st not take off
his cloaths, so noisome was every thing about him:--fatigued as he
was, he could not close his eyes till towards day, but had not slept
above two hours before the peasant who had served him as a guide, and
had also stayed at the inn, came into his room, and waked him
abruptly, telling him the lady abbess desired to speak with
him.--Natura was much vexed at this disturbance, and not sufficiently
awaked to recollect himself, only cried peevishly, 'What have I to do
with abbesses,' and then turned to sleep again.

On his second waking, his footman acquainted him, that a priest waited
to see him:--Natura then remembered what the peasant had said, but
could not conceive what business these holy people had with him; he
went down however immediately, and was saluted by a reverend
gentleman, who told him, that the lady abbess of a neighbouring
monastery (whose almoner he was) hearing from one of her shepherds the
distress he had been in, had sent to intreat he would come, and
refresh himself with what her convent afforded.

Natura was now ashamed of having been so rough with the peasant, but
well atoned for it by the handsome apology he now made; after which he
told the almoner, that he would receive the abbess's commands as soon
as he was in a condition to be seen by her.--This was what good
manners exacted from him, tho' in truth he had no inclination for a
visit, in which he proposed so little satisfaction.

He then made his servant open the portmanteau, and give him such
things as were proper to equip him for this visit; and while he was
dressing, was informed by his host, that this abbess was a woman of
quality, very rich, and owned the village they were in, and several
others, which brought her in more rent.

If the vanity so natural to a young heart, made Natura, on this
information, pleased and proud of the consideration such a lady had
for him while unknown, how much more cause had he to be so, when being
shewn by the same peasant into the monastery, he was brought into a
parlour, magnificently furnished, and no sooner had sat down, than a
very beautiful woman, whom he soon found was the lady abbess, appeared
behind the grate, and welcomed him with the most elegant compliments.

He had never been in a monastery before, and had a notion that all the
nuns, especially the abbesses, were ill-natured old women: he was
therefore so much surprized at the sight of this lady, that he had
scarce power to re