desirous to be licensed in one of our northern Presbyteries--I shall do him the Favour.[145]--The country begins to put on her Fowery Garment, & appear in _gaity_--The _Apricots_ are in their fulles Bloom; Peaches also, & Plumbs, & several sorts of Cheries are blossoming; as I look from my Window & see Groves of Peach Trees on the Banks of Nomini; (for the orchards here are very Large) and other Fruit Trees in Blossom; and amongst them interspers'd the gloomy Savin; beyond all these at a great Distance the blue Potowmack; & over this great River, just discern the Woods of Maryland & conceive that beyond them all lies Cohansie my native pleasant Residence; & when I think with myself that by Gods permission, in a very few days more I shall be in the midst of Society, quite remote from formality, and from the least fear of giving offence by being familiar, or of being aw'd to silence by ostentatious vanity: how the thought fires me! Direct my Way, merciful God, and keep my Feet from falling, & my Heart from disobeying thy pure & perfect commandments--And make my Way prosperous that I may go and return again, still doing thy Pleasure, & honouring thy great Name!-- [145] Lowe was apparently not licensed as a Presbyterian minister at this time for he shortly afterwards appears as an Anglican clergyman in St. George's and Hanover Parishes in Virginia. _Monday 4._ Easter Monday; a general holiday; Negroes now are all disbanded till Wednesday morning & are at Cock Fights through the County; This morning I make a general payment First to Sam the Barber 8/2. Second to Tom the Hostler 7/6. third to Nelson who waits on me /3½. Sum 15/11½-- Mr & Mrs _Carter_, with Mr _Cunningham_ & _Ben_ (as Mr Cunningham came home with us last Night) all rode to Day to Richmond Court--I was in the morning strongly solicited to go, but chose to decline it--After Breakfast, came home from Mr Turburville's our young Ladies, they inform me that Miss Panton discovered a strong inclination to be better acquainted with me; which indeed is a Curiosity that I cannot say I am altogether destitute of. I shall therefore, when I find it convenient make Miss Panton a visit-- I was before Dinner very strongly urged, by Mr Taylor, Mr Randolph, & some others to attend a Cock-Fight, where 25 Cocks are to fight, & large Sums are betted, so large at one as twenty five Pounds, but I choose rather to stay at Home. I read to day, & am much charmed with a Speech of _Plato's_ over Alexander the _Great_ lying dead before him--"O thou, who deceived by vain-Glory didst think of grasping at every thing, others are now going to gather the fruits of thy labours & thy Fatigues. Of so many conquests, there remains of thee but the terrible account, which thou art obliged to render unto the sovereign Judge"!--