journey down. How happy is it for our fex, that the most humiliating impreffions do not leave indelible marks on the heart! Vanity is ever buoyant, and when it only foars to an allowable height, it is by no means cenfurable.-It then anfwers the nobleft purposes, and is productive of the best consequences; which, without ftaying to enumerate them, I fhall comprize in a wifh to render themselves pleafing.

I was fet down in Frith-ftreet the fame evening, without meeting with any impediment, and without a fhilling in my pocket towards paying for the four coach and two faddie-horfes I had thought necessary to my pomp. This, however, was a matter of little concern to me, as I could fend to Mr. Brudenell for a recruit, who feldom left town, even during the fummer feason. I accordingly fent to him, and, on my informing him of my wants, he immediately açcommodated me with twenty guineas.

As my Flemish boy, Peter, was ftanding at the door, waiting for the return of the messenger I had Tent to Mr. Brudenell, before whofe arrival the extra horfes could not be discharged, two gentlemen paffed by. Upon obferving the equipage, the elder of the two, addreffing the other, wondered whofe it To which my boy pertly replied, "My mif*trefs's." Ah! returned the fame gentleman, “I

was.

"fhould

fhould be glad to know who is to pay for it!"— They then went on. Poor Peter, who could not brook any indignity offered to his miftrefs, immediately came to inform me of the event, which so much affected him, that the tears flood in his eyes.

Seeing the lad fo much hurt, I called him a fool, and asked him why he did not tell the rude man that it belonged to him, if he had no objection. The messenger not being returned, the coach ftill ftood at the door, and Peter had refumed his ftation, when the fame gentleman re-paffed. Upon which, Peter hearing the remark repeated, immediately answered, "Your's, Sir." To this the gentleman faid, he could not have the leaft objection; and without any ceremony, they walked up stairs, to the no fmall furprise of Peter and myself,

Who fhould the gentlemen be, but Mr. Fox and his commis Mr. Calcraft. own I was much startled when they entered, having never seen Mr. Fox but once before. I had, indeed, had the happiness of being introduced to his lady by the daughters of the Earl of Albermarle. Thofe ladies had honoured me with peculiar marks of diftinction; particularly the late Lady Caroline and the Marchioness of Tavifbock. Here I muft ftop to bedew the memory of those two beft of women, with a tear of the fincereft affection. The latter, in particular, claims tears of

gratitude,

gratitude, mingled with blood warm springing from my heart; and thefe fhe has. My mind ftill retains the livelieft impreffions of her goodness. The laft time I had the happiness of feeing her, (I will not call it by fo cold a name as honour) fhe assured me of a retreat. which would have fecured me an independency for life. And which, befides, would have given me an opportunity of enjoying her loved fociety, whenever the engagements annexed to her exalted fituation would afford her leifure; an object of infinitely more confequence to me than rendering me independent.

At the time her ladyfhip gave me this affurance, fhe was in perfect health; yet I felt a prefentiment that I fhould never fee her more-a prefage as fure to me, as to those who, we are told, possess the painful gift of second fight; and, through every period of my wretched life, it has been the dreadful augurer of all my misfortunes. The attainment of this inftinctive intelligence is not to be accounted for; but I can appeal to every obfervant perfon, whether they have not found this fpecies of foreknowledge fometimes arife in their minds.-This digreffion, as it is a debt of gratitude, which is at all times acceptable to the Deity, will not, I flatter myself, prove unacceptable to you or my readers.

G.. A. B.

LET

LETTER XLII.

Sept. 26, 17

The

MR. FOX introduced himself by saying, that he hoped the whimsicalness, in the firft place, and the irrefiftable temptation, in the fecond, would plead as an apology for his intrufion. His attendant entered with an aukward blush of inferiority, which would have paffed unnoticed by me, had it not been remarked by the fervant who was in the room. messenger now returning with money from Mr. Brudenell, the horses were discharged. Juft at this time General Wall and Comte Haslang paffing by, and feeing the house lighted up, they honoured me with a call. Some converfation upon general topics now paffed.

When Mr. Fox withdrew, he requested that I would permit him the pleasure of calling upon me; as he was in town, and much alone, from Lady Caroline's being obliged, through ill health, often tə fleep in the country. I was not, at this period, acquainted with the virtues of that great man, or I fhould have embraced the offer with infinite readinefs; I therefore, out of respect to his lady, coolly replied, that I should be happy in the honour of feeing him whenever he had leisure. Thus ended a

vifit,

vifit, produced by levity, and concluded with cold civility.

After thofe gentlemen were gone, their Excellencies enquired the occafion of my receiving a visit from a perfon of Mr. Fox's eminence; observing, that they had never feen him before at my houfe, though they frequently vifited me both in town and at Richmond. Without making a fecret of it, I informed them of the ridiculous incident that had occafioned it, with the fame fimplicity as it had really happened. The General was highly diverted at the story: but as for the Comte, he condescended only to notice it with a fmile, and a queftion, Whether, upon hearing my fituation, he had given me de monies. Upon my answering, that he could not certainly fuppofe Mr. Fox would be guilty of fo much ill manners; he replied only with a fhrug of disbelief, added to the aspiration, umph! This was the only mode by which the Comte ufually expreffed either his approbation or diflike. In the former cafe he added a recline of the head to the aspiration; in the latter a fhrug of the fhoulders.

Whilst the card-table was setting, and we waited for two ladies I had invited to spend the evening, the gentlemen went to the chimney-piece to view fome figures of Chelsea china, which the Comte had fome time before made me a present of. As they flood,

they