_The Child of the Miller’s Daughter, and relation of her Misfortune.--A frugal Couple: their kind of Frugality.--Plea of the Mother of a natural Child: her Churching.--Large Family of Gerard Ablett: his Apprehensions: Comparison between his State and that of the wealthy Farmer his Master: his Consolation.--An Old Man’s Anxiety for an Heir: the Jealousy of another on having many.--Characters of the Grocer Dawkins and his Friend: their different kinds of Disappointment.--Three Infants named.--An Orphan Girl and Village School-mistress.--Gardener’s Child: Pedantry and Conceit of the Father: his Botanical Discourse: Method of fixing the Embryo-fruit of Cucumbers.--Absurd effects of Rustic Vanity: observed in the Names of their Children.--Relation of the Vestry Debate on a Foundling: Sir Richard Monday.--Children of various Inhabitants.--The poor Farmer.--Children of a Profligate: his Character and Fate.--Conclusion._ Tum porro puer (ut sævis projectus ab undis, Navita) nudus humi jacet infans indigus omni Vitali auxilio,---- Vagituque locum lugubri complet, ut æquum est, Cui tantum in vitâ restat transire malorum. Lucret. de Nat. Rerum, lib. 5. The Year revolves, and I again explore The simple Annals of my Parish-poor; What Infant-members in my flock appear, What Pairs I blest in the departed year; And who, of Old or Young, or Nymphs or Swains, Are lost to Life, its Pleasures and its pains. No Muse I ask, before my view to bring The humble actions of the Swains I sing.-- How pass’d the Youthful, how the Old their days, Who sank in sloth and who aspir’d to praise; Their Tempers, Manners, Morals, Customs, Arts, What parts they had, and how they ’employed their parts; By what elated, sooth’d, seduc’d, deprest, Full well I know--these Records give the rest. Is there a place, save one the Poet sees, A Land of Love, of Liberty and Ease; Where labour wearies not nor cares suppress Th’ eternal flow of Rustic Happiness; Where no proud Mansion frowns in aweful State, Or keeps the Sunshine from the Cottage-gate; Where Young and Old, intent on pleasure throng, And half man’s life, is Holiday and Song? Vain search for scenes like these! no view appears, By sighs unruffled or unstain’d by tears; Since Vice the world subdued and Waters drown’d, _Auburn_ and _Eden_ can no more be found. Hence good and evil mix’d, but Man has skill And power to part them, when he feels the will; Toil, care, and patience bless th’ abstemious few, Fear, shame, and want the thoughtless herd pursue. Behold the Cot! where thrives th’ industrious Swain, Source of his pride, his pleasure and his gain; Screen’d from the Winter’s wind, the Sun’s last ray Smiles on the window and prolongs the day;