walks of trees. When you have seen the hills seem to shut upon you, and to stop any further way, you go into the house, and looking out at the back door, a vast rock of an hundred feet high, of red, white, green, blue, and yellowish marbles, all blotched and variegated, strikes you quite in the face; and turning on the left, there opens the river at a vast depth below, winding in and out, and accompanied on both sides with a continued range of rocks up to the clouds, of an hundred colours, one behind another, and so to the end of the prospect, quite to the sea. But the sea nor the Severn you do not see the rocks and river fill the eye, and terminate the view, much like the broken scenes behind one another in a playhouse. From the

1

room where I write, I see the tide rising, and filling all the bottom between these scenes of rocks; on the sides of which, on one hand, are buildings, some white, some red, every where up and down like the steepest side of Richmond to the Thames, mixed with trees and shrubs, but much wilder; and huge, shaggy marbles, some in points, some in caverns, hanging all over and under them in a thousand shapes. I have no more room, but to give Lady Gerard my hearty services, and to wish you would see, next summer or spring, what I am sure would charm you, and fright most other ladies. I expect Mr. Allen here in four or five days. I am always desiring to hear of you. Adieu. Remember me to Mr. Lyttleton, Lord Cornbury, Mr. Cleland.

LETTER LVII.

TO MRS. MARTHA BLOUNT.

DEAR MADAM,

Saturday the 24th, (1742).

I HAVE just received yours, for which I most kindly thank and love you. You will have this a post the sooner, by Mr. Allen's messenger coming hither. I have had a kind letter from the judge, with very friendly mention of you, and concern that he could not see you. As he expects a particular account of myself, I inclose it, to save the trouble of writing it over again to you, who I know desire as much or more to know it: and I proceed in my description.

Upon the top of those high rocks by the Hot Well, which I have described to you, there runs on one side a large down of fine turf, for about three miles. It looks too frightful to approach the brink, and look down upon the river; but in many parts of this down, the valleys descend gently, and you see all along the windings of the stream, and the opening of the rocks, which turn and close in upon you from space to space, for several miles on toward the sea. There is first near Bristol a little village upon this down, called Clifton, where are very pretty lodging-houses, overlooking all the woody hills; and steep cliffs and very green valleys within half a mile of the Wells; where in the summer it must be delicious walking and riding, for the

*Mr. Baron Fortescue.

plain extends one way many miles: particularly, there is a tower that stands close at the edge of the highest rock, and sees the stream turn quite round it; and all the banks one way are wooded, in a gentle slope for near a mile high, quite green; the other bank, all inaccessible rock, of a hundred colours and odd shapes, some hundred feet perpendicular.

I am told that one may ride ten miles further on an even turf, on a ridge that on one side views the river Severn, and the banks steeper and steeper quite to the open sea; and, on the other side, a vast woody vale, as far as the eye can stretch; and all before you, the opposite coast of Wales beyond the Severn again. But this I have not been able to see; nor would one but in better weather, when one may dine, or lie there, or cross a narrow part of the stream to the nearest point in Wales, where Mr. Allen and Mr. Hook last summer lay some nights in the cleanest and best cottage in the world, with excellent provisions, under a hill on the margin of the Severn. Let him describe it to you; and pray tell him we are much in fear for his health, not having had a line since he left

us.

The city of Bristol itself is very unpleasant, and no civilized company in it: only the collector of the customs would have brought me acquainted with merchants, of whom I hear no great character. The streets are as crowded as London; but the best image I can give you of it is, it is as

if Wapping and Southwark were ten times as big, or all their people ran into London. Nothing is fine in it but the Square, which is larger than Grosvenor-square, and well builded, with a very fine brass statue in the middle, of king William on horseback; and the key, which is full of ships, and goes round half the Square. The College Green is pretty, and (like the Square) set with trees, with a very fine old cross of Gothic curious work in the middle, but spoiled with the folly of new gilding it, that takes away all the venerable antiquity. There is a cathedral, very neat, and nineteen parish churches.

Once more my services to Lady Gerard. I write scarce to any body, therefore pray tell any body you judge deserves it, that I inquire of, and remember myself to, them. I shall be at Bath soon; and if Dr. Mead approves of what I asked him of the Bath water mixed, I will not return to Bristol; otherwise I fear I must: for indeed my complaint seems only intermitted, while I take larger quantities than I used of water, and no wine ; and it must require time to know, whether I might not just as well do so at home. Not but that I am satisfied the water at the Well is very different from what it is any where else; for it is full as warm as new milk from the cow; but there is no living at the Wells without more conveniences in the winter. Adieu. I write so much that I have no room to tell you what my heart holds of esteem and affection. Pray write to me

every Thursday's post, and I shall answer on Saturday; for it comes and goes out the same day, and I can answer no sooner what you write on Tuesday.

LETTER LVIII.

TO MRS MARTHA BLOUNT.

Stowe, July 4, (1742).

THE post after I writ to you, I received, with great pleasure, one from you; and it increased that pleasure to hope you would be in a little time in the country, which you love so well, and when the weather is so good. I hope it will not be your fate, though it commonly proves that of others, to be deserted by all your friends at court. I direct to your own house, supposing this will be sent after you, and having no surer way. For the same reason, I have directed a haunch of venison to be sent Mrs. Dryden, in case you are out of town. It will arrive next Monday early at Lord Cobham's in Hanover-square; but if you are in town, and would have it otherwise disposed of, you may prevent it, by sending thither over night a new direction to the porter. I will send you another from Hagley, if you appoint beforehand where it shall be left. Your next direction is to Sir Thomas Lyttleton, at Hagley near Stowerbridge, Worcestershire, where I hope to be on the tenth, or sooner, if Mr. Lyttleton come. Mr. Grenville was here, and told me he expected him in two or