adorned with varnished furfaces, reflected a thousand hues from the rays of a meridian fun. The gardens were framed with fingular art and ingenuity, and were diftributed into the most fanciful divifions. Each feveral department exhibited a groupe, of fantastic forms. The fhrubs, which had fhot their roots deep into the foil, were fculptured into all the forms of real and imaginary nature. Birds, beafts, and reptiles of every description, were here congregated in peaceful union, as in the ark of old all wore the fame livery, and derived their nutriment from the fame elements. The church, however, was excepted from the law of univerfal decoration. The only ornaments of this facred building were finished fimplicity, and spotless purityhappy emblems of thofe facrifices which alone adorn the altar of religious adoration. Wherever the eye could penetrate, or the feet could ftray, throughout this fascinating village, all was completely correfpondent.

The areas which furrounded the houses

the winding walks, alleys, and avenues, were equally correct.

Nor is it alone exterior elegance to which thefe people afpire-the infides of many houses are richly decorated, and finished with the most coftly ornaments. We obtained admittance into one, and were astonished at the polished surfaces which every article of the most minute defcription poffeffed. One apartment, which we entered, was paved with small square tiles, put together without any cement, and presenting the most pleafing afpect. The furniture of a chamber in the fame house was very fumptuous, composed of filken ornaments, richly embroidered. This is, agreeably to antient prescription, bequeathed from father to fon, and preferved as an offering to Hymenfuch is the custom of these Arcadian villagers-from generation to generation. There is also a practice prevailing here, common, I believe, to all the natives of North Holland:

land: To every house, of whatever quality, there is an artificial door, elevated near three feet above the level of the ground, and never opened but upon two occafions. When any part of the family marries, the bride and bridegroom enter the house by this door; and when either of the parties die, the corpfe is carried out by the fame door. Immediately after the due ceremonies are performed in either of those cafes, this door is faftened up, never to turn on its hinges again, till fome new event of a fimilar nature demand its fervices. The extraordinary neatnefs which prevails throughout the whole is a prodigy.

On a vifit which the late Emperor Jofeph made to this village, he is faid to have experienced the rigour of those injunctions, which are laid upon all who view the Orphan House; and before he was admitted to tread the sacred floor, he conformed to the ceremony of taking off his fhoes. That care and attention may preserve the feveral

H 3

feveral apartments in a ftate of internal neatness, is readily conceivable; but that the outfides of their houfes, roofs, and fronts, their gravelled grounds, and open paths, fhould exhibit no marks of occafional violence, fhould betray no fymptoms injurious to their fyftematic correctness, is a mystery for which I cannot account. The natural action of the elements-the blowing ftorm, and the driving fhower, might well be deemed, too ftrong opponents of art and nature yet, expofed to all the viciffitudes of the seasons, not a veftige of injury could be traced. How patient must be that affiduity, which watches thofe accidents, which imperceptibly repairs their ravages, and gives to thofe unexampled productions of industry, uniformity and perma

nence.

I quitted this fingular fpot with reluctance. As the barge moved flowly along, my eyes feafted upon the parting fairy landscape. I could not govern my fenfa

tions.-Did ever poet image aught so fair?

Dreaming in whispering groves, by the hoarfe brook,
Or prophet, to whofe vifion heaven defcends!

The picture gradually difappeared, as the colours faded, and was at length ravished from my fight. The vulgar scenes of Amfterdam reduced my ideas to a less rapturous standard. Were I to measure existence with the antediluvian antients, I fhould never be able to erase those scenes from my mind, nor entirely convince myfelf, that the whole was not a delightful illufion of the fancy.

I

LETTER XXII.

WAS fo extremely delighted with the little I faw of North Holland, that I could, with great pleasure, have penetrated farther; but our time did not admit of any extenfion of the tour. At a very short dif