THROUGH this Villa runs a rivulet; and the country about it is enriched with fruitful and well cultivated fields; having at prefent a confiderable number of inhabitants. This was not fo formerly: It was a marshy place, and the air fo unwholfome, that it was more proper for frogs and toads, than for men to dwell in. But on my draining off the waters, the air mended, and people reforted to it so fast, as to render the place very populous; fo that I may, with truth, fay, that I have here dedicated to the LORD, a church, altars, and hearts to worship him; a circumstance this, which affords me infinite fatisfaction as often as I reflect on it,

It is with great fatisfaction that I fee the end of a work of fuch importance to this STATE, I mean that of draining and improving fo many large tracts of uncultivated ground, a work which I never expected to have feen completed;

but,

but, thank GoD, I have lived to fee it, and was even in perfon in these marshy places, along with the commiffaries, for two months together, during the heats of fummer, without ever finding myself the worse for the fatigues I underwent. Of fuch wonderful efficacy is that tem perate life which I constantly observe.

IF in difcourfing on fo important a fubject as this, it be allowable to speak of trifles, I might tell you, that at the age of fourscore and three, a temperate life had preferved me in that sprightlinefs of thought, and gaiety of hu'mour, as to be able to compose a very entertaining comedy, highly moral and inftructive, without fhocking or disgusting the audience; an evil too generally attending our comedies, and which it is the duty, and will be the eternal honor of the magistracy to discountenance and fupprefs, fince nothing has a more fatal tendency to corrupt the mo

rals

rals of youth, than fuch plays as abound with wanton allufions, and wicked fneers and fcoffs on religion and matrimony.

As an addition to my happiness, I fee myself immortalized as it were, by the great number of my defcendants. I meet with, on my return home, not only two or three, but eleven grand-children, all bleft with high health, fweet difpofitions, bright parts, and of promifing hopes. I take a delight in playing with the little pratlers; those who are older I often fet to fing and play for me on inftruments of music.-Call you this an infirm crazy old age, as they pretend, who fay, that a man is but half alive after he is feventy? They may believe me if they please, but really I would not exchange my ferene chearful old age, with any one of thofe young men, even of the best constitution, who give the loose to their appetites; knowing as I do, that they are thereby fubjecting themselves

themselves every moment to disease and

death.

I REMEMBER all the follies of which I was guilty in my younger days, and am perfectly fenfible of the many and great dangers they expofed me to. I know with what violence young perfons are carried away by the heat of their blood. They prefume on their strength, juft as if they had taken a fure leafe of their lives and must gratify their appetites whatever it coft them, without confidering that they thereby feed those ill humours, which do most affuredly hasten the approach of sickness and death; two evils, which of all others are the most unwelcome and terrible to the wicked. The first of these, fickness, is highly unwelcome, because it effectually stops their career after this world's business and pleasures, which being their fole delight and happiness, must be inexpreffibly fad and mortifying. And the impa

tience and gloom of sickness is rendered tenfold more infupportable to them, because it finds them utterly deftitute of those pious affections, which alone can foothe the severity of sickness and charm the pangs of pain. They had never cultivated an acquaintance with GOD, nor accustomed themselves to look up to him as to a merciful Father, who fends affliction to wean us from this fcene of vanity. They had never, by prayers and good works, endeavoured to fecure his friendship, or cherish that love which would make his difpenfations welcome. So that unbleft with these divine confolations, the season of fickness must be dark and melancholy indeed; and befides all this, their hearts often fink within them at the prospect of death, that ghaftly king of terrors, who comes to cut them off from all their dear delights in this world, and fend their unwilling fouls to fuffer the punishment