The pleasures of travelling described, and the improvement a sensible mind may receive from it:  with some hints to the censorious, not to be too severe on errors, the circumstances of which they are ignorant of, occasioned by a remarkable instance of an involuntary slip of nature.

Of all the countries Natura intended to see, Italy was that of which he had entertained the most favourable idea:—­his curiosity led him to convince himself whether it really deserved to be intitled the garden of the world; and therefore it was thither he resolved to make his next progress.—­Being told that in so long a journey he would find an excessive expence, as well as incommodity, in travelling on horseback, by reason he must be obliged to hire a guide from one place to another, he sold his horses, and after having hired a post-chaise, took leave of his acquaintance, and of a place where he had enjoyed all the pleasures agreeable to a youthful taste.

He went by the way of Burgundy, and passing through Dijon proceeded to Lyons, where the sight of the ruins of some Roman palaces yet remaining there, the fine churches, and beautiful prospect that city affords, being situated at the confluence of the rivers Rhone and Soane, tempted him to stay some days.—­He was one evening sitting with his landlord in the inn-yard, when a post-chaise came in, out of which alighted a gentleman and a lady, just by the place where they were.—­The man got up with all the obsequiousness of persons of his calling, to bid them welcome, and shew them into a room:—­the lady, in passing, looked earnestly at Natura, and his eyes were no less attached on her:  he thought he saw in her face features he was perfectly acquainted with, but could not, at that instant, recollect where he had been so.  Not so with her, she easily remembered him, and in less than half an hour he received an invitation by his name from these new guests to sup with them, which he accepted of with great politeness, but said at the same time, he could not imagine to whom he was obliged for that honour.—­On his coming into the room, ’Difference of habit,’ said the lady, smiling, ’joined with the little probability there was of meeting me in this place, may well disguise me from your knowledge; but these impediments to remembrance, are not on your account; monsieur Natura is the same in person at Lyons, as at the convent of Riche Dames, though perhaps,’ added she, ’somewhat changed in mind.’  There needed no more to make him know she was one of the two nuns who always dined, when he was there, with the abbess, and was her particular confidante.—­’By what miracle, madam, are you here?’ cried he:  ‘by such another,’ answered she, ’as might have brought Elgidia here, had not an unlucky spirit put other thoughts into her head.’

She then proceeded to inform him, that loving, and being equally beloved by the gentleman who was with her, she had made her escape with him from the monastery, and was going with him into one of the Protestant cantons of Switzerland, of which he was a native, and where they were certain of being safe from any prosecutions, either from her kindred, or the church.