of our paffage, and of difguifing our infignificancy by the dignity of hurry.

The first week after our arrival at Eugenio's house was paffed in receiving vifits from his neighbours, who crowded about him with all the eagerness of benevolence; fome impatient to learn the news of the court and town, that they might be qualified by authentick information to dictate to the rural politicians on the next bowling day; others defirous of his intereft to accommodate difputes, or of his advice in the fettlement of their fortunes and the marriage of their children.

The civilities, which he had received were foon to be returned; and I paffed fome time with great fatisfaction in roving through the country, and viewing the feats, gardens, and plantations, which are fcattered over it. My pleafure would indeed have been greater had I been fometimes allowed to wander in a park or wilderness alone, but to appear as the friend of Eugenio was an honour not to be enjoyed without fome inconveniencies; fo much was every one folicitous for my regard, that I could feldom escape to folitude, or steal a moment from the emulation of complaifance, and the vigilance of officioufnefs.

In these rambles of good neighbourhood, we frequently paffed by a house of unufual magnificence. While I had my curiofity yet diftracted among many novelties, it did not much attract my obfervation; but in a fhort time I could not forbear furveying it with particular notice; for the length of the wall which inclofed the gardens, the difpofition of the fhades that waved over it, and the canals, of which

I could

I could obtain fome glimpses through the trees from our own windows, gave me reason to expect more grandeur and beauty than I had yet seen in that province. I therefore enquired, as we rode by it, why we never, amongst our excurfions, fpent an hour where there was such an appearance of fplendour and affluence. Eugenio told me that the feat which I fo much admired, was commonly called in the country the haunted house, and that no vifits were paid there by any of the gentlemen whom I had yet feen. As the haunts of incorporeal beings are generally ruinous, neglected, and defolate, I eafily conceived that there was fomething to be explained, and told him that I fuppofed it only fairy ground, on which we might venture by day-light without danger. The danger, fays he, is indeed only that of appearing to folicit the acquaintance of a man, with whom it is not poffible to converse without infamy, and who has driven from him, by his infolence or malignity, every human being who can live without him.

Our conversation was then accidentally interrupted; but my inquifitive humour being now in motion, could not reft without a full account of this newly discovered prodigy. I was foon informed that the fine house and fpacious gardens were haunted by fquire Blufter, of whom it was very easy to learn the character, fince nobody had regard for him fufficient to hinder them from telling whatever they could difcover.

Squire Blufter is defcended of an ancient family. The eftate which his ancestors had immemorially poffeffed was much augmented by captain Blufter, who served under Drake in the reign of Elizabeth ;

and

and the Blufters, who were before only petty gentlemen, have from that time frequently reprefented the fhire in parliament, been chosen to present addreffes, and given laws at hunting-matches and races. They were eminently hofpitable and popular, till the father of this gentleman died of an election. His lady went to the grave foon after him, and left the heir, then only ten years old, to the care. of his grandmother, who would not fuffer him to be controlled, because she could not bear to hear him cry; and never fent him to fchool, because she was not able to live without his company. She taught him however very early to inspect the fteward's accounts, to dog the butler from the cellar, and to catch the fervants at a junket; fo that he was at the age of eighteen a complete mafter of all the lower arts of domestick policy, had often on the road detected combinations between the coachman and the oftler, and procured the discharge of nineteen maids for illicit correfpondence with cottagers and charwomen.

By the opportunities of parfimony which minority affords, and which the probity of his guardians had diligently improved, a very large fum of money was accumulated, and he found himself, when he took his affairs into his own hands, the richest man in the county. It has been long the cuftom of this family to celebrate the heir's completion of his twenty-first year, by an entertainment, at which the house is thrown open to all that are inclined to enter it, and the whole province flocks together as to a general feftivity. On this occafion young Bluster exhibited the first tokens of his future eminence, by fhaking

fhaking his purfe at an old gentleman, who had been the intimate friend of his father, and offering to wager a greater fum than he could afford to venture; a practice with which he has, at one time or other, infulted every freeholder within ten miles round him.

His next acts of offence were committed in a contentious and fpiteful vindication of the privileges of his manors, and a rigorous and relentless profecution of every man that prefumed to violate his game. As he happens to have no eftate adjoining equal to his own, his oppreffions are often borne without refiftance, for fear of a long fuit, of which he delights to count the expences without the leaft folicitude about the event; for he knows, that where nothing but an honorary right is contefted, the poorer antagonist must always fuffer, whatever fhall be the last decifion of the law.

By the fuccefs of fome of thefe difputes, he has fo elated his infolence, and by reflection upon the general hatred which they have brought upon him, so irritated his virulence, that his whole life is spent in meditating or executing mischief. It is his common practice to procure his hedges to be broken in the night, and then to demand fatisfaction for damages which his grounds have fuffered from his neighbour's cattle. An old widow was yesterday foliciting Eugenio to enable her to replevin her only cow then in the pound by fquire Blufter's order, who had fent one of his agents to take advantage of her calamity, and perfuade her to fell the cow at an under rate. He has driven a day-labourer from his cottage, for gathering blackberries in a hedge for

his

his children; and has now an old woman in the county-jail for a trefpafs which fhe committed, by coming into his ground to pick up acorns for her hog.

Money, in whatever hands, will confer power. Diftrefs will fly to immediate refuge, without much. confideration of remote confequences. Blufter has therefore a defpotick authority in many families, whom he has affifted, on preffing occafions, with larger fums than they can eafily repay. The only vifits that he makes are to thefe houfes of misfortune, where he enters with the infolence of absolute command, enjoys the terrors of the family, exacts their obedience, riots at their charge, and in the height of his joy infults the father with menaces, and the daughters with obfcenity.

He is of late fomewhat lefs offenfive; for one of his debtors, after gentle expoftulations, by which he was only irritated to groffer outrage, feized him by the fleeve, led him trembling into the court-yard, and clofed the door upon him in a ftormy night, He took his ufual revenge next morning by a writ; but the debt was discharged by the affiftance of Eugenio.

It is his rule to fuffer his tenants to owe him rent, because by this indulgence he fecures to himself the power of feizure whenever he has an inclination to amufe himself with calamity, and feaft his ears with entreaties and lamentations. Yet as he is fometimes capriciously liberal to those whom he happens to adopt as favourites, and lets his lands at a cheap rate, his farms are never long unoccupied, and when one is ruined by oppreffion, the poffibi