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tons of gold without holiness and a strong attachment to virtue.

When Mr. Burcot found he had almost ruined himself, and that he was no longer able to live as he had done, he laid his melancholy cafe before his daughter Azora, and afked her advice, What he should do? To retire immediately, (Azora faid) to this part of Stanemore, which was an unvalued part of his eftate, and bring as many of his tenants as he could perfuade to inhabit this fine tract of land :-to fell what remained of his fortune, and with the money procure as many of the neceffaries or comforts of living as could be had to get in particular fome young tradefinen and their wives by offered rewards in this place; to build cottages for the people; and render the fine caverns in the rock as habitable and pleafing for themfelves as art could render them. Here (Azora told her father) we fhall live more hapру than we could do, if ftill poffeffed of a fortune to make an appearance in the world. We shall enjoy by induftry and prudence every good thing that rational life can require, and live fecured from the strokes of fortune, and the world's contempt. Strangers to vanity and the pleasures of high life, in this delightful retreat, we fhall pass our hapру

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the golden calf, and giving it to the children of Ifrael to drink. This great man, who wrote 540 years before Homer, 200 before Sanchoniatho, and 350 before the Trojan war, was, as they inform us, an adept.

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py days as in a region of goodness, knowledge, and joy; and the predominant bent of our hearts will be to wifdom, and virtue, and to afcend into the realms of perfect day, -Happy advice, (the father of Azora faid), and the thing was immediately done. colony was quickly established here, and every thing was fettled and ordered in the most advantageous manner. Cattle, inftruments, and grain to fow the land were fent in; cloaths and every material the little republic could want were provided, and every hand was as ufeful as we could with. For four years (Azora continued to inform me), we lived in peace and tranquillity, and never once regretted the lofs of our fortunes. We were happier far than when we had thoufands. Industry, knowledge, and religion, were our employment. The night to come of pain and death gave us no uneafiness. We lived as the chriftians of the two first centuries, and rather longed for than feared that event, which is to remove us to growing brightness for ever and ever. But a fever

came in among us, and fwept away my father, and every man of our little republic:. feveral women likewife perifhed; but a hundred fouls remained. Ninety-eight women, befides Antonia and Azora. Thefe loved me too well (Azora continued) to abandon me; and as they were happily fituated, and many of them had learned their husband's

trades,

A farther account of Azora.

trades, they agreed and swore to spend their lives with me here, and be as ferviceable as poffible, without admitting any men to live among us. They are fo in the highest degree: they are all useful and pious as I could with them, and under the heavens there is not a happier fociety of mortals. We have the best of every thing: all we want, and in reafon could wish for.

Here Azora ended her relation, and I wondered greatly at what I heard; nor did my admiration leffen when I faw how fhe governed this community, and they employed their time. Her great understanding enlightened and directed them, in the execution of every thing ferviceable and ingenious; and fhe lived before their eyes an example of the greatest industry, and the most exalted piety. They, on the other hand, were as useful and religious as poffible, and fo heartily and faithfully discharged focial duties, in every inftance, that they feemed as one great capacity and power at work, to promote every convenience and good. Some of them, as I have faid, were at work in the gardens others in the fields: various trades and occupations were going on within doors and without, and all were employed in ways that beft fubferved the general welfare. In their behaviour, there was nothing wild, infolent, or arch, to be feen: no fwellings of vanity and pride: no paflion to difoblige: no

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intention to offend: but, every one, difcreet and calm; good-humoured, and very civil; worthily fuftaining their various relations, and each attentive to her own incumbent duty. Their labours were but a diverfion to them, and they lived in tranquillity and plenty. Their cloathing was coarfe, but very good, clean, and handfome. There was not one ragged or dirty perfon among them; nor any with bad fhoes and ftockings. In all refpects, they seemed a moft happy community. Azora ftudied, to the utmost degree, the advantage and happiness of these people: and they, in return, made their duty a vigorous and chearful fervice. Moft of the conveni'encies and comforts of life they had within their own little territory; flesh and fish, mutton, kid, and venifon; corn for bread, every vegetable; malt-drink, meath, and cyder; all in great plenty, and most excellent; wool and flax for cloathing; good candles; and wood enough for firing. What things they wanted two of them rid for to the nearest town, and not only purchased fuch goods with the money they got by fale of feveral commodities; efpecially knit thread ftockings and gloves; but always at fuch times brought in fome cafh to their mistress, and she gave part of it among the people, to buy them little things they fancied.

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Ten extra

ordinary country girls.

As to the ten young women I mentioned, who walked after Azora when firft I faw her, they were the daughters of fome widows in this little republic, and by her chofen, not only to be her attendants and upper fervants, and to look after her dairy, her bees, her poultry, and her aviary; (which was the finest I have ever seen, for the variety of birds, and as it was turfed, to avoid the appearance of foulnefs on the floor, and fo large as to give the birds fome freedom of flight); but, on account of their good underftanding, in which they far excelled their fellows. Thefe girls were carefully inftructed by Azora and Antonia, and befide being taught the fine works of the needle, learned mufick, and the elements of the mathematics from the ladies. The eldest of these girls was but twenty, and the youngest eighteen, and they all furprised me very greatly with their quicknefs in anfwering very hard arithmetical questions. They could not only add, fubtract, multiply, divide, find a fourth proportional, and extract roots of every kind, with exactness and readiness, and apply them upon all common occafions; but, were perfect in fractions vulgar and decimal. They had even gone as far in algebra as the refolution of fimple equations.

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