fecute their best interests, and improve the divine life to a high degree. Let us (the ufed to fay) make falvation not only a concern on the bye, but the governing aim thro' the prefent life, and we thall not only live like the primitive chriftians, but die for our holy faith, with more refolution than the worthies of Greece and Rome, tho' death fhould appear in all his array of terrors. Neither adverfity nor profperity could then tempt us to drop a grain of incenfe before any idol, or commit any action that dishonoured the gospel. Let what will happen, in all events, we fhould fecure the future happinefs of our fouls, and thereby provide for the everlafting glory and felicity of our bodies too in the morning of the refurrection.*

Our return

gerous

78. The twenty-fifth day of June, I 1725. took my leave of Mifs Harcourt and her to Ulbræ father, and the reft of the good company, by a danand on horfes I borrowed, we returned to way. the philofophers at Ulubra. It was nineteen miles round of moft terrible road; a great part of it being deep and fwampy bottom, with holes up to the horfes fhoulders in fome places; and for feveral miles, we were ob liged to ride on the fides of very steep and craggy mountains, in a path fo very narrow, that we rifked life, and paffed in terror: a

* In the first volume of my memoirs of feveral ladies, p. 324. you will find a further account of Mifs Harcourt.

A fine

chamber in

a moun

paffage

wrong ftep would have been destruction be yond recovery. It was likewise no small perplexity to find, that I was going back again, the courfe being fouth and fouthweft; and that there was no other way of journeying from Mr. Harcourt's to Ulubra, but through the pass I first travelled from Weftmoreland; unless I rid from Mr. Harcourt's into Cumberland, and then round through Bishoprick to the valley the gentlemen lived in. On then I went at all hazards, and in a tedious manner was forced to creep the way: but to make fome amends, the profpects from the hills were fine, and things very curious occurred. Groupes of crefts of mountains appeared here and there, like large cities with towers and old Gothick edifices, and from caverns in their fides torrents of water ftreamed out, and tumbled in various courfes to the most delightful vales below. In fome of the vast hills there were openings quite through, fo as to fee the fun, at the end of three or four thousand yards; and in many of them were floping caverns, very wonderful to behold.

79. I found in one of them, near the top of a very high mountain, a defcent like tain, and a steps of ftairs, that was in breadth and from the height like the ifle of a church, for 300 valley on yards, and then ended at a kind of door, or the other mall arched opening, that was high enough

room to a

fide of the vaft preci

pice.

for

for a tall man to walk into a grand room which it led to. This chamber was a square of 17 yards, and had an arched roof about 20 high. The ftone of it was a green marble, not earthy and opake, but pure and cryftalline, which made it appear very beautiful, as the walls were as fmooth as if the best polish had made them fo. There was another opening or door at the other fide of this chamber, and from it like wife went a descent like fteps, but the downward paffage here was much fieeper than the other I had come to, and the opening not more than one third as wide and high; narrowing gradually to the bottom of the floping road, till it ended in a round hole, a yard and a quarter every way. I could fee the day at the opening below, tho' it seemed at a great diftance from me, and as it was not dangerous to defcend, I determined to go

down.

The descent was 479 yards in a straight line, and opened in a view of meadows, scattered trees, and ftreams, that were enchantingly fine. There appeared to be about four and twenty acres of fine land, quite furrounded with the most frightful precipices in the world, and in the centre of it a neat and pretty little country houfe, on an easy rifing ground. I could difcover with my long

Dd 2

glais

An ac

count of

valley I

caine into.

glafs a young and handfome woman fitting at the door, engaged in needle-work of fome kind; and on the margin of a brook hard by, another charmer stood, angling for fish of fome fort: a garden appeared near the mansion that was well improved; and in the fields were sheep and goats, horfes and cows: cocks and hens, ducks and geefe, were walking about the ground; and I could perceive a college of bees. The whole formed a charming scene.

80. Pleafed with the view, and impatient' the inhabi- to know who the two charmers were, I tants of the quite forgot the poor fituation in which I left Tim, holding the horfes at the mouth of the cavern, on the dangerous fide of fo high a hill, and proceeded immediately to the house, as foon as I had recovered myself from a fall. My foot flipt in the paffage, about fix yards from the day, and I came rolling out of the mountain in a violent and furprizing manner. It was juft mid-day when I came up to the ladies, and as they did not fee me till they chanced to turn round, they were fo amazed at my appearing, they changed colour, and one of them fhrieked aloud; but this fright was foon over, on my affuring them that I was their most humble fervant, and had against my will tumbled out of the hole that was at the bottom of that vast mountain before them. This I explained,

and protested that I had not a thought of paying them a vifit, when curiofity led me into an opening near the top of the hill, as I was travelling on; but that when I did get through fo wonderful a paffage, and faw what was still more ftrange, when I arrived in the vale, to wit, two ladies, in fo wild and filent a place, I judged it my duty to pay my respects, and afk if you had any commands that I could execute in the world? This was polite, they faid, and gave me thanks; but told me, they had no other favor to afk than that I would dine with them, and inform them how it happened that I was obliged to travel over thefe fcarce paffable mountains, where there was no fociety nor fupport to be had. Befide, if in riding here, you should receive a mifchief, there was not a poffibility of getting any relief. There must be fomething very extraordinary furely, that could cause you to journey over fuch frightful hills, and through the deep bottoms at the foot of them.

Ladies (I replied), neceflity and curiofity united are the fpring that move me over these mountains, and enable me to bear the hardships I meet with in thefe ways. Forced from home by the cruelties of a ftep-mother, and forfaken by my father on her account, I am wandering about the precipices of Richmondshire in fearch of a gentleman, my Friend; to whofe hofpitable house and geneDd 3

rous