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bravery, or virtue. That man is little to be envied, whofe patriotifm would not gain force upon the plains of Marathon, or whofe piety would not grow warmer among the ruins of lona!'"`

After a fortnight's ftay in this part of Devonshire, I with realregret bid my friend, and his family, an adieu; for in many refpects they reminded me of the happy group delineated by Thomson, and who are said to have been bleffed with,

An elegant fufficiency, content,

Retirement, rural quiet, friendship, books,
Eafe and alternate labour, ufeful life,
Progreffive virtue and approving heaven.

My next letter will embrace Exeter, Honiton, and Taunton. That you may, however, be relieved from this long, and perhaps tedious narrative, I hasten, my worthy friend, to subscribe myself,

Yours, refpectfully.

SHORT ACCOUNT

OF THE

MANNERS AND MANAGEMENT OF THE HOGS,

DURING THE TIME OF THEIR AUTUMNAL
RESIDENCE IN THE WOODS.

THE

[From Gilpin's Remarks on Forest Scenery.]

HE firft ftep the fwineherd takes is, to inveftigate fome close fheltered part of the foreft, where there is a conveniency of water, and plenty of oak or beech maft; the former of which he prefers, when he can have it in abundance. He next fixes on fome fpreading tree, round the bole of which he wattles a light circular fence, of the dimenfions he wants, and VOL. VII. covering

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covering it roughly with boughs and fods, he fills it plentifully with straw or fern.

Having made this preparation, he collects his colony among the farmers; with whom he commonly agrees for a fhilling a head, and will get together a herd of FIVE or SIX HUNDRED HOGS. Having driven them to their destined habitation, he gives them a plentiful fupper of acorns or beech maft, which he had already provided, founding his horn during the repaft. He then turns them into the litter, where, after a long journey and a hearty meal, they fleep deliciously.

The next morning he lets them look a little around them, fhows them the pool or ftream, where they may occafionally drink, leaves them to pick up the offals of the last night's meal, and as the evening draws on, gives them another plentiful repaft, under the neighbouring trees, which rain acorns upon them for an hour together, at the found of his horn. He then fends them again to fleep.

The following day he is, perhaps, at the pains of procuring them another meal, with mufic playing as ufual. He then leaves them a little more to themfelves, having an eye, however, on the evening hours. But as their bellies are full, they feldom wander far from home, retiring, commonly, very orderly and early to bed.

After this, he throws his ftye open, and leaves them to cater for themselves, and from henceforward has little more trouble with them during the whole time of their migration. Now and then, in calm weather, when maft falls fparingly, he calls them, perhaps, together, by the mufic of his horn, to a gratuitous meal; but, in general, they need little attention, returning regularly home at night, though they often wander in the day, truo or three miles from their ftye. There are experienced leaders in all herds, which have fpent this roving life before, and can instruct their juniors in the method

method of it! By this management the herd is carried home to their refpective owners in fuch condition, that a little dry meat will foon fatten them.

CURIOUS PARTICULARS

CHARACTERISTIC OF EACH MONTH IN THE YEAR, Chiefly extracted from the New Edition of Dr. Aikin's Calendar of Nature.

1.

CALENDAR OF NATURE.

OCTOBER.

The fading many-colour'd wood,

Shade deep'ning over fhade, the country round
Imbrown; a crowded umbrage dusk and dun,
Of every hue, from wan declining green
To footy dark.

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ANON.

HIEF bufinefs of nature, at this feafon, with refpect to the vegetable world is diffemination, for the feeds are now to be depofited in the fostering bofom of the earth. 2. The parent vegetable, if herbaceous, either totally perishes, or dies down to the root; if a tree or shrub, cafts away all its tender leaves. 3. Seeds scattered in various manners, fome by the winds, which, therefore, moft generally, to be met with, as dandelion, groundsel, rag-wort, thistles, &c. others by hooks, catching hold on animals paffing, as common bars; fome thrown abroad by an elaftic fpring, as the touch-me-not, and cuckoo flower; others eaten by birds and discharged, uninjured, by them, flying. 4. Gloom of the declining year enlivened by the rich and bright colours of fading leaves, to fome more interefting than

the

the bloffoms of fpring or the radiance and verdure of fummer:

Thofe virgin leaves, of pureft vivid green,

Which charm'd ere yet they trembled on the trees,
Now cheer the fober landscape in decay;
The lime first fading, and the golden beech,
With bark of filver hue; the moss-grown oak,
Tenacious of its leaves of ruffet-brown,

Th' enfanguin'd dog-wood, and a thousand tints,
Which Flora drefs'd in all her pride of bloom,
Could fcarcely equal, decorate the groves.

5. Ripened berries in a great variety adorn the hedges, as the hip, the haw, the floe, the black-berry, and the berries of the bryony, privet, honey-fuckle, elder, holly, and woody night-fhade. 6. Thefe a valuable fupply for birds in cold weather, and Lord Bacon fays they are most plentiful when the enfuing winter is to be moft fevere. 7. The fwallow, which builds its neft under the eaves of houses, difappears; then the fand-martin, the fmalleft kind of fwallow, and latest in migration. 8. The royfton, or hooded-crow, bred in the north, now migrates to the fouthern diftricts, next to the raven for deftruction, fo that in Scotland a reward is offered for its head. 9. Woodcock begins to appear, and water-fowl arife from their arctic fummer refidence, to winter on the fhores of Britain. 10. The amusements of rooks, in the evening, now curious; a pleafing murmur, not unlike the cry of a pack of hounds in deep hollow woods, or the tumbling of the tide on a pebbly fhore, Stares alfo begin to congregate in the fens, deftroying the reeds. 11. Ground covered with spiders, weaving gofamer. 12. A remarkable shower of goffamer mentioned in White's Natural Hiftory. 13. Fogs thick and frequent, because the cold air condenfes the vapour rifing from the warm earth. 14. This month the height of the hunting feafon-the weather being fuitable and the products of the earth housed:

All

All now is free as air, and the gay pack

In the rough briftly stubbles range unblam'd;
No widow's tears o'erflow; no fecret curfe
Swells in the farmer's breaft, which his pale lips,
Trembl'ing, conceal, by his fierce landlord aw'd:
But courteous now, he levels ev'ry fence,
Joins in the ceremony, and holloos loud,
Charm'd with the rattling thunder of the field.
SOMERVILLE.

15. Bee-hives defpoiled of their honey. 16. In the wine countries of Europe the vintage now takes place. 17. This month, on account of its mild temperature, chofen for brewing malt liquor, defigned for long keeping, therefore called old October. 18. The decoy bufinefs begins in the marsh lands of Lincolnshire. 19. London market fupplied from thence, particularly from the ten decoys near Wainfleet, which have been known to fend to the metropolis, in a fingle feason, 31,200 ducks, teals, and widgeons. 20. The farmer continues to fow corn, but not wheat, till the end of it; acorns fown, foreft and fruit trees planted; a few flowers ftill cheer the eye, a fecond blow of fome kinds, particularly the woodbine, but the fcent of all thefe very faint; but the GREEN HOUSE forming a beautiful contraft with the nakedness of the fields and garden, is, at this period, in high perfection.

NAR

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