from his. out burning his fingers, impatience to tell me, that he had been down on the Pier to fee two INDIA-MEN, which were lying off the town, and had come to an anchor the preceding evening-pulling, at the fame time, from his jacket-pocket, a fqueezed-up filk handkerchief, to fhew me, which he had bought from fome one who had been aboard. -Pray have you inquired, faid I, whether O oui, Monfieur, vous voulez dire - - What would you anfwer my queftion before you know it? -No, Sir; but I fuppofed you was going to afk, if either of these was the INGOT-fo I ran down to the circulating library, to get their names, -and Monfieur HALL tells me, that the INGOT is expected to be in the DOWNS to meet their friends on board, covered the fine blue furface with a multitude of little fails. -A hip that hath traverfed the globe, and cut her paffage through a world of waters, that, after fuftaining a variety of climates, and all the conflicts of oppofing elements, arrives at laft at her deftined port, hath ever appeared to me as an object which conveys an infinite pleasure to the mind!-I cannot but reflect, that every Being the brings back, ftanding in one, or other of the relations of husband, parent, fon, or friend,hath many hearts that anxiously beat for his return,-many eyes that wait with eagerness to catch the firft look, -and ears that impatiently long to know, how the fad interval of abfence hath paffed away!-When the imagination imagination multiplies this, by the number that forms the complement of a large fhip, it views all the tendereft affections of the foul, fet afloatby her fafe arrival!— -Whilft benevolence contemplates fuch a vifionary scene, the viciffitudes of life induce our humanity to offer up a filent wifh,-that no tale of woe may remain to be unfolded, whose diftrefs fhall overcloud the fun-fhine, or blast the happy expectations that hope hath cherished! THE THE FORT. I KNOW not how it hath come about, that I have led my reader through one volume, and almost half through a fecond, without ever once conducting him up to the FORT;-where, if he is a lover of NATURE, he will be charmed, and if he is not, I fear I fhall have but little intereft with him, either on the FORT, or elsewhere, who have vowed myself to her fervice, and devoted all my attention to this glorious miftrefs.-It is from a fhabby bench, placed on this fummit, that I frequently mufe over the noble profpect that is fpread beneath. -Before me, the eye is loft in fea, and air, but extending fideways, takes in the winding cliffs from the NORTH FORELAND FORELAND to the Ifle of SHEPEY, with all the interfperfed villages to the left, that enrich the coaft, terminated by the church of the Two SISTERSwhofe double fpires not only embellish the scene, but rife up a faithful guide to the mariner. -As I returned along the northern cliff from my walk, intending to make my accustomed halt at the FORT, I perceived my bench was poffeffed by a lady; and whom I found, on a nearer approach, to be the amiable MARIANNE.-I knew fhe could not but be an interefted fpectator of the fcene before her; which muft, in idea, anticipate the return of one, on whom her future happiness fo much depended. She was dreffed fimply ele -- gant; and wore, in compliment to her abfent lover who had prefented her with G VOL. II. its |