very

difficult to pafs. We were obliged to alight at many of them, and walk them up and down, which was a delay of many hours; but we did it at laft, and came into a large fandy opening, that had a number of rapid ftreams breaking over it, that fell from the mountains, and with the forest on the furrounding hills, formed a very wild and pleafing scene. Over this we went for half a mile, and then came to a long glin, fo very deep and narrow, that it was quite night when we got to the bottom of it, tho' the fun was not yet down; and it brought to my remembrance Anchifes's fan, the wandering prince of Troy, when he defcended to the fhades below. It had the appearance indeed of fome fuch pafs, and was a frightful way, as hills, like Caucafus and Atlas, were clofe on either hand of us, and a river roared thro' the bottom of the steep defcent; which we were obliged to walk down on foot. This could not be the right road I was certain. Azora and Antonia could never pass this deep and rapid flood. It was too much for any man to venture into, without knowing where the torrent went, or how the channel of the river was form'd.

Up then I came again to the day, and refolved to pass the night at the foot of one of the woody hills, on the margin of the treams that founded fweetly over the shoars:

but how to proceed the next morning I knew not. As my paper of directions did not mention the dark steep descent we had been down, but a little valley that lay due caft, through which we were to go: no fuch vale could we fee, and of confequence, in fome turning of the road, we had gone wrong.

When I came among the trees, on the fide of one of the mountains, I began to look for fome convenient refting place, while my two boys were picking the buftard, and preparing a fire to roaft it for fupper, and wandered a good way till I faw a pretty hermitage in an open plain like a ring, and going up to it, found the fkeleton of a man. He lay on a couch in an inward room without any covering, and the bones were as clean and white as if they had come from the furgeons hands, The pifmires to be fure had eaten off the flesh. Who the man was, a paper lying on the table in a strong box informed me. It was called the cafe of John Orton.

The CASE of JOHN OR TON,

50. I was twenty years old when Charles the Second was teftored, and being mafter of large fortunes, and educated in an averfion to puritans and republican principles, went into all the licentioufnefs and impieties, which overspread and corrupted this nation, when

that

that profligate prince afcended the throne. I drank up to the excess of the times: I debauched every woman I could get within my power, by gold, treachery, or force; maid, wife, and widow: I murdered several men in duels; and blafphemed the God of Heaven continually. The devil was my first and last toast; and, in a club I belonged to, I proceeded to fuch scarce credible wickedness, as to perform the part of the priest in our infernal fodality, and after ufing the words of confecration over the elements, gave the prophane bread and wine in the most horrible manner. I was the most abominable of mortals. Contrary to all the dictates and principles of wisdom, virtue, and honour I acted; bound myself in bondage to Satan; and lived the moft execrable flave to the vileft inclinations, and most heinous habits. Scratch was the name I had for the evil one, and upon all occafions I invoked him. The laft words I faid every night, after lying down, were, Scratch, tuck

me in.

In this diabolical manner did I pafs my life away till I was forty, and in twenty years time committed every evil that can dishonour human manners, and infeft fociety. I was a difgrace to my fpecies, and unworthy of the name of man,

U A

But

But as I went on in this manner, and gloried only in outdoing the greatest scelerates in impiety and debauchery,-in being the chief inftrument of Satan, and ftriving to bring every foul I got acquainted with, in fubjection to the flesh and the devil; malicioufly committing all manner of fin; and with greediness executing the fuggestions of a defiled imagination, and the purposes of the moft corrupt heart; I was ftruck one night with the most excruciating torments of body; and had, at the fame time, fuch unfpeakable horrors upon my mind, that I be lieve my condition refembled the state of the damned. The tortures all over my frame, were beyond the pains any rack could caufe; but were less afflicting than the panick fear that harrowed my foul under a lively sense of eternal vengeance, for the crying enormities and impurities of my life. All my crimfon crimes were held as in a mirror before me; the most diabolical impieties againft heaven, and the moft fhocking cruelties to men; the numbers I had drank to death, and fecured in the fervice of hell; the men I had fent to the other world by combat at piftol and fword; and the women I had ruined, not only in this life, but perhaps, for evermore; the miferies I had brought upon families, and the manifold afflictions I had been the author of for years after years,

by

by night and by day;—all these offences I faw like the hand-writing on the wall, and in a horror and confternation of mind, that words cannot defcribe, lay a miferable spectacle for two nights and two days. Tormented, perplexed, and confounded, I rolled from fide to fide, and condemned myself and my folly in the most doleful complaints; but dared not look up to a juft Judge and offended God. No flumber for this time did approach my eyes; but in agonies I fhook with a frightful violence, and thought every moment, that the demons my fancy had in view, were going to force my miferable foul away to everlasting inflictions, in the most dismal cavern of hell. Spent, however, at laft, I fell into a fhort fleep. I had half an hour's reft, and in that flumber imagined, I heard a small voice fay, As I live, faith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way, and live: Turn ye, turn ye from your ways; for why will ye die, O houfe of Ifrael. Rent your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for be is gracious and merciful, flow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

evil

Upon this I awaked, and found my pains were gone. To heaven I lift my eyes, and as the tears poured down my face, cried out

to