Emily, who never refus'd anything, and I, who ever
delighted in bathing, and had no exception to the person who
propos'd it, or to those pleasures it was easy to guess it
implied, took care, on this occasion, not to wrong our
training at Mrs. Cole's, and agreed to it with as good a
grace as we could. Upon which, without loss of time, we
return'd instantly to the pavilion, one door of which open'd
into a tent, pitch'd before it, that with its marquise,
formed a pleasing defense against the sun, or the weather,
and was besides as private as we could wish. The lining of
it, imbossed cloth, represented a wild forest-foliage, from
the top down to the sides, which, in the same stuff, were
figur'd with fluted pilasters, with their spaces between
fill'd with flower-vases, the whole having a gay effect upon
the eye, wherever you turn'd it.
Then it reached sufficiently into the water, yet con-
tain'd convenient benches round it, on the dry ground, either
to keep our cloaths, or . . ., or . . ., in short, for more
uses than resting upon. There was a side-table too, loaded
with sweetmeats, jellies, and other eatables, and bottles of
wine and cordials, by way of occasional relief from any raw-
ness, or chill of the water, or from any faintness from what-
ever cause; and in fact, my gallant, who understood chere
entiere perfectly, and who, for taste (even if you would not
approve this specimen of it) might have been comptroller of
pleasures to a Roman emperor, had left no requisite towards
convenience or luxury unprovided.
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