ence, and robs us of
every enjoyment we might take in life.

Natura having now been absent two years, thought the idle rumours
concerning him, as to his principles in party-matters, would be pretty
much silenced, so began to think of returning to England; he was the
more encouraged to do so, as he found by his letters, that those in
the ministry, who had appeared with most virulence against him, had
been removed themselves, and that a considerable change in public
affairs had happened. Accordingly, he set forward with all the
expedition he could, feeling not the least regret for leaving a
country he had never liked, nor where he had ever enjoyed any real
satisfaction, and had been so near being plunged into the worst of
misfortunes, that of an unhappy marriage:--no ill accident
intervening, he arrived in England, and proceeded directly to London,
where he was received with an infinity of joy by his father and
sister, who happened at that time to come to town with her spouse, in
order to place a young son they had at Westminster school.

The better genius of Natura now took its turn, and prevailed over his
ill one: the person whose turbulent zeal had occasioned his late
misfortune, had since, being detected in some mal practice in other
affairs, been cashiered from an office he held under the government,
and was in the utmost disgrace himself: every body was now assured,
that Natura had done no more than what became any man of spirit and
honour; and those who before had condemned, now applauded his
behaviour: in fine, every thing happened according to his wishes, and,
to crown his happiness, he married about ten months after his arrival,
a young beautiful lady, of his father's recommendation, and who had
indeed all the qualifications that can render the conjugal state
desirable.

The promotion of a member of parliament to the house of peers for that
county in which their estate lay, happening soon after, he stood for
the vacant seat, and easily obtained it:--nothing now seemed wanting
to compleat his perfect happiness, yet so restless is the heart of
man, that gaining much, it yet craves for more; Natura had always a
great passion for the court, meerly because it was a court, and gave
an air of dignity to all belonging to it; he longed to make one among
the shining throng; he was continually solliciting it, with an anxiety
which deprived him of any true enjoyment of the blessings of his life;
nor could all the argume