the reason of this matter. In refpect of the thing, it was of the greatest service to me. My new acquired friend affifted me to the utmost of his power, in the accomplishment

of

vil poffeffed by a woman, called, a mother-in-law. As the glafs went round, I let them know, how a man in the twenty-fecond year of his age, forfook all for the true gospel of Chrift, and at a time of life, when very few think of religion, refolved to confefs himself a Chriftian deift, to all whom it concerned, if it brought him to want, and from a morfel of bread to the grave. So far I was heard without interruption, tho' I declaimed by the way against the dreadful herefy of three gods: but not thinking I was in company with catholics, (for then I imagined that fuch fubjects of the king of England were only to be found in Ireland) I brought into my oration against falfe religion, the diabolism of popery, and gave it feveral thrufts; as, indeed, I always do, whenever it comes in my way: for, good reader, tho' I love the catholic men and women, because I am a friend to man, and nearly related, to many Romanifts of great fortune; yet, popery I ab hor; and look upon it as the greatest woe that ever the devil introduced into this lower world, to ruin mankind but when I began to touch this ftring, and was raking Rome papal fore and aft, Fleming the Frier changed colour feveral times, (which I took notice of, and knew not what to afcribe it to, unlefs he was very fick) and at laft he told me, by way of game, that I was an eloquent young gentleman, and had a flow of language; but my mistakes as to the church of Rome were very great, and he begged leave, as he was a priest of the holy Roman church, to fet me right in my notions. This was a great furprize to me. It ftruck me filent for fome minutes. At laft, however, I told the gentlemen, that I afked their pardons for making fo free with their religion, which I fhould not prefume to have done, but that I thought they had been proteftants: that, as to his offer to fet me right, he did me great honour, and I would

Kk 3

My arrival

at Ulubra,

paffed

there.

.

of my defigns, in that part of the world I then was. I had his head, his hand, and his house at my fervice, and by them I was enabled to give a roundness to a fyftem, that was too happy to last long.

98. But as to the fhaking bog I was to and what have paffed to go to the gentlemen at Ulubra, Fleming told me, I had a fortunate escape in not venturing over it; for, tho' it be paffable in one narrow way, about a yard broad, yet a ftranger to the bog muft perifh in attempting to crofs; as the timber caufeway that was made over the great marfh, time out of mind, is invifible in many places, and one finks for ever, the moment he steps off that way: but I will fhew you an easy road (my new friend continued) to the gentlemen's houfe, to whom I am no ftranger, and will make you acquainted with fome paffes thro' the mountains, that will render it easier riding over this country than you have found it. He did fo, and by his guidance I arrived at Ulubra, the 7th day of July; being the 17th day from the morning I left the philofophers. The gentlemen were startled at the fight of me, as they concluded I had perithed, and had, as they affured me, mourned

would with pleafure hear him. I would, to be fure, be a convert to the ftrength of his arguments, if unanfwerable; or, offer fuch reatons for remaining a proteftant, as muft fatisfy a rational man. He then went on, and my reply followed. The fubftance of this is what the realer is to find in the Appendix.

mourned my fad fate; they were impatient to hear the adventure of the mountain, and by what strange means, I was jumbled all the way to Tom Fleming's; who lives fo far from the hill I went into; and the road from it to his houfe, fcarce paffable for a mortal. Inform us, we beseech you, how thefe ftrange things came to pafs.

Gentlemen, I faid, I am extremely obliged to you for your concern for me, and will tell you my story as foon as we have dined, as the fervants are now bringing the dishes in, and accordingly, when we had done, I gave them a relation in detail. They were greatly pleafed with my history, and much more, to have me returned to them in fafety again. If they had not feen me, they faid, they could not believe the thing, and they would order the whole account to be entered in the journal of their fociety, as the most extraordinary cafe they had ever known: or, perhaps, thould ever hear related again. Their fecretary, as directed, writ it down in the big book of tranfactions, and it remains in their records to this day.In short, reader, these worthy men were fo greatly rejoiced at my being alive, when they thought me for certain among the dead, that they put the bottle round in a feftal manner after dinner. We drank and. laughed till it was midnight.

99. The 8th day of July, I took my My depa

Kk 4

leave to

leave of the gentlemen at Ulubra, and proceeded to the Eaft-riding of Yorkshire, to look for Mils Melmoth. Fleming came with me as far as Eggleflon to fhew me the paffes between the hills, and the best ways over the mountains. Many vaft high ones we croffed, and travelled through very wonderful glins. Several scenes were as charming as any I had before seen, and the low ways as bad; but he knew all the roads and cross turnings perfectly well, and fhortned the journey a great many miles. I had told him the bu finefs I was going on, and he requested, if I fucceeded, that I would bring Mifs Melmoth to his houfe, that his brother might marry us; and as to Orton-Lodge, which I had defcribed to him, and told him where to find, (for he had no notion of it, nor had ever been among the fells of Westmoreland; as he thought that country unpaffable), he promised me, he would go there himself, and bring with him two labouring men to aflift my lad in putting the garden and houfe in the beft condition they were capable of receiving; that he would bring there feeds, and trees, fuch as the feafon allowed, and do every thing in his power, to render the place convenient and pleafing: he would like wife fell me a couple of his cows, a few heep, and other things, which I should find before me at the lodge, and let me have one of his maids for my fervant in

the

the house. This was good indeed. I could not with for more.

went to

Eg

Mrs. Af

look for

100. The 9th of July, early in the morn-Froming, Fleming and I parted, and I proceeded glefion I as fast and as well I could to the appointed ftation: but when I came up to Mrs. Afgill's gill's to door, the 2d day in the evening, July 10, Mits Meland afked for Mifs Melmoth, an old man, moth; but the only perfon in the houfe, told me, Mrs. gone Afgill had been dead near a month, and Miss Melmoth went from thence immediately after the funeral of her friend; that she had left a letter with him for a gentleman that was to call upon her; but that letter by an accident was destroyed, and where the lady then was, he could not fo much as guess: he farther told me, that Mifs Melmoth had fold the goods of the house, and the ftock, bequeathed to her by her deceased friend, to the gentleman who inherited the late Mrs. Afgill's jointure, and she would return no more to the place. This was news to me. It ftruck me to the foul. Doleful tidings, how ye wound. What to do I could not tell, but as I rid to the next town, determined at laft, to try if I could hear of her at York. To that city I went the next day, afked at the inns, walked the walls, and went to the affembly-room. My enquiries were all in vain. One gentleman only did I fee who was acquainted with her, and he knew nothing of her prefent abode. From York then I proceeded the next morn

ing