We
gladly accepted, of his invitation, and repaired to his house,
where we were treated with equal elegance and hospitality, to the
utter confusion of our aunt, whose prejudices, though beginning
to give way, were not yet entirely removed. To-day, by the
assistance of our friend, we are settled in convenient lodgings,
up four pair of stairs, in the High-street, the fourth story
being, in this city, reckoned more genteel than the first. The
air is, in all probability, the better; but it requires good
lungs to breathe it at this distance above the surface of the
earth. -- While I do remain above it, whether higher or lower,
provided I breathe at all,
I shall ever be,
Dear Phillips, yours,
J. MELFORD
July 18.
To Dr LEWIS.
DEAR LEWIS,
That part of Scotland contiguous to Berwick, nature seems to have
intended as a barrier between two hostile nations. It is a brown
desert of considerable extent, that produces nothing but heath
and fern; and what rendered it the more dreary when we passed,
there was a thick fog that hindered us from seeing above twenty
yards from the carriage -- My sister began to make wry faces, and
use her smelling-bottle; Liddy looked blank, and Mrs Jenkins
dejected; but in a few hours these clouds were dissipated; the
sea appeared upon our right, and on the left the mountains
retired a little, leaving an agreeable plain betwixt them and the
beach; but, what surprised us all, this plain, to the extent of
several miles, was covered with as fine wheat as ever I saw in
the most fertile parts of South Britain -- This plentiful crop is
raised in the open field, without any inclosure, or other manure
than the alga marina, or seaweed, which abounds on this coast; a
circumstance which shews that the soil and climate are
favourable; but that agriculture in this country is not yet
brought to that perfection which it has attained in England.
Pages:
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394