The state of carp and tench put by a gen my ac quaint ance. have been found alive, and grown to a fut prizing bigness. A gentleman, my near relation, who lived to a very long age, put fome fish of these into a pond fpecies into a pond, the day that Colonel tleman of Ewer, at the head of feven other officers, presented to the Commons that fatal remon ftrance, which in fact took off the head of Charles, that is, November 20, 1648; and in the year 1727, feventy-nine years after, on his return to that feat, he found them all alive, and near two feet and a half in length. This demonftrates that fish may live to a very great age. It likewife proves that they continue to grow till they are an hundred years old, and then are the finest eating. Another of our amusements, during the fummer's bright day, was the pointer and gun, for the black cock, the moor cock, and the cock of the wood, which are in great plenty on those vaft hills. Charlotte was fond of this fport, and would walk with me for hours, to fee me knock down the game; till, late in the evening, we would wander over the fells, and then return to our clean, peaceful, little houfe, to fup as elegantly on our birds (1), as the great could do, Defcription (1) The black cock is as large as our game cocks, of the black cock, and flies very swift and ftrong. The head and eyes arç do, and with a harmony and unmixed joy they are for ever ftrangers to. After fupper, over fome little nectared-bowl, we sweetly chatted, till it was bed-time; or I played on my flute, and Charlotte divinely fung. It was a happy life; all the riches and honours of the world cannot produce fuch scenes of blifs as we experienced in a cottage, in the are large, and round the eyes is a beautiful circle of red. The beak is ftrong, and black as the body; the legs robuft and red. It is very high eating; more fo than any native in England except the fen-ortolan; but in one particular it exceeds the fen birds, for it has two taftes; it being brown and white meat under a lay of brown is a lay of white meat; both delicious: the brown is higher than the black moor cock, and the white much richer than the pheasant. The moor cock is likewife very rare, but is to be had The moorfometimes in London, as the fportfmen meet with it cock. now and then on the hilly-heaths, not very far from town; particularly on Hindhead-heath, in the way to Portfmouth. It is as large as a good Darking fowl, and the colour is a deep iron-grey. Its eyes are large and fine as the black cock's; but, inftead of the red circle round them, it has bright and beautiful fcarlet eyebrows. wood. The cock of the wood, (as unknown in London as the The cock black cock) is almoft as large as a turkey, but flies of the well. The back is a mixture of black, grey, and a reddish brown; the belly grey, and the breaft a pale brown, with tranfverfe lines of black, and a little. white at the tips of the feathers. It has a large round head, of the pureft black, and over its fine hazle eyes, there is a naked space, that looks like an eye-brow of bright fearlet. It is delicious eating, but far inferior to the black cock. C Wilds The death of Char lotte, my Wilds of Westmoreland. Even the winter, which is ever boifterous and extreme cold in that part of the world, was no feverity to us. As we had moft excellent provifions of every kind in abundance, and plenty of firing from the ancient woods, which cover many of those high hills; and two men fervants, and two maids, to do whatever tended to being and to well-being, to fupply our wants, and to complete our happinefs. This foftened the hard rough fcene, and the roaring waters, and the howling winds, appeared pleafing founds. In fhort, every feason, and all our hours, were quite charming, and full of delight. Good Tom Fleming, our friend, did likewise enhance our felicity, by coming once or twice a week to fee us, and ftaying fometimes two or three days. In the fummer time, we alfo went now and then to vifit him; and, if one was inclined to melancholy, yet it was impoffible to be dull while he was by. His humour, and his fongs, over a bowl of punch, were enough to charm the moft fplenetic, and make even rancour throw its face into fmiles. §. 5. Two years, as I have faid, this fine fcene lafted; and during that soft, transfriend Tom porting period, I was the happiest man on and others. earth. But in came Death, when we least expected him, fnatched my charming part Fleming, 1727. ætat. 24. her from me, and melted all my happiness into air, into thin air. A fever, in a few days, fnapt off the thread of her life, and made me the child of affliction, when I had not a thought of the mourner. Language cannot paint the distress this calamity reduced me to; nor give an idea of what I fuffered, when I faw her eyes fwimming in death, and the throws of her departing fpirit. Blest as fhe was, in the exercife of every virtue that adorns a woman, how inconfolable muft her husband be! and, to add to my diftrefs, by the fame fever fell my friend Tom Fleming, who came the day before my wife fickened to fee us. One of my lads likewife died, and the two fervant maids. They all lay dead around me, and I fat like one inanimate by the corps of Charlotte, till Fryer Fleming, (the brother of Tom,) brought coffins and buried them all. Thus did felicity vanish from my fight, and I remained like a traveller in Greenland, who had loft the fun. on death. §. 6. O eloquent, just, and mighty death! A reflexion (fays Raleigh) It is thou alone puts wisdom into the human heart, and fuddenly makes man to know himself. It is death that makes the conqueror afhamed of his fame, and with he had rather ftoten out of the world, than purchased the report of his acC 2 tions, tions, by rapine, oppreffion, and cruelty; by giving in spoil the innocent and labouring foul to the idle and infolent; by emptying the cities of the world of their ancient inhabitants, and filling them again with so many, and fo variable forts of forrows. It is death tells the proud and infolent, that they are but abjects, and humbles them at the instant; makes them cry, complain, and repent; yea, even to hate their former happiness. It is death takes the account of the rich, and proves him a beggar, a naked beggar, which hath intereft in nothing but the gravel which fills his mouth. It is death holds a glass before the eyes of the most beautiful, and makes them fee therein their deformity and rottennefs; and they acknowledge it. Whom none could advise, thou haft perfuaded: what none have dared, thou haft done and whom all the world hath flattered, thou only haft caft out of the world, and despised. Thou haft drawn together all the far-ftretched greatnefs, all the pride, cruelty, and ambition, of man; all the powerful charms of beauty; and covered it all over with these two narrow words, Hic jacet. Nor is this all, mighty death! It is thou that leadeft to the refurrection of the dead; the diffolution of the world; the judgment day; and the eternal state of men. It is thou |