the old wo

the delivery, or the least hesitation for hours, as she could, if the pleased, so long difcourfe; her judgment was fo ftrong, and her words fo proper and well placed, that she appeared to me a prodigy in fpeaking, and I could have liftened to her with delight and amazement the whole night. But exactly at ten o'clock, the old woman I mentioned before, who first bid me welcome to Burcot Lodge, came into the chamber with candles, and Azora told me, that if I would follow Gla- Gladufe, duse, she would light me to bed. I did im- man, conmediately, after wishing the ladies good ducts me to a bed in het night, and my guide brought me to her own cottage. cottage, which was next door to the grotto. She fhewed me into a fmall clean room, neatly and prettily furnished, and there I found a good bed. Down I lay as foon as I could, being much fatigued, and as the fun was rifing, got up again, to write what I could remember to have heard Azora say. My memory from my childhood has been very extraordinary. I believe there are few living exceed me in this refpect. The greateft part of what I read and hear, remains with me, as if the book was ftill before me, or the speaker going on. This enables me to write down, with much exactness, what I care to note, and I can do it for the most part in the relater's or talker's own words, if I minute it in my short hand within twenty

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four

244

The gar

dens of Burcot Lodge.

four hours after reading or difcourfing. Upon this account, I can fay, that I loft very little of all that Azora was pleased to let me hear or, of the difcourfes I had with her ingenious companion, Antonia Fletcher.

When I had done writing, I went out to wait upon the ladies, and found them in their fine gardens, bufily employed in the useful and innocent divertion which the cultivation of fome of the greatest beauties of the creation affords. They had every kind of fruit tree in their ground, every plant and flower that grows, and fuch a variety of exotic rarities from the hotter climates, as engaged my admiration, and finely entertained me for many an hour, during my stay in this place. They both understood gardening to perfection, and continually lent their helping hands to the propagation of every thing. The digging and laborious work was performed by many young women, who did it with great activity and understanding, and the nicer parts thefe ladies executed. I was attonished and delighted with their operations of various kinds. It was beautiful to fee with what exquifite fkill they used the knife, managed graffs and cyons, directed the branches and twigs in pofture on espaliers, and raised flowers. They had every thing in perfection in their kitchen garden and phyfic garden. Their fruits, roots, and

herbs

herbs for the table, were moft excellent: their collection of herbs for medicine the moft valuable and as the whole contrivance of the gardens was near nature, and beautiful in grafs, gravel, and variety of evergreens, I was led with delight thro' the whole, till I came into the green-house. There I saw Azora and Antonia at work, and paid them the compliments they deserved.

A further

Azora.

Immediately after my arrival, breakfast account of was brought in there, chocolate and toasts, and the ladies were extremely pleasant over it. They asked me a great many questions about the world, and were fo facetious in their remarks, and pleased with my odd account of things, that they laughed as heartily as I did, and that was at no small rate. This being done, we walked over every part of the gardens, and Azora did me the honour not only to fhew me all the curiofities, and improvements she had made, in the management of feeds, flowers, plants, and trees; but, lectured on various fine objects that appeared in our way, with a volubility of tongue, and a knowledge of the subjects, that was amazing indeed. Were I to fet down what the faid even on fallads, cucumbers, colliflowers, melons, afparagus, early cabbages, strawberries, rafberries, currants, goofberries, apples, pears, plums, cherries, apricots, etc, and efpecially, her propagation of mushrooms, champignons,

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and

Azora's fish-pond.

and buttons; this, exclufive of exotics and flowers, would make I believe an octavo; and in relation to exotics and flowers, I am fure fhe talked twice as much, and of every thing extremely well. I never did hear any thing like her. The discourse cost her no more than the breath of her noftrils.

But at last we came to a fish-pond, that was an acre of water, and I affure you, reader, that in half an hour's time, the illustrious Azora not only talked more of fish and ponds than the ingenious and honourable Roger North, of Rougham in Norfolk, hath written on these subjects in his excellent discourse, printed in 1713; but, mentioned many useful things relative to them, which Mr. North was a stranger to. She told me, among other matters, that there was only pike and perch in her pond, and that the reafon of it was, because she loved pike above all fish, and as the jacks were fifh of prey, no fish but the perch could live with them: The perch on account of the thorny fins on its back, escapes the pike's voracious appetite. She farther informed me, that the jacks in her pond were the fineft in the world, as I would fee at dinner, and that the reason of it was owing to the high feeding the took care they had every day befide the entrails of what fowl and sheep her people killed for her table and themselves, the pike had blood and

bran

bran mixed in plenty, and all the frogs the could get from a neighbouring fen; for of them the jacks are moft fond. This made the fish extraordinary: and as the water was current thro' the pond, and the bottom of various depths from one foot, and two feet, to fix feet, that the spawn may have shallow water to lie in, and the fry fhallow water to fwim in, as they both required, this was the reason, that one acre of water in such a manner, produced double the quantity of fish to what a pond of ftill water, and a bottom all of one depth, could have. See (Azora continued) what multitudes there are. They know me, as I feed them myself every day, and tamely come up, cruel tyrants as they are, to get their meat. Here the called jack, jack, and throwing in a basket of unfortunate frogs, it was wonderful to fee how those devouring monsters appeared, and voraciously fwallowed the poor things.

of the pub

Azora was going to proceed to another An account pond of carp and tench, which fhe had at lic worship

Lodge.

the other end of her gardens, and let me at Burcotknow how that was ordered, fo as to produce the largest and finest fish: but a bell rung for morning prayers, at ten o'clock, and The immediately turned towards a chapel. She asked me if I would attend divine fervice, and upon my answering, with pleasure, defired me to come on. In the church I R 4 faw