my fplendour, I was not happy. Like the celebrated. Harlequin Carolin, who wept under the mafque, while he excited peals of laughter from his admiring audience, my fmiles covered an uneafy mind. And many a time when I have been thought by my furrounding guests to be as happy as affluence and the acquifition of fame could make me, I have fecretly exclaimed: "Where art thou to be found, O hap"pinefs! Thy only refidence can be with those "bleffed votaries to Heaven, who having never ex"perienced the delufive pleasures and corroding " cares of the world, fecure within the cloistered "walls, the peaceful abode of innocence, know not a wish but to render themselves acceptable to their "God."

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The conftant perturbation Funderwent from these uneasy reflections, and the unceafing fatigue I had gone through, had greatly impaired my health. It was therefore thought advifeable.for me to go to Briftol for a few weeks, before the enfuing feafon commenced. I was accompanied by the Widow Delany, who, as usual, was generally with me, and who had married one of Mr. Calcraft's clerks whose name was Walker. When we reached Marlborough, as we drove into the yard of the caftle, Mr. Ryan ran out to receive me, and greeted me with the pleasing intelligence,

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ligence, that my Daddy Quin was in the house; adding, that he would go and wake him.

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It being eight o'clock in the evening, I was apprehenfive, from his being in bed, that Mr. Quin was indifpofed. But I was informed by Mr. Beard, who was likewise one of the company, that my worthy friend, having been detained longer in town, the last time he visited the metropolis, than he wifhed, through his engagements with his numerous quaintance; he had made a refolution not to go to London again. And as he did not choose to be totally deprived of the fociety of a few of his particular friends, he had requefted them to make a party, and meet him every fummer at Smith's. It was agreed that they should remain here till they had drank such a quantity of wine. I cannot now recollect how much that was; but when Mr. Beard mentioned it, I thought it was fufficient to serve them for a year.

Whilst I was receiving this information, by which time we had reached the garden, I heard his muchloved voice calling out to me, "I will come to you "presently!" Turning about, I perceived him at the window, with his night-cap on; and before I could fuppofe he had pulled it off, he joined us. As he came along, he had ordered Smith to drefs every thing in the larder; and if he could procure any niceties in the town, to do fo. His orders were obeyed

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to the very letter of the command; and my journey being protracted by this unexpected encounter, before ten o'clock we fat down to dinner, fix and twenty in company, to a table furnished like a Lord Mayor's feaft.

Previous to our dining, I had the happiness to enjoy an agreeable tête-à-tête with this beft of men. In it, I acquainted him with every circumftance relative to myself, that had paffed fince I faw him laft. And as I had the inexpreffible fatisfaction to find that his friendship was unabated, and he ftill loved me with the fondnefs of a father, I received that confolation from his advice, which I always experienced from unbosoming myself to this most disinterested and fincereft of friends. At three o'clock I retired and ordered a poft chaife to purfue my journey; leaving thofe chearful fons of Bacchus, I cannot fay to their nocturnal orgies, for it was one of the finest mornings I ever beheld, but to conclude their oblations to his divinityship.-Great geniuses will be excentric-Defying the common rules of common mortals, they will not admit of any restraint from time; but indulge the vivifying inspirations, till wearied nature, unable to keep pace with the intellectual powers, calls for repofe.-This accounts for the not unfrequent irregularities, with regard to hours, of my friend Quin.

Upon my arrival at Bristol, I found a letter from my maid, wherein fhe informed me that her mafter was laid up by a violent attack of the gout in his head; that my daughter had taken the fmall pox; and that my mother had indifcreetly fuffered the child to lie in her arms, as fhe had before permitted my fon, George Metham, to do, which had occafioned fymptoms that Mr. Adair feemed to think dangerous. This obliged me to remeasure back the road I had just come. My anxiety for my mother, whofe tenderness for child had induced her to run my fuch a risk of her health, fhe not having had that cruel disorder, as already obferved, impelling me to use the utmost expedition, I ordered two additional horfes to be put to the chaife, and wifhed for wings to haften my journey.

When I again reached Marlborough, which was about two o'clock at noon, I found that Mr. Quin was not yet stirring. But as I could not, either from my own feelings, or Mr. Calcraft's, whose impatience I well knew, avoid making the most expeditious return, I would not wait till he got up; but infifting upon his not rifing, I chatted by his bedfide till the carriage was announced to be ready.

When my companion and myself were feated in the chaife, in the course of converfation I found, that though we were both impatient to be in town,

that

that impatience fprung from very different motives. Whilst I was lamenting the cause of my sudden recall, Mrs. Walker was pleafing herself with agreeable expectations. Being always above difguife, I had made no fecret to her, as fhe had fo long known every transaction of my life, of my having a man of quality as a profeffed admirer, who was both rich and generous.

She from thence concluded, that as foon as Mr. Calcraft was dead, I might be induced. to form a connection with this nobleman, and thereby have it in my power to be more liberal to her than at prefent I could be,

She was the more anxious for this event, as fhe imagined I should then enable her to retrieve a lofs she had sustained through her indifcretion. After her firft husband, Mr. Delany's death, fhe was unkind enough, though poffeffed of the ability, to refufe affistance to his fifter, who was rather in diftreffed circumftances. Enraged at this, the fifter commenced a fuit of law against her; and as her only furviving child was now dead, and there was no legitimate heir, she gained from her an estate, which her husband had left her for a maintenance. By these interested views were my companion's thoughts agitated during our return, whilft mine were filled with anxiety.