ness, so they were at once well formed and healthy; my fons hardy and active, my daughters dutiful and blooming. When I ftood in the midft of the little circle, which promised to be the fupports of my declining age, I could not avoid repeating the famous ftory of Count Abensberg, who, in Henry II's progrefs through Germany, when other courtiers came with their treasures, brought his thirty-two children, and presented them to his fovereign as the most valuable offering he had to bestow. In this manner, though I had but fix, I confidered them as a very valuable prefent made to my country, and confequently looked upon it as my debtor. Our eldest fon was named George, after his uncle, who left us ten thousand pounds. Our fecond child, a girl, I intended to call after her aunt Griffel; but my wife, who during her pregnancy had been reading romances, infifted upon her being called Olivia. In lefs than another year we had a daughter again, and now I was determined that Griffel should be her name; but a rich relation tak

B 3

taking a fancy to stand godmother, the girl was, by her directions, called Sophia; fo that we had two romantic names in the family; but I folemnly proteft I had no hand in it. Mofes was our next, and after an interval of twelve years, we had two fons more.

It would be fruitless to deny my exultation when I faw my little ones about me; but the vanity and the fatisfaction of my wife were even greater than mine. When our visitors would ufually fay, cc Well, upon my word, Mrs. Primrose, you "have the finest children in the whole

answer,

country."----"Ay, neighbour," fhe would they are as heaven made them, "handsome enough, if they be good enough; for handfome is that handsome "does." And then she would bid the girls hold up their heads; who, to conceal nothing, were certainly very handfome. Mere outfide is fo very trifling a circumftance with me, that I fhould scarce have remembered to mention it, had it not

been

been a general topic of converfation in the country. Olivia, now about eighteen, had that luxuriancy of beauty with which painters generally draw Hebe; open, sprightly, and commanding. Sophia's features were not so striking at firft; but often did more certain execution; for they were soft, modeft, and alluring. The one vanquished by a fingle blow, the other by efforts fuccefsfully repeated.

The temper of a woman is generally formed from the turn of her features, at least it was fo with my daughters. Olivia wished for many lovers, Sophia to secure one. Olivia was often affected from too great a defire to please. Sophia even repreft excellence from her fears to offend. The one entertained me with her vivacity when I was gay, the other with her sense when I was ferious. But these qualities were never carried to excess in either, and I have often seen them exchange characters for a whole day together. A fuit of mourning has transformed my coquet into

a prude, and a new set of ribbands given her younger fifter more than natural vivacity. My eldest fon George was bred at Oxford, as I intended him for one of the learned profeffions. My fecond boy Mofes, whom I defigned for business, received a fort of a miscellaneous education at home. But it would be needless to attempt defcribing the particular characters of young people that had seen but very little of the world. In short, a family likeness prevailed through all, and properly speaking, they had but one character, that of being all equally generous, credulous, fimple, and inoffenfive.

CHAP.

Family misfortunes. The lofs of fortune only serves to encrease the pride of the worthy.

HE temporal concerns of our family

THE

were chiefly committed to my wife's management, as to the spiritual I took them entirely under my own direction. The profits of my living, which amounted to but thirty-five pounds a year, I gave to the orphans and widows of the clergy of our diocese; for having a fufficient fortune of my own, I was carelefs of temporalities, and felt a fecret pleasure in doing my duty without reward. I alfo fet a refolution of keeping no curate, and of being acquainted with every man in the parish, exhorting the married men to temperance and the bachelors to matrimony; fo that in a few years it was a common saying, that there