polal is this: there are our two plów hórfes, the Cólt thát hás been ín óur fámily thèfe nine years, and his compánion Blackberry, that hás fcarce dóne án éartly thing for this month páft. They are both grown fát ánd lazy. Why fhould not they do fómething as well as wè? And let me tell you, when Mòfes hás trimmed thé à little, they will cút à véry tolerable figure.

To this propofal 'I objected, that walking would be twenty times more genteel thán fúch à paltry conveyance, ás Blackberry was walleyed, and the Cólt wanted à tàil: that they hád never been broke to thẻ réin; bút hád án hundred vícious tricks ánd that we hád bút one faddle and pillion in the whole house. All thefe objections, however, were over- rùled; fo that I was obliged to comply. The next morning I perceived them nót à little bufy in collecting fuch materials ás might be necessary for the expedition; but ás 'I found it would be à bifinefs of time, I walked on to the church before, and they promifed fpeedily to follow. I waited near án hour in the reading défk y) for their arrival; bút nót finding them cóme ás expected, 'I was obliged to begin, and went through the férvice, not without fóme unèafi. nefs at finding them ábfent. This was encreased when all was finifhed, and nó appearance óf the family. 'I therefore walked back by the hórfe way, which was five miles round though the foot way was bút two, ánd whén gót about hálf- wày hòme, perceived the proceffion

y) reading defk, ein Pult unter der Kanzel, wo der Geiftliche die Liturgie ablief't. Unter ihm ist alsdann noch ein Platz für den Küfter (Clerc).

márching flowly forward towards the church; my fón, my wife, and the two little ones exalted úpón óne hórfe,,ánd my two daughters upón the other. I demanded the cause of their delay; but I foon found by their looks they hád mét with a thóuland misfortunes on the road. The horses hád át first refùfed to move from the door, tíll M'r. Burchell was kind enough to beat them forward for about two hundred yards with his cúdgel. Next the Stráps of my wife's pillion broke down, and they were obliged to ftóp to repair them before they could proceed. 'After that one of the horses took it into his head to ftánd ftill, ánd neither blows nór entreaties could prevail with hím tỏ proceed. 'It was júft recóvering from this difinal fituation that 'I found them; but perceiving every thing fafe, I own their préfent mortifi cation did not much displease mè, ás ít would give me many opportunities of future triumph, and teach my daughters mòre humility,

CHA P. XI.

The family still refólve to hold úp théir héads. Michaelmas - ève happening on the next day, we were invited to búrn núts z) and plày tricks át néighbour Flámborough's. 'Our late mortifications had humbled ús à little, ór ít ís pró

2) Die in einigen Gegenden Statt findende Englische Volksfitte, auf welche Goldfiith hindeutet, ift folgende: Es werden zwei Nüffe an das Feuer gelegt; die eine ftellt den Liebhaber, die andere die Geliebte vor, Verbrennen

1

bable we might have rejected fúch án invita tion with contémpt: However, we fiffered ourfélves to be happy. Our honeft neighbour's goofe and dumplings a) were fine, and the lamb's wool b), even in the opinion of my wife, who was à connoiffeur, wás éxcellent. 'It is true, hís mánner of telling ftòries was not quite fò well. They were very long, and véry dull, ánd áll about himfélf, and we hád laughed at them ten times before: however, we were kind enough to laugh át thẻm ónce more.

M'r. Burchell, who was of the párty, was always fond of feèing fóme innocent amusement going forward, and fet the boys and girls tò

beide Nüffe zu gleicher Zeit, fo ift es ein Zeichen,
dafs die darunter gedachten Perfonen fich bald heira
then werden; verbrennt aber eine Nufs vor der andern,
fo wird nichts aus der Heirath. Auf eine ähnliche
Sitte deutet Gay in dem oben angeführten Gedicht hin,
indem er die Hobnelia fagen lässt:

Two hazel- nuts I threw into the flame,
And to each nur I gave a fweet- heart's name;
This with the loudest bounce me fore amaz❜d,
That in a flame of brightest colour blaz'd.
As blaz'd the nut, fo may thy paffion grow;
For 'twas thy nut that did fo brightly glow.

) dumplings, eine Art Klösse.

b) lamb's wool wird in der mehrmals angeführten Parifer Ausgabe des Vicar erklärt durch: A fort of drink made of warm ale, fugar etc., in ufe among the lower clafs of people. It is called lamb's wool from its foftnefs and warmth. In einer Note zu Shakefpeare's Macbeth findet man das Wort erklärt, durch: roafted apples in ftrong beer, with fugar and spice. Vermuthlich ist beides richtig, und es giebt zwei ArTen diefes Gericlits.

blind man's buff c). My wife too was perfuaded to join in thẻ diverfion, and ít gave me plea fure to think she was not yet too old. 'In the mean time, my neighbour and I looked ón, laughed át évery feat, and praised óur òwn dexterity when we were young. Hót cóckles d) fucceeded next, quéftions ánd commánds fól lowed that, and last óf áll, they fáte down to hunt the flipper. 'As every perfon may not be acquainted with this primaeval páftime, ít mày bè néceffary to obferve, thát thẻ company at this play plant themfélves in à ring upón the ground, all, except one who stands in the middle, whofe bufinefs it is to catch à fhòe, which the company fhòve about under their háms from one to another, fomething like à weaver's fhuttle.. 'As it is impóffible, in this cafe, for the lady who is up to face all the cómpany at once, the great beauty of the play lies in hitting her a thump with the heel of the fhỏe on thát fide leaft capable of making à defence. 'It was in this mánner that my eldest daughter was hemmed ín, ánd thumped about, åll blówzed, in fpírits, and bawling for fair play, fair play, with a voice that might déafen à bállad fínger e), when confùfion ón confùfion,

c) blind man's buff, Blindekuh, ein bekanntes Kinderspiek d) Hot cockles, gleichfalls ein Kinderspiel, in welchem man einem aus der Gesellschaft die Augen verbindet, und errathen lafst, wer ihn geschlagen.

e) ballad finger, gemeine Leute, welche in London und an andern Orten Englands auf öffentlicher Strasse Volkslieder abfingen, die fie auch oft mit einem Inftrument begleiten. Man darf nur die Phyfionomie der Balladefangerinn in Hogarth's Zeichnungen ansehen, fich zu überzeugen, dafs fehr viel dazu gehören muss, die plärrenden Stimmen diefer Leute zu übertönen.

who fhould enter the room bút our two great acquaintances fróm town, Lady Blárney and Mifs Carolina Wilelmina Amèlia Skeggs! Deription would bút bèggar, therefore it is unnéceflary to defcribe this new mortification. Death! To be fèen bỳ làdies of fúch high breeding in fúch vulgar áttitudes! Nothing better could enfùe fróm fúch à vulgar play of Mr. Flamborough's propofing. Wè seemed stúck to the ground fór fóme time, ás íf áctually pétrified with amazement.

The two ladies hád been át óur house to leé ús, ánd finding ús fróm home, came áfter s hither, as they were unealy to know whát accident could have kept us from church the day before. Olivia undertook to be our prolocutor, and delivered the whole ín à fúmmary way, only faying, we were thrown fróm our horfes." 'At which account the ladies were greatly concerned; bút being told the family received nò húrt, they were extremely gad: bút being infórmed that we were almost killed by the fright, they wére váftly fórry; but hearing that we hád à véry good night, they were extremely glád agáin. Nothing could exceed their complaifánce to my daughters; their profeffions the láft evening were warm, but now they were ardent. They protéfted à defire of having à more láfting acquaintance. Lady Blárney was partícularly attached to Olìvia; Mifs Carolina Wilelmina Amèlia Skeggs ('I love to give the whole name) took a greater fancy to hér fifter. They fupported the converfation between themselves, while my daughters fate filent, admiring their exalted breeding. Bút ás évery reader, however beggarly himfélf, ís fónd óf high- lived dialogues, with