friend turned his horfes' heads towards Hertfordshire, and away he pofted to Watford. He there learnt from Mr. Crawford, that Mr. Sykes, before he left England, had enquired much about me; and being told I was then in Paris, faid, he had no doubt but he fhould meet with me at fome of the public places. there. He further heard from him, that the fervant who had attended Mr. Sykes to the South of France, was foon expected to bring to England the will, together with the remains of his master; as he had particularly requested that they should be depofited in the church of St. Margaret's, Westminster. Mr. Crawford concluded with affuring him, that he had every reason to think I fhould have at least fifty thoufand pounds in confequence of this demise; of which a very confiderable fum was at that time in the funds.

Mr. Calcraft had prepared himself to offer a fop to this Cerberus, had he been able to produce the real teftimony of my good fortune. It, however, once more brought me acquainted with my Machiavilian coufin, who in the end convinced me, that if he could not prove my claim to fo much property, he would at leaft endeavour all he could to deprive me of what I had.

Upon further enquiry Mr. Calcraft found, that every article of the information he had received from Mr. Crawford was true. But it happened unluckily for me, that Mr. Sykes's fervant, willing to fecure

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those

thofe effects belonging to his master, which he had with him, and thinking his remains would reft as quietly in the place where he died, as in St. Margaret's, Westminster, neither thought proper to bring the will nor the body to England. He, however, took care to fecure himself an afylum, which has never yet been discovered. Some years after, when I vifited Holland, I heard, that as no legal claimant had for fo long appeared, the estate and perfonal property in that country fell to the States. The money depofited in the English funds, for the fame reason, ftill remains there.

Thus did my expectations, with regard to my great fortune, like all my other hopes, vanish into air.-Have I not reafon to exclaim, think you, as I have more than once done in the courfe of my narrative, that I am the most unfortunate of women?Why are we thus teafed with the representation of diftant pleasures, only that we might regret their being fnatched from us?—The evils of life are fure and lafting; the joys, fallacious and fhort-lived. But I fhall tire you with the repetition of thefe gloomy reflections. I will endeavour, therefore, to avoid them in future as much as poffible.-The most pointed stings of recollection only fhall draw a figh from me. And yet, fmarting as I am under the lashes of fortune, how hard will it be for me, when the causes pafs in review before me, to refrain from complaints!

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complaints!-Though I cannot fay, but that I expect from your friendship a sympathifing tear, as your eye glides over the moft difaftrous circumftances of my life, yet I would not wish them to distress you too much.

LETTER LX.

G. A. B.

April 8, 17-.

MR. RICH was very preffing for me to come

to town, long before my arm would permit me to do fo. At length, I found myself so well recovered as to attend the duties of the theatre. The first character I made my appearance in was that of Rutfand, in the "Earl of Effex." When I came to the mad fcene, I threw myself on the floor as ufual; and, in order to prevent my late fractured arm from receiving any injury from the fall, I fell on my right fide inftead of my left. Mrs. Clive, who was in the boxes, obferving this, her good nature got the better of her recollection, and fhe cried: out, O, she has broken her other arm!" The audience took the alarm, and, ftill honouring me: with their favour, called out, with a kind concern, for the curtain to be dropped. But finding, by my agility

agility in rifing, that I had not hurt myself, they suffered me to proceed; and I concluded the scene with more applause than ever I had received before. And that owing, in a great measure, to the affectionate impromptu which had fprung from that excellent woman's heart.

We endeavoured to fix on pieces in which Mifs Noffiter could appear with me. And fhe was making a progrefs, which would have rendered her more than a useful member of the theatrical community. But, alas! these bloffoms were not suffered to ripen. A froft, a killing froft, befpread by the cold breath of difappointed love, nipped their root, and with them the fair tree untimely fell. Hearing that Barry had left his wife, and had formed a connection with Mrs. Dancer, he took to her bed ; and, in a very short time, concluded both her theatrical and mortal race. By her death, the left her faithlefs lover to enjoy her fortune, and to present her diamonds, &c. to her furviving rival.

This season Mrs. Gregory, afterwards Mrs. Fitzhenry, a pupil of Mr. Sparks, debuted in Hermione. She promised to be a valuable performer, though not in the spring of youth, nor of the first degree of elegance. Her figure was showy, but not delicate; her voice had power without sweetness; yet there was fomething in the tout enfemble which made her appear, for fome little time, with reputation.

She

She played the character of Alicia, that season, for Mr. Sparks's benefit and mine; and the next, appeared in Zara for that of her inftructor; when I performed Almeria.

Upon this lady's return from Ireland, fome years after the æra I fpeak of, fhe appeared at Drury-Lane Theatre, in the character of Califta; and I was very much concerned to find, that he was not received with that eclat I hoped for. Indeed, I entertained the most fanguine expectations that fhe would meet with a favourable reception, from the time we played together in the "Diftreft Mother.” So much interested was I in her fuccefs, that when, in the character of Andromache, I again refumed my regalia, we were mutually obliged to part with fome portion of our finery, behind the fcenes, as fhe was not at that period in poffeffion of jewels. I have often inquired about this lady, but for years havenot been able to get any intelligence relative to her.

About this time Lord Tyrawley returned from his government at Gibraltar. Soon after his arrival, his Lordfhip was fummoned to appear before the House of Commons. This was done at the infti gation of a nobleman, more diftinguifhed for the brilliancy of his talents than for his perfonal bravery. The accufation against him was upon account of the great expenditure that had taken place,