have felt an inclination to view a fcene, to the defcription of which, it appeared, they were no ftrangers.- But, alas! to the worshipper of fyftems, the fair face of Nature has no charms!-In vain, for him, does the appearance of Arjoon tinge the cheeks of the cup-bearers of the fky, with the crimson blush of gladnefs! In vain, for him, do the robes of the feasons, wove in the changeful looms of Nature, prefent the ceafeless charm of variety! In vain, for him, fmiles the soft beauties of the blooming valley, when the linnet, fitting on his rofe-bufh, fings forth the praises of the fpring! And equally in vain, for him, doth Nature expofe to view the terrors of her wonder-working arm, in the scenes of fublimity and grandeur ! Midft all the beauties of creation, a philofopher fees nothing beautiful, but the iyftem which he worships!

Happily for me, Mr. Trueman, the fteward of Sir Caprice, was a ftranger to fyftems; but had cultivated fo much tafte for the beauties of rural landscape, as enabled him to point out to my obfervation, a thousand charms, which might otherwife have efcaped my notice. Nor was this the only benefit I derived from his fociety. From his plain

*An appellation for the Clouds, which frequently occurs in Afiatic Poetry.

good fenfe, I received more real and ufeful information; in our ride of four hours, than I had gained in nearly as many weeks, in the company of the philofophers.

For the diftance of many miles round Ardent-Hall, the country is irregular and undulating. It abounds in trees, which, though they boaft not the height of the Mango, or the vaft circumference of the Banyan, are neither deftitute of grandeur, nor of beauty. Thefe are not clumped together in folemn groves, or gloomy jungles; but are fo planted, as to furround the fmall fields into which the country is divided; each of which fmall enclofures, now fraught with the riches of the yellow harveft, appears like a "Topaz in a fetting of Emeralds." The chearful afpect of the peasants, bufily employed in cutting down the grain, while their fancies feemed to revel in the scene of plenty, excited the most pleasurable emotions in my heart; for who but a philofopher, can breathe the air of hilarity, and not partake of the intoxication of delight *?"

The scene, however, foon changed: an extenfive plain opened before us, where no

In feveral paffages of this Letter, the Rajah feems to have adopted the imagery of the Perfian Poet Inatulla, of Delhi-with whofe writings, he was, doubtlefs, well acquainted.

yellow harveft waved its golden headwhere no tall trees afforded fhelter to the traveller-all was wafte and barren. Upon inquiring of my intelligent companion, the reafon of this wonderful change, he could only inform me, that this was called a Common, and that it could not be cultivated, without a folemn act of the Legiflature. I now perceived, that it was from reafons of ftate, that thefe great portions of land (for Comnons occur very frequently in England) were fuffered to remain defolate; but in vain did I endeavour to difcover the motives, which could induce the government to lay this reftraint on cultivation.

As geefe appeared to have here an exclufive right of pafturage, I was inclined to think, that they might, perhaps, be the objects of fuperftitious veneration to the English court; but on applying to my guide, I found, that geefe were not of the number of protected animals; and that far from being honoured in the manner of thofe which are called Game, the murder of a goofe might be performed without ceremony, by the moft ignoble hands. Perhaps, thought I, it is from the benevolent regard of the minifter towards the old women who keep these

noify flocks; but, alas! a little reflection convinced me, that the age of reason, is not yet fufficiently established, to countenance the fuppofition. It muft, then, be from the pious apprehenfion of endangering the virtue of the people, by an overflow of plenty.-If this be really the cafe-it muft be confeffed, that a more effectual method could not be taken to bring about the defired end.

Having paffed the commons, we entered into a deep and narrow valley, overhung with frowning rocks; these feemed frequently to clofe upon us, and fternly to deny all accefs to the interior fcene. A filver ftream, which alternately kiffed the fect of the precipices on each fide, encouraged us us to proceed, and gently conducted us to the furthermoft end of the valley. It was here, that the glories of the cataract burft upon our fenfes. But how fhall my feeble pen, do juftice to fuch a fcene? Can I, by description, ftun the ears of Maandaara, with the thunder of the falling waters; or, present to his imagination, the grotesque figures of the rocks, furrounding the magnificent bafon into which they fell? Can I bring terror to his bofom, by the mention of the over-jutting crags, which, on one fide, topped the precipice;

or produce in his mind, the fenfation of delight, by a minute defcription of the various trees and fhrubs, whofe thick foliage ornamented the oppofite bank?Ah no! The task is impoffible; or poffible only to the magic pen of poetry. By Zaarmilla, it must be paffed over in filence!

We returned to Ardent-Hall, as the chariot of Suraya was finking behind the diftant hills. On approaching the houfe, we beheld a fcene of extraordinary commotion. All was hurry and confufion.Men and boys, household fervants and labourers, all feemed engaged in the purfuit of fome invifible object. At one part of the lawn, we beheld Doctor Sceptic and Mr. Puzzledorf, cautiously ftepping along, and carefully peeping into every bufh they paffed; at another place, we faw Sir Caprice, attended by the reft of the philofophers, carrying a large net-which, with much care, they foftly spread upon a hedge, and then began to beat the roots of the fhrubs that compofed it, in the moft furious man

ner.

"What is the matter?" cried my companion, to a lad who was running palt us. "What is the occafion of all this buffle? What, in the name of goodnefs, are you all about?" Catching

t