Asonewholonginpopulouscitypent;
Wherehousesthickandsewersannoytheair;
Forthissuingonasummer'smorn,tobreathe
Amongthepleasantvillagesandfarms
Adjoin’d,fromeachthingmetconceiveddelight:
Thesmellofgrain,ortendedgrass,orkine,
Ordairy,eachruralsight,eachruralsound.
Thosewhoareconversantinthewritingsofpoliteauthorsreceiveanadditionalentertainmentfromthecountry,asitrevivesintheirmemoriesthosecharmingdescriptions,withwhichsuchauthorsdofrequentlyabound.
IwasthinkingoftheforegoingbeautifulsimileinMilton,andapplyingittomyself,whenIobservedtothewindwardofmeablackcloud,fallingtotheearthinlongtrailsofrain,whichmademebetakemyselfforsheltertoahousesawatalittledistancefromtheplacewhereIwaswalking.AsIsatintheporch,Iheardthevoicesoftwoorthreepersons,whoseemedveryearnestindiscourse.MycuriositywasraisedwhenIheardthenamesofAlexandertheGreatandArtaxerxes;andastheirtalkseemedtorunonancientheroes,Iconcludedtherecouldnotbeanysecretinit;forwhichreasonthoughtImightveryfairlylistentowhattheysaid.
Afterseveralparallelsbetweengreatmen,whichappearedtomealtogethergroundlessandchimerical,Iwassurprisedtohearonesay,thathevaluedtheBlackPrincemorethantheDukeofVenoms.HowtheDukeofVendosmeshouldbecomearivalofBlackPrince,Icouldn’tconceive;andwasmorestartledwhenIheardasecondaffirm,withgreatvehemence,thatiftheEmperorofGermanywasnotgoingoff,heshouldlikehimbetterthaneitherofthem.Headded,thatthoughtheseasonwassochangeable,theDukeofMarlboroughwasinbloomingbeauty.Iwaswonderingtomyselffromwhencetheyhadreceivedthisoddintelligence:especiallywhenIheardthemmentionthenamesofseveralothergreatgenerals,asthePrinceofHessandtheKingofSweden,who,theysaid,werebothrunningaway.Towhichtheyadded,whatIentirelyagreedwiththemin,thattheCrownofFrancewasveryweak,butthattheMarshalVillarsstillkepthiscolors.Atlast,oneofthemtoldthecompany,iftheywouldgoalongwithhim,hewouldshowthemachimney-sweeperandapaintedladyinthesamebed,whichhewassurewouldverymuchpleasethem.Theshowerwhichhaddriventhemaswellasmyselfintothehouse,wasnowover;andastheywerepassingbymeintothegarden,Iaskedthemtoletmebeoneoftheircompany.
Thegentlemanofthehousetoldme,ifIdelightedinflowers,itwouldbeworthmywhile;forthathebelievedhecouldshowmesuchablowoftulipsaswasnottobematchedinthewholecountry.
Iacceptedtheoffer,andimmediatelyfoundthattheyhadbeentalkingintermsofgardening,andthatthekingsandgeneralstheyhadmentionedwereonlysomanytulips,towhichthegardeners,accordingtotheirusualcustom,hadgivensuchhightitlesandappellationsofhonor.