Ye golden flattering dreams of state adieu ! As bright my slumbers are, more soft than you. Here free from all the tempests of the great, Craft and ambition can deceive no more! Here far from all the busy world's alarms, Break my repose, or interrupt my pleasure. This song delighted the old gentleman exceedingly. He told me, he was charmed with it, not only for the fine music I made of it, but the morality of it, and liked me so much, that I was most heartily welcome to make his solitary retreat my home, as often and as long as I pleased. And indeed I did so, and continued to behave in such a manner, that in two months time, I gained so entirely his affections, and so totally the heart of his admirable daughter, that I might have her in wedlock when I pleased, after the expiration of that current year, which was the young lady's request, and be secured of his estate at his death; beside a large fortune to be immediately paid down; and this, though my father should refuse to settle any thing on me, or Miss NOEL, my wife. This was generous and charming as my heart could desire. I thought myself the happiest of men. Every week I went to Eden-Park, one time or other, to see my dear Miss NOEL, and pay my respects to her worthy father. We were while I stayed a most happy family, and enjoyed such satisfactions as few I believe have experienced in this tempestuous hemisphere. Mr. NOEL was passionately fond of his daughter, and he could not regard me more if I had been his own son, I loved my Harriot with a fondness beyond description, and that glorious girl had all the esteem I could wish she had for me. Our mutual felicity could rise no higher till we gave our hands, as we had already plighted our hearts. This world is a series of visionary scenes, and contains so little solid, lasting felicity, as I have found it, that I cannot call life more than a deception; and, as Swift says it, "He is the happiest man, who is best deceived." When I thought myself within a fortnight of being married to Miss NOEL, and thereby made as completely happy in every respect as it was possible for a mortal man to be, the small pox step'd in, and in seven days time, reduced the finest human frame in the universe to 9 the most hideous and offensive block. The most amiable of human creatures mortified all over, and became a spectacle the most hideous and appalling. This broke her father's heart in a month's time, and the paradise I had in view, sunk into everlasting night. My heart, upon this sad accident, bled and mourned to an extreme degree. All the tender passions were up in my soul, and with great difficulty could I keep my ruffled spirits in tolerable decorum. I lost what I valued more than my life; more than repeated millions of worlds, if it had been possible to get them in exchange. This engaged, beloved partner, was an honour to her sex, and an ornament to human kind. She was one of the wisest and most agreeable of women; and her life quite glorious for piety to God, compassion to the necessitous and miserable, benevolence and good will to all, with every other grace and virtue. These shone with a bright lustre in her whole deportment, and rendered her beloved, and the delight of all that knew her. Sense and genius were in her united, and by study, reflection, and application, she improved the talents, in the happiest manner. She had acquired a superiority in thinking, speaking, writing, and acting; and in manners, her behaviour, her language, her design and her understanding was inexpressibly charming. Miss NOEL died in the 24th year of her age, the 29th of December, in the year 1724. ears. This dismal occurrence prey'd powerfully on my spirits for some time, and for near two months, I scarcely spoke a word to any one. I was silent, but not sullen. As my tears and lamentations could not save her, so I knew they could not fetch her back. Death and the grave have neither eyes nor The thing to be done upon so melancholy an occasion, is to adore the Lord of infinite wisdom, as he has a right to strike our comforts dead; and so improve the awful event, by labouring to render our whole temper and deportment Christian and divine, that we may be able to live, while we do live, superior to the strokes of fortune, and the calamities of human life; and when God bids us die, in whatever manner, and at whatever time it may be, have nothing to do but to die, and so to enter into our master's joy. This is wisdom. This good we may extract from such doleful things. This was the effect my dear Miss NOEL's death had on me, and when I saw myself deprived of so invaluable a thing in this world, I determined to double my diligence in so acting my part in it, that whenever I was to pass through the last extremity of nature, I might be dismissed with a blessing to another world, and by virtue of the sublime excellencies of our holy religion, proceed to the abodes of immortality and immutable felicity. I wish I could persuade you, reader, to resolve in the same manner. If you are young, and have not yet experienced life, believe me, all is vanity, disappointment, weariness, and dissatisfaction, and in the midst of troubles and uncertainties, we are hastening to an unknown world, from whence we shall never again return. Whether our dissolution be near, we know not; but this is certain, that Death, that universal conqueror, is making after us apace, to seize us as his captives; and therefore, though a man live many years, and rejoice in them all, which is the case of very few, yet let him remember the days of darkness. And when death does come, our lot may be the most racking pains and distempers, to fasten us down to our sick-beds, till we resign our spirits to some strange region, our breath to the common air, and our bodies to the dust from whence they were taken. Dismal situation! If in the days of our health, we did not make our happiness and moral worth correspond, did not labour, in the time of our strength, to escape from wrong opinion and bad habit, and to render our minds sincere and incorrupt; if we did not worship and love the supreme mind, and adore his divine administration, VOL. I. G |