T

HAT the Tranfactions of my Life, and the obfervations and reflections I have made on men and things, by fea and land, in various parts of the world, might not be buried in oblivion, and by length of time, be blotted out of the memory of men, it has been my wont, from the days of my youth to this time, to write down Memorandums of every thing thing I thought worth noticing, as men and matters, books and circumftances, came in my way; and in hopes they may be of fome fervice to my fellow-mortals publish them. Some pleafing, and fome furprizing things the Reader will find in

B

them

A Reflection.

them. He will meet with miscellaneous thoughts upon feveral fubjects. He will read, if he pleases, fome tender ftories. But all the relations, the thoughts, the observations, are defigned for the advancement of valuable Learning, and to promote whatsoever things are true, whatfoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report.

1. About fifty years ago the Midwife wheeled me in, and much sooner than half a Century hence, in all human probability, Death will wheel me out. When Heaven pleafes, I am fatisfied. Life and death are equally welcome, because equally parts of my way to eternity. My lot has been a fwarthy one in this first State, and I am in hopes I fhall exchange worlds to advantage. As God, without all peradventure, brought his moral creatures into being, in order to increase their Virtue, and provide fuitable happiness for the Worthy, the most unfortunate here may expect immutable felicity at laft, if they have endeavoured, in propor tion to what power they had, to render themselves useful and valuable, by a fincerity and benevolence of temper, a difinterestedness, a communicativenefs, and the practice of thofe duties, to which we are

obliged

obliged by the frame of our Nature, and by the Relations we bear to God, and to the fubjects of his government.

For my part, I confefs that many have been the failings of my Life, and great the defects of my obedience. But in the midst of all my failings and imperfections, my Soul hath always fympathifed with the afflicted, and my heart hath ever aked for the miferies of others. My hand has often relieved, when I wanted the fhilling to comfort myself, and when it hath not been in my power to relieve, I have grieved for the fcanty accommodations of others. Many troublesome and expenfive offices I have undertaken to do good to Men, and ever focial and free have I been in my demeanour, easy and smooth in my addrefs; and therefore, I trust that, whenever I am removed from this horizon, it will be from a dark and cloudy ftate, to that of joy, light, and full Revelation. This felicitates me every day, let what will happen from without. This fupports me under every Affliction, and enables me to maintain a habit of fatisfaction and joy in the general course of my Life.

2. The things of my Childhood are not went to worth fetting down, and therefore I comLife from the first month of the

mence my

feventeenth year of my Age, when I was fent to the University, and entered a penfioner,

the Univer fity in 1720.

A College life.

tho' I had a larger yearly allowance than any
fellow-commoner of my College. I was re-
folved to read there, and determined to im-
prove my natural faculties to the utmost of
my power. Nature, I was fenfible, had be-
ftowed no genius on me.
This and under-
ftanding are only the privilege of extraordi-
nary perfons; who receive from Heaven the
happy conjunction of qualities, that they
may execute great and noble designs, and
acquire the highest pitch of excellence in the
profeffion they turn to; if they will take the
pains to perfect the united qualities by art,
and carefully avoid running into caprice and
paradox; the Rocks on
the Rocks on which many a
Genius has split. But then I had a tolerable
share of natural understanding, and from my
infancy was teachable, and always attentive
to the directions of good fenfe. This I
knew might rife with fome labour to a
half merit, tho' it could never gain immor-
tality upon any account: and this was enough
for me. I wanted only to acquire fuch de-
grees of perfection as lay within the fmall
fphere nature had chalked out for me.

3. To this purpose I devoted my collegelife to books, and for five years that I refided in the Univerfity, converfed so much with the dead that I had very little intercourse with the living. So totally had letters engaged my mind, that I was but little af fected towards most other things. Walking

and Mufick were my favorite recreations, and almost the only ones I delighted in. I had hardly a thought at that time of the foolish choices and purfuits of men; those fatal choices and purfuits, which are owing to falfe judgments, and to a habit of acting precipitantly, without examining the fancies and appetites; and therefore, very rarely went into the pleasures and diverfions which men of fortune in a Univerfity too commonly indulge in. My relaxation, after study, was my german-flute, and the converfation of some ingenious, fober friend; generally, my private tutor, Mr. John Bruce, who was a bright and excellent man: (you will find a large account of him in the first volume of my Memoirs of feveral Ladies, p. 7.) and if the weather permitted, I walked out into the country feveral miles. At this exercife, I had often one or other with me; but for the most part, was obliged to go alone. My dog and my gun however were diverfion enough on the way, and they frequently led me into scenes of entertainment, which lafted longer than the day. Some of them you will find in this Journal. The hiftory of the beautiful Harriot Noel you shall have by and by.

Reading in a College.

4. At prefent, my scheme requires me to ACourfeof fet down the method I purfued in my readings, and let my Reader know the iffue of my ftudies.-My time I devoted to PhiB 3 lofophy,