take coach, which costs ninepence, or they go a-foot, which cofts nothing; in my opinion, a coach is by far the moft eligible convenience, but I was refolved to go on foot, having confidered with myself, that going in that manner would be the cheap

eft way.

"As you fet out from Dog-house bar, you enter upon a fine levelled road, railed in on both fides, commanding on the right a fine prospect of groves and fields, enamelled with flowers, which would wonderfully charm the sense of smelling, were it not for a dunghill on the left, which mixes its effluvia with their odours. This dunghill is of much greater antiquity than the road; and I must not omit a piece of injuftice I was going to commit upon this occafion. My indignation was levelled against the makers of the dunghill, for having brought it so near the road; whereas, it should have fallen upon the makers of the road, for having brought that so near the dunghill.

"After proceeding in this manner for fome time, a building resembling fomewhat a triumphal arch falutes the travellers' view. This ftructure, however, is peculiar to this country, and vulgarly called a turnpike gate: I could perceive a long inscription in large character on the front, probably upon the occafion of fome

triumph; but being in hafte, I left it to be made out by fome fubfequent adventurer, who may happen to travel this way; fo continuing my course to the west, I foon arrived at an unwalled town called Islington.

"Iflington is a pretty neat town, moftly built of brick, with a church and bells: it has a fmall lake, or rather pond in the midft; though at prefent very much neglected. I am told it is dry in fummer; if this be the case, it can be no very proper receptacle for fifh, of which the inhabitants themselves feem fenfible, by bringing all that is eaten there from London.

"After having furveyed the curiofities of this fair and beautiful town, I proceeded forward, leaving a fair stone building, called the White-Conduit-Houfe, on my right; here the inhabitants of London often affemble to celebrate a feaft of hot rolls and butter: feeing fuch numbers, each with their little tables before them, employed on this occafion, muft no doubt be a very amusing fight to the looker on, but ftill more fo to those who perform in the folemnity.

"From hence I parted with reluctance to Pancras as it is written, or Pancridge as it is pronounced; but which fhould be both pronounced and written Pangrace. This emendation I will venture meo arbitrio: II in the Greek language fignifies all, which added to the English word grace, maketh All-grace, or Pangrace, and indeed this is a very proper appellation to a place of fo much fanctity as Pangrace is univerfally efteemed. However this be, if you except the parish-church and its fine bells, there is little in Pangrace worth the attention of the curious obferver.

"From Pangrace to Kentish-town is an eafy journey of one mile and a quarter: the road lies through a fine champaign country, well watered with beautiful drains, and enamelled with flowers of all kinds, which might contribute to charm every sense, were it not that the odoriferous gales are often more impregnated with duft than perfume.

66 As you enter Kentish-town the eye is at once prefented with the fhops of artificers, fuch as venders of candles, fmall-coal, and hair-brooms; there are also feveral august buildings of red brick, with numberless fign. pofts, or rather pillars, in a peculiar order of architecture; I send you a drawing of several, vide A. B. C. This pretty town probably borrows its name from its vicinity to the county of Kent; and indeed it is not unnatural that it should, as there are only London and the adjacent villages that lie between them. Be this as it will, perceiving night approach, I made a hafty repast on roafted mutton, and a certain dried fruit called potatoes, refolving to protract my remarks upon my return: and this I would very willingly have done, but was prevented by a circumftance which in truth I had for fome time foreseen; for night coming on, it was impoffible to take a proper furvey of the country, as I was to return home in the dark." Adieu.

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LETTER CXXIII.

TO THE SAME.

AFTER a variety of difappointments, my wishes are

at length fully fatisfied. My fon, fo long expected, is arrived, at once by his prefence banishing my anxiety, and opening a new scene of unexpected pleasure. His improvements in mind and perfon have far furpaffed even the fanguine expectations of a father. I left him a boy, but he is returned a man; pleasing in his person, hardened by travel, and polished by adverfity. His difappointment in love, however, had infufed an air of melancholy into his converfation, which feemed at intervals to interrupt our mutual fatisfaction. I expected that this could find a cure only from time; but fortune, as if willing to load us with her favours, has, in a moment, repaid every uneafinefs with rapture.

Two days after his arrival, the man in black, with his beautiful niece, came to congratulate us upon this occafion but guefs our furprise, when my friend's lovely kinfwoman was found to be the very captive my fon had refcued from Perfia, and who has been wrecked on the Wolga, and was carried by the Ruffian peasants to the port of Archangel. Were I to hold the pen of a novelift I might be prolix in defcribing their feelings at fo unexpected an interview; but you may conceive their joy without any affiftance; words were unable to exprefs their transports, then how can words describe it?

When two young perfons are fincerely enamoured of cach other, nothing can give me fuch pleasure as feeing

them married whether I know the parties or not, I am happy at thus binding one link more in the univerfal chain. Nature has, in some measure, formed me for a match-maker, and given me a foul to fympathize with every mode of human felicity. I inftantly, therefore, confulted the man in black, whether we might not crown their mutual wishes by marriage; his foul feems formed of fimilar materials with mine, he inftantly gave his confent, and the next day was appointed for the solemnization of their nuptials.

All the acquaintances which I had made fince my arrival were present at this gay folemnity. The little beau was conftituted mafter of the ceremonies, and his wife, Mrs. Tibbs, conducted the entertainment with proper decorum. The man in black and the pawn-broker's widow were very sprightly and tender upon this occafion. The widow was dreffed up under the direction of Mrs. Tibbs; and as for her lover, his face was fet off by the affistance of a pig-tail wig, which was lent by the little beau, to fit him for making love with proper formality. The whole company eafily perceived, that it would be a double wedding before all was over, and, indeed, my friend and the widow feemed to make no fecret of their paffion; he even called me afide, in order to know my candid opinion, whether I did not think him a little too old to be married. As for my own part, continued he, I know I am going to play the fool, but all my friends will praise my wifdom, and produce me as the very pattern of difcretion to others.

At dinner every thing feemed to run on with good humour, harmony, and fatisfaction. Every creature in company thought themselves pretty, and every jeft was

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