nected with genius-An attention to the common concerns of life feems to be naturally difguftful to the fcientific mind-And therefore the fons and daughters of genius, fo often,*"no revenue have, but their good fpirits to feed and cloath them."

Happening to be particularly engaged for the remainder of the day, I thought no more of my coufin or my ear-rings, till the next morning. And even then, when they occurred to my recollection, I fuppofed that he had not been able to meet with Mr. Smith, or by fome difappointment or other was prevented from calling; and I remained perfectly easy. But in a few days after, having occafion for my ear-rings, I fent to his chambers for them; when I was aroufed from my confidential ftupor, by the information I received; which was, that the gentleman had moved himself off to France, his affairs being in a defperate fituation, and that he had taken all his friends in, to maintain himself and his family during his exile. And what was doubly mortifying and inconvenient to me was, that when the bond was prefented for payment by Mr. Smith, it appeared to be for two hundred pounds inftead of one hundred, the fum I fuppofed it to have been given for.

Being about to enter upon another topic, and, likewife, to give you an account of a

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* Hamlet, A&ts III. Scene IV.

tranf

tranfaction, which whilft it was upon the tapis, made a great noife in the world, let me premife, that not a fingle circumftance fhall' be related, but what I was either a perfonal witness to, or from my own knowledge can affirm the truth of. This affurance I am perfuaded will reprefs the fainteft fufpicion in your mind of the credibility of my account, notwithstanding it fhould clafh with the reprefentation of popular clamour, or private pique.

G. A. B.

LETTER LXVI.

May. 26, 17

I

HAD now rendered myself so useful to Mr. Fox, not only by copying his letters, but by my conftant attendance in the House of Commons, during the feffions, my retentive faculties being almost as extraordi. nary as his own, that he began to be difpleased, at my not going to Hollwood as ufual. He was alfo more particular defirous of it at this time, as he wifhed, if poffible, to fix that weather-cock, Charles Townshend, with whom I was a great favourite. This alone induced me to break through the refolution I had formed, and more frequently to make one in the parties. When they began to play, I always retired,

and

and as no other woman but myself was permitted to be there upon thofe occafions, my fituation was not the most agreeable.

During the leisure hours this afforded me, I had time to indulge my reflections. And these reflections informed me, that I was miferable. But why I was fo I knew not. F languished for happiness, without being able to diftinguish what road I was to take in the purfuit of it. The thoughts of my numerous debts was not the reafon of this dejection, as I was well affured, that upon my being refolute, Mr. Calcraft would pay them. Nor was my fituation with regard to him the bane of my tranquillity. For as every body supposed me married, or at least all fuch as I wifhed to do fo, and I looked upon it as an event which was certainly to happen, that gave me very little anxiety.

A depreffion of spirits which I could not account for, overclouded my mind. And in these fits of melancholy I would indulge my tears for hours together. At length I imputed it to the unwearied attention I was obliged to beftow on the different employments I was engaged in. I therefore refolved to accept an invitation I had received from Mrs. Child; who, with her husband, was fettled at Bruffels, and occafionally went to Cologn. And as I had never been able to fulfil my promise of paying a vifit to Voltaire,

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taire, I intended, the approaching fummer, to accomplish both.

But two events prevented me from carrying my design into execution. The first indeed did not immediately concern me; but, as it was productive of great diftrefs both to the family of the Secretary of War, and our own, I fhared in the uneafinefs it occafioned. As the public have been greatly milled with regard to the affair, and various reports have been propagated which had not the leaft foundation in truth, I will repeat the circumstances to you, agreeable to my promife at the conclufion of my last letter, as they really happened.

Mr. Fox being upon a visit to his brother, Lord Ilchefter, Mr. Calcraft called at Holland-house, according to his usual custom, to enquire, before he wrote to his patron, whether there were any letters for him, or any other bufinefs to inform him of. One day as he called, he found Fanning, whom Mr. Fox had now made his fteward, in converfation with a man who had the appearance of a farmer. Juft as Mr. Calcraft entered, he heard Fanning fay, "I am fure it " is not my master's hand. But here comes "a gentleman who can inform you better "than I can." Saying this, he delivered into Mr. Calcraft's hand a leafe. When Mr. Calcraft had looked over it, he declared that the fignature was not Mr. Fox's.

"No,"

"Nor," continued he, " can there be such a "lease really exifting. For the late Mrs. "Horner discharged Ayliffe from her fer"vice, upon account of his having married "a perfon fhe did not approve of; and it is "not to be fuppofed fhe would grant him a "leafe for the life of himself, his fon, and that very wife, for the imprudent choice. "of whom he had difmiffed him."

The farmer no fooner heard this, than he exclaimed, "Then I am undone! the vil"lain has robbed me of what I had faved "for my daughters' portions!" Upon a further investigation of the affair, Mr. Calcraft found that the leafe given to the farmer had been forged, purpofely to raise money upon. Mr. Fox had made this Ayliffe a riding commiffary. The income arifing from this employment was alone more than fufficient to fupport fuch a family as his; but he had, in addition to it, adopted the profeffion of buying eftates. As he was fuppofed to be a good judge of the value of land, Mr. Cal- · craft had impowered him to purchase for him eftates in Dorfetfhire. And Ayliffe had already received the fum of eleven thousand pounds from him for that purpose: Elfe, in all probability, he would have continued his depredations for fome time longer:

But my good gentleman no fooner difcovered by this accident what Ayliffe had been at, than, ever anxious for his own intereft, he

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im