impossible for him to remain satisfied with any one spot. We prepared, therefore, to depart for a city, of which we had heard much, named PROFESSION. A sister of Mr. Markwell was settled in this place, and indeed, it was no very great distance from his native town, WORKS. For PROFESSION TOWN we accordingly set out, and after a fortnight, reached MOTIVE Town, a good sized watering-place, half-way towards Profession. Here a large

book was sent round to every hotel as soon as a stranger comes, in the manner we find in foreign lands, in which the innkeeper is obliged, under a penalty, to see that the name, age, birth-place, profession or trade, is registered, and the motive every traveller has for going to Profession, which being a large fortified city on the coast, is thus guarded from spies, and designing men. I was highly amused to turn over the pages of this book thus: "NameRalph Jealous, Esq.; age? 35; what quality? private gentleman; where from? from Jezebella; where going? to Profession town; from what motive? to look out for a wife; fancying that a religious woman's virtue is more to be depended on than an infidel's; for, though I am a free thinker myself, I should not relish a free thinking wife." This was signed by the magistrates of the town, " motive approved. The authorities are desired to give the required passport. Given under our hand and seal this day of

And thus another :

"Name-Francisco Worldgrub; age? 27; what quality? tradesman; where from? Fool Town; where going? to Profession town; from what motive? to better myself; finding that many persons have grown rich, and gained extensive connexions by a residence in that celebrated place." Thus signed-" Motive approved; considered good and reasonable. The authorities are desired to give the required passport, Given under our hand and seal this day of" &c., &c.

But now came our turn, and Mr. Markwell continued, with his sore arm, to write thus in the Traveller's motive book: "Name; Josiah Markwell, Esq.; age? 30; what quality? private gentleman; where from? from various cities of the world, and the chief, Jezebella; where going? to Profession town; from what motive? to search for amusement, health, and ease from certain wounds which have been given me from pirate ships, with which the seas are infested." The book thus written in, was carried by the Innkeeper, to the Town Hall, where the magistrates sat

for business daily. In an hour he returned with it, for Mr. Markwell again to sign his name; and we found the following opinion written by the gentlemen of the bench.

"Motive approved. Considered highly reasonable; and the gentlemen of the bench take this opportunity of expressing their concern at the dastardly attacks of the pirates to whom Mr. Markwell alludes. By virtue of their office, they will give all possible assistance to the wounded gentleman, by sending an escort of two Carbineers to guard him twelve miles out of, and beyond the town; but they lament they can do so little, their jurisdiction not extending beyond the shore. The authorities are desired to make out the passport. Given under our hand and seal this day of " &c., &c.

But, in the interim of the magistrates signing and the book being delivered to my husband for his countersign, we found another insertion, which highly amused us; it was from a female, who had driven up in the public conveyance, to our Inn, ten minutes previous. It ran thus :

"Name-Miss Sarah Fearful; age? 40; what quality? schoolmistress, and teacher of the young; where from? from the beautiful and ancient city of Morality; where going? to the orderly and respectable town Profession; from what motive? from two motives, equally innocent and irreproachable: either to make an easy fortune and independence for that age, which is advancing with its infirmities upon me, or to gain a few introductions to respectable families, whereby a suitable partner for life may be provided, for my comfort and solace, in the bonds of wedlock."

We all laughed heartily at the perusal of this insertion, and my husband jocosely desired Miss Coincide to take the hint, and copy it for her own use by-and-by. I begged the Innkeeper to be so obliging as to send us in the book, after the magistrates had signed the order for the passport, which he promised to do, and in the evening the waiter brought it up with our coffee. Thus was written: "Motive approved. The gentlemen of the bench admire Miss Fearful's candour and her good sense, in looking to futurity; laying up, as the vulgar say, for a rainy day. They also wish her every possible success in her two-fold pursuit: conceiving that merit and eloquence, such as her's, should meet with encouragement and reward. The authorities are desired to give the required passport. Given under our hand and seal this day of," &c., &c.

I was very desirous to see this Miss Fearful, and so contrived to meet her on the stairs, as our bed-chambers joined. I spoke to her, said it was a fine day, hoped she was going to stay and see a little of Motive town, which is a very curious, old built, old fashioned place, containing inhabitants of very grotesque appearance, and many strangers from all countries. She curtsied to me, seemed very reserved and timid. Yet, she listened to my conversation with pleasure, and gave several short answers to my observations. I ended, by asking her to join our party at breakfast the next morning, which she promised to do. She was an interesting mournful looking person, dressed in black, as she said, for her father, her last surviving relation. I took a sort of fancy to this poor woman, and asked Mr. Markwell if we should try and squeeze her, with Miss Coincide and Zillah, in the seat behind our carriage. He paused a moment or two, and then said, "Yes, we will do it if it can be managed, for who knows whether for this good deed, I may not be cured, and recover my health again?(«) I was brought up from my youth in Works Town, where they teach and preach so zealously, that every good deed has a sure reward. So speak to Miss Fearful, and make her the offer, I dare say she will snap at it poor thing, she seems to have little enough of this world's good things. (")

Miss Fearful, however, was not so ready to embrace the offer as we expected. She thanked me and declined it. I pressed her and she hesitated; whether she did not quite like us, or whether she was proud, and did not like putting herself under obligations to strangers, so it was, we had much trouble to persuade her to accept of our bounty. At length, having settled our accounts at this place, and poor Miss Fearful's wardrobe in a single band box being stowed away in front of her on the roof, my husband and self and children inside, and a man and maid on the box-seat; we received our passports from the Innkeeper's hand, with his bows, and his wife's curtsies, and escorted by the Carbineers, we again set forward on our journey.

CHAPTER VII.

Ghastly sights at their entrance into Profession Town-Cankered fruits on the trees-Babel Tower-The Cathedrals, Bishops, Clergy, &c.-Magdalena finds her brother an Archdeacon in this town - Subscriptions raised at a ball to ruin some Missionaries-Bishop Nutshell, and his Rector, Dr. Husk-Mr. Markwell's illness and death-bed scene-He sends to Dr. Drybones to read Sermons to him-The Rector's Funeral Sermon-Magdalena's employment-Excursion to the top of Babel Tower-A terrific battle between the vessels of mercy and the vessels of wrath-Magdalena is seriously wounded.

OUR adventures, during this journey are scarcely worth relating; but the scenery I cannot pass over in silence. All the way-side from Motive Town to Profession Town, the land is thickly set with trees of every sort, many of them in full leaf, some cut down and lying across the road, none bearing any fruit. (a) We wondered at this; but supposed the reason to be that the vicinity of the great Ocean of Corruption blasts the fruit before it can come to any perfection ;) yet the trees are, some of them, very tall, stately, and finely proportioned. We even passed through whole forests of these trees, but never gathered anything but blossoms, which were the most part covered with the blight, that is millions of small insects called Cares-canker. (d) Here and there my children were terrified by a gibbet, that is to say, a putrid corpse hanging on these great barren trees, some criminal, we supposed, who had been amenable to the laws. Zillah, with her sharp eyes, made out the word Absalom, written under one; Balaam under another; Judas under a third, and so forth.

We entered the city by day-light; and in consequence, were enabled to perceive the quantities of vineyards with which the gardens outside the fortifications are, I was going to say, choked. The grape season was not yet arrived; so, whether these vineyards, which look so green and flourishing, do ever bear, I cannot say. We certainly saw no fruit at that time. There were, a month afterwards, grapes in the markets, but they were sour; (e) or else, as I was told, they were brought from afar off. We passed two flourishing universities, in our course through the city; also

(a) Hosea ix. 16. (b) Mark iv. 7. (d) Amos iv. 9. Haggai ii. 17.

(c) Amos ix. 2.

(e) Deuteronomy xxxii. 32.

two cathedrals, the one dedicated to St. Peter, the other to St. Paul, both very magnificent buildings. There were many fine churches too to be seen in the distance; an immense number of chapels of various sects, and many grammar schools and hospitals, richly endowed by a long line of monarchs. We passed by several stately palaces, built in or near the parks, and had a peep into the town barracks, affording accommodation for a hundred thousand men, The ancient tower stands in the very centre of the city, and is called BABEL. It has now a gallery round the the top for strangers to take a view from, and a belfry, which is used on solemn occaasions, as on fast days, the death of the reigning king, &c. The greatest possible attention is paid in this town to cleanliness, order, decency, language, &c. There are officers appointed to go about, at stated hours in the day, to levy a fine on whomsoever they may find swearing, or using improper expression; also to see that the streets be cleared from filth and the noisome reptiles with which, notwithstanding every precaution, the city swarms and abounds. (a) These small animals, it is said, are gendered by the pestilential quality of the breath of the inhabitants, who are constantly talking both loudly and vehemently; and as they declaim, they send forth a saliva, which lying here and there on the ground, breeds these venomous lizards, a species of animal which is always found in damp caves, and among tombs and sepulchres. () This town is a great seaport, a military depôt and seat of learning, manufactures and the arts. There were ships of war on the stocks, several under repair in the docks, and vessels of different sizes in the offing. When I walked, however, down to the port, the stench from the waters was so intolerable, and the shore itself so full of revolting objects, that I was too fully reminded of the Dead Sea, and of my wretched sufferings in its neighbourhood, to remain five minutes; all

my wonder is how the workmen and seamen could live under this atmosphere, much less work, eat, drink and sleep under it.

We took a house in this city, intending to remain in it some time. My husband drew up a certain form of prayer for the use of himself and family. He had prayers read morning and night, went to church regularly every Sunday, and heard the famous Bishop NUTSHELL in the morning, and his Chaplain, the Rector, the