of Eudofia, who was the fole and laft object on which his eyes were strained.

SHE did not long furvive her unfortunate lover. Her grief at length exhausted her conftitution, and brought her to the grave, after she had endowed alms-houses for the maintenance of twenty poor cripples, bequeathed a handsome fortune to her kinfwoman, a confiderable present to the clergyman, and a large sum to the poor of the parifh. At her own defire she was buried in the same grave with her lover, and over them is raised a plain unembellished tomb of black marble, with this modest inscription: "Dedicated to the memory of ALCANOR and <EUDOSIA."

I

SIR,

To the EDITOR.

WAS much affected with the philosophical refignation of the honeft SOLDIER who made his appearance in your MAGAZINE for JUNE (1760) and his story made the deeper impreffion upon my mind, as his difpofition forms a striking contraft with my own.

I WAS the second son of a wealthy gentleman, who referved the bulk of his forture for my elder brother; fo that the only provifion I enjoyed, was, a tolerable education and lieutenant's commiffion in the army. During the late war I obtained a company by dint of fervice, and at the peace was reduced upon half-pay. But this reduction was no great misfortune to me, who had learned to practise œconomy in an inferior station, and was so much mafter of my accounts, that I

*See GOLDSMITH'S ESSAYS, Vol. I. Effay xxiv. p. 203

could

could live independent even to my wifh, and could fave fomething out of the appointments of a reformed captain.

his

My father having by this time refigned

breath, I had no parental home to which I could retire; therefore I fet up my rest in a country town, where I had been formerly quartered with the regiment, and made fome agreeable acquaintances. There I paffed my time according to my heart's defire. I fished, fowled, and hunted with the gentlemen of the neighbourhood, who entertained me in their houses with the most cordial hospitality. I walked, I chatted, I danced and played at cards with their wives and daughters. Delightful excurfions, and amufing parties of pleasure, were planned and executed every day. The time ftole away infenfibly I knew no care: I felt no diforder. I inherited from nature a vigorous conftitution, a happy ferenity of temper, and was distinguished among my friends as the best-humoured fellow in the world.

In the midft of these enjoyments my heart was touched by the amiable qualities of a young lady, who was content to unite her fate with mine, contrary to the inclination, and without the confent

of

of her father, who poffeffed a very large fortune, and refented her marriage with such perseverance of indignation, that he never would admit her into his prefence, nor even, at his death, forgive her for the step fhe had taken. His displeasure, however, affected us the lefs, as we found happiness in our mutual paffion, and knew no wants; for my wife inherited from an aunt a legacy of eighteen hundred pounds, the intereft of which, together with my half-pay, was fufficient to answer all our occafions.

WE found great fatisfaction in contriving plans for living fnug upon our income, and enjoyed unfpeakable pleasure in executing the scheme to which we had given the preference. Chance prefented us with an opportunity to purchase a sinall, though neat and convenient house, with about twenty acres of land, in an agreeable rural fituation; and there our time was parcelled out in a fucceffion of tafks, for improving a large farm that we rented, and cultivating a sweet little garden laid out on a gentle flope, the foot of which was watered by a brawling rivulet of pure tranfparent water. Although Heaven had not thought proper to indulge us with children, we were favoured with every other fubftantial bleffing; and every circumstance of rural economy proved a fource of health and fatisfaction. The labours

of

of the field, the little domeftick cares of the barnyard, the poultry-yard, and the dairy, were productive of fuch delights as none of your readers will conceive, except those who are enamoured of a country-life. I cannot remember those peaceful fcenes of innocence and tranquillity without regret; they often haunt my imagination, like the ghofts of departed happinefs. Within the bofom of this charming retreat we lived, in a state of uninterrupted enjoyment, until our felicity was invaded by two unexpected events, at which, I am afraid, we fhall always have caufe to repine: my nephew, who had fucceeded to my father's eftate, died of the small-pox, and, a few weeks after this incident, my wife's only brother broke his neck in leaping a five-barred gate: so that we found ourselves, all at once, in poffeffion of a very opulent fortune, and violently transported from that element for which our tempers had been fo well adapted.

In the first Autter and agitation of mind occahioned by this unhoped-for acceffion, we quitted our romantic folitude, and rushed into all the pageantry of high-life. Thus irresistibly fucked within the vortex of Diffipation, we grew giddy in a rapid whirl of unnatural diverfion: we became enamoured of tinfel liveries, equipage, and all the VOL. I. frippery

E