ral seems to have as formidable
foes to contend with, as a hero of ancient fairy tale; who had to
fight his way to his enchanted princess through ferocious monsters of
every kind, and to encounter the brimstone terrors of some fiery
dragon.

There is still another circumstance, which inclines me to give very
considerable credit to Master Simon's suspicions. Lady Lillycraft is
very fond of quoting poetry, and the conversation often turns upon it,
on which occasions the general is thrown completely out. It happened
the other day that Spenser's Fairy Queen was the theme for the greater
part of the morning, and the poor general sat perfectly silent. I
found him not long after in the library, with spectacles on nose, a
book in his hand, and fast asleep. On my approach, he awoke, slipt the
spectacles into his pocket, and began to read very attentively. After
a little while he put a paper in the place, and laid the volume aside,
which I perceived was the Fairy Queen. I have had the curiosity to
watch how he got on in his poetical studies; but though I have
repeatedly seen him with the book in his hand, yet I find the paper
has not advanced above three or four pages; the general being
extremely apt to fall asleep when he reads.

FALCONRY.

Ne is there hawk which mantleth on her perch,
Whether high tow'ring or accousting low,
But I the measure of her flight doe search,
And all her prey and all her diet know.

--SPENSER.

There are several grand sources of lamentation furnished to the worthy
Squire, by the improvement of society and the grievous advancement of
knowledge; among which there is none, I believe, that causes him more
frequent regret than the unfortunate invention of gunpowder. To this he
continually traces the decay of some favourite custom, and, indeed, the
general downfall of all chivalrous and romantic usages. "English
soldiers," he says, "have never been the men they were in the days of
the cross-bow and the long-bow; when they depended upon the strength of
the arm, and the English archer could draw a cloth-yard shaft to the
head. These were the times when, at the battles of Cressy, Poietiers,
and Agincourt, the French chivalry was completely destroyed by the
bowmen of England. The yeomanry, too, have never been what they were,
when, in times of peace, they were constantly exercised with the bow,
and archery was a favourite holiday pastime."

Among the other evils which have followed in