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women, &c.; fo that, upon the most moderate calculation, the number of fouls in his camp cannot be reckoned at lefs than twenty thousand.

There are generally about twenty or thirty of the gentlemen of his Court, who attend him on his hunting parties, and are the companions of his fports and pleasures. They are principally his own relations in different degrees of confanguinity; and fuch as are not related to him, are of the old refpectable families of Hindoftan, who either have Jaghires, or are otherwife fupported by the Nabob: all of thefe are obliged to keep a fmall establishment of elephants for the fake of attending the Nabob; befides horses, a palanquin, &c.

The Nabob, and all the gentlemen of his camp, are provided with double fets of tents and camp equipage, which are always fent on the day before to the place whither he intends going, which is generally about eight or ten miles in whatever direction he expects moft game; fo that by the time he has finished his fport in the morning, he finds the whole camp ready pitched for his reception.

His Highnefs always rifes before day-break, and after using the hot bath, he eats an English breakfast of tea and toaft, which is generally over by the time the day is well broke. He then mounts his elephant, attended by all his household and Swary, and preceded by fome musicians on horfeback, finging, and playing on mufical inftruments. He proceeds forwards, and is prefently joined, from the different quarters of the camp, by the gentlemen of his Court, who having paid their refpects, fall in upon their elephants on each fide of, or behind, the Nabob's, fo as to form a regular moving Court or Durbar; and in this manner they march on converfing together, and looking out for game. A great many dogs are led before, and are conftantly picking up hares, foxes, jackalls, and fometimes deer. The hawks are alfo carried immediately before the cle

phants, and are let fly at whatever game is fprung for them, which generally confifts of partridges, in great numbers and varieties, quails, buftards, and different kinds of herons, which laft give excellent fport with the falcons, or fharp-winged hawks. The Nabob takes great pains in ranging the elephants in a regular line, which is very extenfive, and by proceeding in this manner no game can escape. The horfe are generally at a little diftance upon the wings, but fmall parties of three or four horfemen are placed in the intervals of, or before the elephants, in order to ride after the hawks, and aflift the dogs when loofed at deer, or very often the horfemen run down what we call the hog-deer, without any dogs. Wild boars are fometimes started, and are either shot or run down by the dogs and horfemen.

When intelligence is brought of a tyger, it is matter of great joy, as that is confidered as the principal fport, and all the rest only occafional to fill up the time. Preparations are instantly made for purfuing him, which is done by affembling all the elephants, with as many people as can conveniently go upon their backs, and leaving all the reft, whether on foot or on horfeback, behind. The elephants are then formed into a line, and proceed forward regularly; the Nabob and all his attendants having their fire-arms in readinefs. The cover, in which the tyger is moft frequently found, is long grafs, or reeds fo high as often to reach above the elephants, and it is very difficult to find him in fuch a place, as he either endeavours to steal off, or lies fo close that he cannot be roufed till the elephants are almost upon him. He then roars and skulks away, but is fhot at as foon as he can' be feen; and it is generally contrived, in compliment to the Nabob, that he fhall have the firft fhot at him. If he is not difabled, he continues fkulking away, the line of elephants following him, and the Nabob and others fhooting at him as often as he can be feen,

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till he falls. Sometimes, when he can be traced to a particular fpot where he couches, the elephants are formed into a circle round him, and in that cafe, when he is roufed, he generally attacks the elephant that is nearest to him, by fpringing upon him with a dreadful roar, and biting at, or tearing him with his claws: but in this cafe, from his being obliged to fhew himself, he is foon difpatched by the number of fhots aimed at him; for the greatest difficulty is to roufe him, and get a fair view of him. The elephants all this time are dreadfully frightened, fhrieking and roaring in a manner particularly expreffive of their fear: and this they begin as foon as they fmell him, or hear him growl, and generally endeavour to turn back from the place where the tyger is: fome of them, however, but very few, are bold enough to be driven up to attack him, which they do by curling the trunk clofe up under the mouth, and then charging the tyger with their tusks; or they endeavour to prefs him to death by falling on him with their knees, or treading him under their feet. If one tyger is killed, it is confidered as a good day's fport: but fometimes two or three are killed in one day, or even more, if they meet with a female and her cubs. The Nabob then proceeds towards his tents upon the new ground, fo that every day is both a marching day and a day of fport; or fometimes he halts for a day or two upon a place that he likes, but not often. When he gets to his tents, which is generally about eleven or twelve o'clock, he dines, and goes to Beep for an hour or two. In the afternoon he mounts his elephant again, and takes a circuit about the skirts of the camp, with the dogs and hawks; or fometimes amuses himself with an elephant fight, with fhooting at a mark, or fuch like amufements; and this courfe he repeats every day infallibly during the whole of the party.

The other principal objects of the Nabob's fport are, wild elephants, buffaloes, and rhinoceros.

I was prefent two years ago at the chace of a wild elephant of prodigious fize and ftrength. The plan first followed, was to endeavour to take him alive by the affiftance of the tame elephants, who try to furround him, whilft hewas kept at bay by fire-works, fuch as crackers, porte-fires, &c. but he always got off from them, notwithftanding the drivers upon fome of the tame elephants got so near as to throw noozes of very strong ropes over his head, and endeavoured to detain him by faftening them round trees, but he fnapped them like packthread, and held on his way towards the foreft. The Nabob then ordered fome of the strongeft and moft furious of his fighting elephants to be brought up to him. As foon as one of them came near him, he turned and charged him with dreadful fury; fo much fo, that in the ftruggle with one of them, he broke one of his tufks by the middle, and the broken piece (which was upwards of two inches in diameter, of solid i◄ vory) flew up in the air feveral yards above their heads. Having repelled the attacks of the fighting elephants, he purfued his way with a flow and fullen pace towards his cover. Nabob then feeing no poflibility of ta king him alive, gave orders for killing him. An inceffant fire from matchlocks was immediately commenced upon him from all quarters, but with little effect, for he twice turned round and charged the party. In one of these charges he ftruck obliquely upon the elephant which the Prince rode, and threw him on his fide, but fortunately paffed on without offering farther injury to him. The Prince, by laying hold of the Howdah, kept himself in his feat, but the fervant he had behind, and every thing he had with him on the Howdah, was thrown off to a great distance. At last, our grisly enemy was overpowered by the number of bullets fhowered upon him from all fides, and he fell dead, after having received, as was computed, upwards of one thoufand balls in his body.

The

Original

Original Letters of the celebrated John Wilmot Earl of Rochefter, to his Lady and Son.

THA

HAT there is a kind of veneration, which may be filed Natural, for whatever belongs to great men, appears from hence, that in all ages and in all countries this humour has prevailed, and the moft trifling things have been thought precious on the fcore of their belonging to, or having been left by fome perfon of high diftinction. We may add to this, that the value of thefe relics is very little, if at all, enhanced by their materials. The rufty fword of Scanderbeg would be looked upon (except by a Goldfmith) as infinitely a better thing than a modern gold hilt ever fo finely fimifh'd; and hence it is, that we fee fuch large fums given for things of very little intrinfic value, and fometimes too of very doubtful authority.

It is from thefe confiderations, and many more of a like nature that might be mentioned, that, it is hoped, the Public will receive pleasure from the publication of thefe few genuine remains of a nobleman, efteemed the greatest Wit in an age the molt fertile of wits this ifland has ever had to boaft. We cannot indeed fay, that they relate either to ftriking or important fubjects, for they are addreffed to the Countess his wife, (to whom, if not ever conftant, he was always civil) and to his Son, while a child of eight years old at Eaton. We cannot therefore expect any thing of that flame and paflion, which would have appeared in his epiftles to Mrs Barry, who is known to have been his favourite, and to have owed to his inftructions a very large fhare of that fame which the acquired upon the stage. Neither are we to look for the grave, fententious difcourfes of one who was or had a mind to pafs for a philofopher, that being neither his Lordfhip's character; nor would it have been a ftile proper to have been conVOL. VII. No 39.

prehended by one of so tender an age, as the child to whom thefe epiftles were addreffed.

But we may look for good fenfe, good humour, and a good manner of writing to a wife and child, without being difappointed. They have in this refpect all the beauties that can be wifhed for; they are eafy and correct: thofe to his Lady full of humour; thofe to his Son, of paternal tenderness and good fenfe. They fhew us, that he was not able to fet pen to paper, on the flightest and most trivial occafion, without leaving thofe marks of genius, which distinguish a true wit, and which one who affects it can never reach. The letter to his lady, ill fpelt and full of hard words, is no doubt a very natural buriefque on that kind of file, which then was and ftill is in ufe among a certain fort of people; the verfes alfo have probably the fame character, and in the laft letter there are allufions, which we live at too great ajdiftance of time to hope for any lights that may enable us fully to understand. But what then? the fame thing happens in the familiar letters of all the ancients, and yet they are not thought trivial, or be low our notice. We enter as far as we can into the family circumstances of fuch epiftles; and yet we have nothing more to do with them than with thefe. The only rational caufe that can be affigned for the pleafure we receive in reading them, is the delight that conftantly refults from looking into hyman nature, and examining the receffes of the mind. This we may gratify here as well as there; and therefore thofe who have a true tafte cannot fail of approving the pains taken to convey thefe glittering fragments, long buried in the duft of a clofet, with due refpect to pofterity.

X

LETTER L

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II. To his Son.

you receive this, and know that I have fent this gentleman to be your tutor, you will be very glad to fee that I take fo much care of you, and be very grateful; which is beit fhewn in being obedient. You are now grown bigg enough to be a man, if you can be wife enough; and the way to be truly fo, is to ferve God, learn your book, and obferve the instructions of your parents, and next your tutor, to whom I have intirely refigned you for thefe feven years; and according as you employ that time, you are to be happy or unhappy for ever; but I have fo good an opinion of you, that I am glad to think you will never deceive me. Dear child, learn your book, and be obedient, and you fhall fee what a father I will be to you: You fhall want no pleafure whilft you are good, and that you may be fo, is always my conftant ROCHESTER.

I Hope, Charles, when

prayer.

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mother may be pleafed to difpofe of my children, my chymift, and my little dogs, and whatever is mine, as the pleafes; only if I may have nothing about me as I like, it will be the caufe of making the felicity of waiting on her befall me very feldome. Thus I remain with my duty to her, my service to you, and all those things, ROCHESTER.

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for the honour they have to lie on cushions of cloth of gold at the feet of the Great Mogul. The dog's name is Omrah. To my daughter I have fent the very perfon of the Duchefs La Valliere, late Miftrefs to the King of France, dried up and pined away to a very small proportion by fafting.

I

VI.-To Lady Rochefter.
MADAM,

RECEIVED three pictures, and am in a great fright left they fhould be like you. By the bignefs of the head I thould apprehend you far gone in the rickets; by the feverity of the countenance, fomewhat inclined to prayer and prophecy; yet there is an alacrity in your plump cheeks, that feems to fignify fack and fugar; and your fharp-fighted nofe has borrowed quicknefs from the fweet-fmelling eye. I never saw a chin fimile before, a mouth frown, or a forehead mump. Trucly the artift has done his part (God keep him humble) and a fine man he is, if his excellencies don't puff him up like his pictures. The next impertinence I have to tell you is, that I am coming into the country; I have got horfes, but want a coach; when that defect is fupplied, you fhall quickly have the trouble of

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Your humble Servant, ROCHESTER.

VII.-To the Same.

MADAM,

AM at laft come to Adderbury, where I find none but the houfe

keeper, the butler, and rats, who squeak mightily, and are all in good health; your daughter, our next door neighbour, is well; I gave her your prefent, which he received handfomely. Your maids, for good hufbandry and equipage fake, I would have fent you from tithing to tithing, as the law of England allows; but Florance was gentle and penitent, and deferves fomething better. I have given her counfel for one end, and a soft pillion for the other, upon which the ambles to Somerfetfhire, where I am glad to hear your Ladyfhip is, I hope in good health at this prefent writing. Your other maid is a very eloquent perfon, and I have paid her her wages. To-morrow I intend for Woodstock, and from thence to London, where I hope to receive your commands. Prefent my humble duty to my Lady Warre, whofe favours will ever be in my grateful memory; my humble fervice to Lady La Warre, to coufin Betty, Sweet Honey, Mr Windham, the Spright, and the little girl whom my foul loveth. I hope my brother is well, but it is not ufual to prefent our fervice to men in ladies letters; fo like a well-bred gentleman I rest, Madam,

Your humble Servant,
ROCHESTER.

If you are pleafed, I am pleased: were my mother pleafed, all were pleafed; which God be pleased to grant. ROCHESTER.

Memoirs of Richard Brinley Sheridan, Efq*.

ICH. BRINSLEY SHERIDAN is of a family which, during the greatest part of the prefent century, has been eminent for genius and learning. The fame which it has acquired, has been built on the moft fecure foun

dation, and promises to receive ftill further increase from the branches of it now in being.

He is fon of Thomas Sheridan, Efq; (heretofore manager of the theatre in Dublin, and well known in London X 2 *Court and City Mag.

for

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