when he was wounded, and is fubject to severe rheumatic attacks. Love however has an opiate for all her pains, and domeftic peace pours a balfam into the hufband's wound. It is only by the fcrutinizing eye of affection, that either can difcover when the other fuffers, for religion has endued both hearts with patience, and neither will permit a complaint to escape, which might invite the sympathizing friend to share it's an-` guifh. Difabled for fervice, major Manlove has retired upon half-pay, and as he plundered neither the enemy's country nor his own during the war, he is not burthened with the fuperfluities of fortune; happily for him these are not amongst his regrets, and a prudent œconomy keeps him ftrait with the world and independant.

One brave youth, trained under his own eye in the fame regiment with himfelf, is all the offfpring Heaven hath beftowed upon this worthy father, and in him the hearts of the fond parents are centered; yet not fo centered, as to fhut them against the general calls of philanthropy, for in the village where they live they are beloved and bleffed by every creature. The garden furnishes amufement to Mrs. Manlove, and when the fharp north eaft does not blow pain

into the major's wound, he is occupied with his farm: His trees, his crop, his cattle are his nurselings, and the poor that labour in his fervice are his children and friends. To his fuperiors major Manlove deports himself with that graceful respect, that puts them in mind of their own dignity without diminishing his; to his inferiors he is ever kind and condefcending: To all men he maintains a natural fincerity with a countenance fo expreffive of the benevolence, glowing in his heart, that he is beloved as foon as known, and known as foon as seen. With a foul formed for fociety, and a lively flow of fpirits, this amiable man no fooner enters into company, than his prefence diffuses joy and gladnefs over the whole circle: Every voice bids him welcome; every hand is reached out to greet him with a cordial fhake. He fits down with a complacent fmile; chimes in with the converfation as it is going, hears all, overbears none, damps nobody's jeft, if it is harmless; cuts no man's story, if it is only tedious, and is the very life and foul of the table.

According to annual cuftom I paffed fome days with him laft autumn: There is a tranquillity, which tranfpires from the mafter and miftrefs of this family through every member be

longing

longing to it; the fervants are few, but fo affiduous in their respective stations, that you can no where be better waited on: The table is plain, but elegant, and though the major himself is no sportsman, and has done carrying a gun, the kindness of his neighbours keeps him well fupplied with game, and every fort of rural luxury, that their farms and gardens can furnish. Nothing can be more delightful than the face of the country about him, and I was charmed with his little ornamented farm in particular: The dif pofition of the garden, and the abundance of it's fruits and flowers befpeak Mrs. Manlove no common adept in that sweet and captivating fcience.

:

One day as my friend and I were riding through his fields to enjoy the western breeze of a fine September morning, our ears were faluted with the full chorus of the hounds from a neighbouring copfe, and as we were croffing one of the pastures towards them, we heard two men at high words behind a thick hedge, that concealed them from our fight, and foon after the found of blows, which feemed to be heavily laid on, accompanied with oaths and cries, that made us pufh to the next gate with all the speed we could mufter. One of the combatants

combatants was lying on the ground, roaring for mercy under the cudgel of his conqueror, who was belaboring him at a furious rate : The perfon of the victor was unknown to major Manlove; the vanquifht foon made him recognize the rueful features of Tom Tinder, who called upon the major by name to interpofe and fave him from being murdered.

This was no fooner done than the cudgeller, who was a sturdy clown, gave us to understand, that he had been doing no more than every Englishman has a right to do, returning the loan of a blow with proper intereft to the lender: This the proftrate hero did not deny, but afferted that the rafcal had headed the hare as fhe was breaking cover, and turned her into the wood again, by which means he had spoilt the day's fport.-And did you this defignedly? faid the major.-Not I, master, replied the countryman, as Heaven fhall judge me! I love the sport too well to spoil it wilfully: But if I was travelling along the road just as puss was popping through the hedge, could I help it? am I in the fault? And should this gentleman, if he be a gentleman, ride up to me as if he would have trampled me like a dog under his horfe's feet, and lay the butt of his whip upon my fcull? I think no man can

bear

in

bear that fo I pulled him out of the faddle, and banged him well, and I think no good man, as you appear to be, will fay otherwise than that he well deserved it. If this be fo, answered the major, I can fay nothing to the contrary.-How, fir, exclaimed the fquire, who was now upon his legs, is a rafcal like this to return blow for blow, and does major Manlove abet him i fuch infolence?-I am forry, fir, replied the major calmly, you should put fuch a queftion to me; but when gentlemen lofe their temper Sir, quoth Tom, interrupting him, I have loft my horfe, and that's the worfe lofs of the two 'Tis what you are leaft ufed to, replied the major, and without more words quietly trotted homewards.

As we jogged along my friend began to comment with much pleafantry upon this ridiculous incident, interlarding his difcourfe every now and then with remarks of a more ferious fort upon the ill effects of a hafty temper, and giving me fome traits of his neighbour's habits of life, which, though not fo uncommon as I could wifh, were nevertheless fuch, as, when contrafted with his benevolent character, may perhaps ferve to furnish out no very unedifying topic for an Effay in The Obferver.

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