;

Minds of the Subjects, keep them from prying into Affairs above their Comprehenfion, and picking Holes in the Administration; to lull them into the foft Slumber of Contentment, and Obedience and to difpel all the black Vapors of Difcontent and Rebellion; I was eager to know, who all these wife Politicians were, and was looking out for my Friend, to borrow his Perspective, for that Purpofe, when the whole Affembly was interrupted by a deep hoarfe Voice, which admonish'd them to confider that they were all mortal, and would foon be oblig'd to exchange thefe Dreffes of Voluptuoufnefs for melancholy Shrouds. This occafion'd an univerfal Silence and Surprife; but the Wonder foon ceased, upon the Discovery of a Perfon, near the Door, with a Speaking Trumpet; and well it was for him, that he was in fo happy a Situation for a Retreat, or he had been in a fair Way to pay dear for his Admonition.

HAVING found my Friend again, we both appear'd to be of the fame Mind, for retiring from this Chaos of Vanity and Folly; and I perceiv'd my young Indian, who had never left my Elbow, wanted to be gone as much as we: We, therefore, went together, in one Coach, to_my Lodgings; where I defign'd to have read a Lecture of Morality to Fidelio, on the Subject of what he had seen and heard: But, at our Return, I found the Captain, his Mafter, waiting for him, and fo hafty for his Departure, that he would hardly allow him Time to change his Drefs. I prefs'd him to ftay and partake of a small Supper, or rather Breakfast (for Morning approach'd) which I had order'd to be got ready: After which he might reft a few Hours, my Friend, who had refolv'd to ftay with me, having offer'd him a Part of his Bed, as I did a Part of mine to Fidelio. But the more I prefs'd, the more eager he was to be gone; and fhew'd

fhew'd an Uneafinefs, which gave me Room for a Sufpicion, which had not enter'd into my Mind before. This put me upon being more than ordinary officious in helping to undrefs the Youth, and I foon found I had been gallanting a young Female to the Masquerade, inftead of an Indian Boy. I even difcover'd thro' the Bofom of her Shirt, that the Complexion of her Face, Neck and Hands were borrow'd; and I begun now to imagine her Innocence likewife feign'd; but this groundless Imagination foon vanish'd, and I concluded fhe muft have been fome European Child, whom the Captain had pick'd up in her Infancy, and caused her to be brought up in America, in that State of Ignorance and Innocency I found in her, till fhe was of Years to act the Part he defign'd for her. I would not put him to the Blush, by leting him perceive I had made the Discovery; fo let them depart: Nor would I give my worthy Friend the Uneafinefs, I was fenfible, a Reflection on this poor unhappy Creature would cause in him: Unhappy I call her: For I do not doubt, by the Seeds of Virtue and Innocence I had difcover'd in her, that tho' the Courfe of Life the probably led with her pretended Master was criminal; yet he had perfuaded her to the contrary. I refolv'd, however, if poffible, to get at the Bottom of it, and if I found the Cafe to be as I fufpected, to think of fome Means to free the pretty Innocent, from a State, which could not but end in her utter Perdition. What Success I may have in this De fign, a future Letter may perhaps inform you. I now conclude, with Affurances of being, as ever,

Esc.

LETTER

LUBECK.

SIR,

N my Way from Hamburg hither, I was introduced to the Acquaintance of a worthy Holstein-Nobleman, in the Service of Denmark, Baron von A-dt, of I c, the Name of his Seat, which lies almoft at an equal Distance between these two Cities. He entertain❜d me, with the greatest Politenefs, for three Days together, with all the Varieties of rural Diverfions, as Hunting, Fowling, Fishing, &c. within the Compass of his own Eftate; but what pleas'd me above all, was his elegant Garden, which exceeds any Thing I have hitherto seen in thefe Parts. It lies in the Middle of a great Wood, and is laid out in a beautiful Manner. The Parterre is very large and handfom, with two very fine Fountains, and encompafs'd with Hedges of a vast Height and Thicknefs; which likewife enclose Jarge Plantations of all Sorts of Fruit-Trees and Kitchen-Plants, between the Side and Cross-Walks, on each Side of the middle Grand Walk, of near an English Mile long, beautified with Rows of Trees, in exact Symmetry and Order, and diverfified with Grafs-Plats, cut in various Forms, and Gravel-Walks. In fhort, Elegance and Variety rules throughout the Whole, and befpeaks the Owner to be endow'd with as large a Portion of fine Tafte, as he poffeffes of Politeness and Hofpitality. At the End of the Parterre, on a Ter

rafs,

rafs, is a fpacious Alcove, very properly, and in an agreable Manner, lin'd with the Bark of Oak, of which, it feems, a good Part of this Estate confifts, and from the Top of it, which is leaded, you have a fine View of the whole Garden. In this Nobleman's Eftate, are the Springs of the River Alfter, which, as I mention'd in a former Letter, flows thro' the City of Hamburg, into the Elb, and for the Benefit of which, that Republic pays him annually the Tribute of a Salmon.

I SAW nothing elfe, worthy of my Notice, in my Way from Hamburg hither, which is about nine German Miles, but the little ancient City of Oldefloo, in Wagria, fituate about a German Mile out of the Road between these two Cities, on the Trave, and nearer Lubeck than Hamburg: This Place was famous, in ancient Times, for its SaltWorks; but they being of Prejudice to thofe of Lunenburg, Henry the Lion, Duke of Brumfwick, destroy'd the Springs, in the twelfth Century; and it is now a Place of little Confideration or Trade; tho' it bears the Name of one of the four ancient Cities of Holstein.

I HAVE hitherto not seen very much of Lubeck, but what I have, fhews it to have been a fine, ancient and noble City, tho' now in its Decay. I shall stay long enough here to be able to give you fome Account of it in a future Letter; but being defirous of feing the famous Midland-Sea, call'd the Baltic or Eaft-Sea, which is at no great Distance from hence, and meeting with an Opportunity of a Company, that was going down the Trave to Travemund, I fhall poftpone my Account of this Place, to give you a brief Relation of my short Excurfion thither and back again, on the River Trave.

THE

THE River Trave, which washes the Walls of Lubeck, has its Source not far from the Town and Bailiwic of Arensböcke, in the Territory of Wagria, in the Duchy of Holftein, formerly a famous Monaftery of Carthufians, founded by Nicholas, Earl of Holftein, in 1398. This River not only divides the two Territories of Wagria and Stormaria, but likewise separates Wagria from the Duchy of Mecklenburg, and, paffing by Ploen, Segeberg, Oldefloo, Lubeck and Travemund, (or the Mouth of the Trave) falls into the Eaft-Sea or Baltic, near the latter.

TRAVEMUN D, which has a fine Haven, and is well fortified, together with feven Villages, which belong to it, are fubject to the City of Lubeck, being fold to that City, by John III, Earl of Holftein, for 4000 Marks, (or about 270 l.) a very Trifle for the Importance it is of to the Trade of this Place. I know nothing, that this Place is particularly famous for, but for making excellent Pan-cakes, to the Value of a Crown a-piece. I fhould not have mention'd a Thing fo trivial; but for a ridiculous Inference, the fuperftitious Part of the Lubeckers draw from thence. They tell you, that when their Trade was in its moft flourishing State, it was common for the Burghers to carry their whole Families to this Place, to treat them with Pan-cakes, and, in the Height of their Profuseness, to order fo large a Number to be made, more than they could confume, that, after Dinner, they would divert themselves with throwing them at one another, 'till the whole Floor was cover'd with them; and that the Decay of their Trade was a Judgment from Heaven upon them, for thus mifufing the Bleffings of the ALMIGHTY.

I SHALL take this Opportunity to fay a Word or two of the Baltick or Eaft-Sea, known, in Latin, by the Name of Sinus Codanus, which may

properly