ar as the Land's End. We were very well pleased with one
another the first day, every one endeavouring to recommend himself by
his good humour and complaisance to the rest of the company. This good
correspondence did not last long; one of our party was soured the very
first evening by a plate of butter which had not been melted to his
mind, and which spoiled his temper to such a degree, that he continued
upon the fret to the end of our journey. A second fell off from his good
humour the next morning, for no other reason that I could imagine, but
because I chanced to step into the coach before him, and place myself on
the shady side. This however was but my own private guess, for he did
not mention a word of it, nor indeed of anything else, for three days
following. The rest of our company held out very near half the way, when
of a sudden Mr. Sprightly fell asleep; and instead of endeavouring to
divert and oblige us, as he had hitherto done, carried himself with an
unconcerned, careless, drowsy behaviour, till we came to our last stage.
There were three of us who still held up our heads, and did all we could
to make our journey agreeable; but, to my shame be it spoken, about
three miles on this side Exeter, I was taken with an unaccountable fit
of sullenness, that hung upon me for above three-score miles; whether
it were for want of respect, or from an accidental tread upon my foot,
or from a foolish maid's calling me "The old gentleman," I cannot tell.
In short, there was but one who kept his good humour to the Land's End.

There was another coach that went along with us, in which I likewise
observed, that there were many secret jealousies, heartburnings, and
animosities: for when we joined companies at night, I could not but take
notice, that the passengers neglected their own company, and studied how
to make themselves esteemed by us, who were altogether strangers to
them; till at length they grew so well acquainted with us, that they
liked us as little as they did one another. When I reflect upon this
journey, I often fancy it to be a picture of human life, in respect to
the several friendships, contracts, and alliances that are made and
dissolved in the several periods of it. The most delightful and most
lasting engagements are generally those which pass between man and
woman; and yet upon what trifles are they weakened, or entirely broken?
Sometimes the parties fly asunder, even in the midst of courtship, and
someti