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HAD cleared at my benefit the last season upwards of eleven hundred pounds. This was owing to several causes. I had for fome time been allowed to be fole dictatress among the polite ranks in the article of drefs. My judgment in this point was held in so much estimation, that the ladies would have been wretched who did not confult me relative to their birth-day or fancy cloaths. A mafquerade had been given by the foreign Ambassadors, which was the most splendid entertainment of the kind ever seen in England. This afforded me and my dreffer, Mrs. Tinno, (whom I had left behind me at Drury-lane when I removed from that Theatre)

VOL. III.

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fufficient employment. Fancy was tortured to fix on different dreffes for the crowds of ladies that applied to us. Had I fuffered it, there would have been a hundred Eltrudas. Lady Kildare and Lady Granby were now added to my list of patroneffes. In return for the affiftance I had given the numerous ladies upon this occafion, they each of them made a point to employ all their interest to encrease the emoluments of my night.

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Dr. Francis having been promoted through my application to Mr. Fox, and his promotion much talked of, I was looked up to as a proper perfon through whom to seek for preferment. All the military gentlemen, therefore, feized this opportunity to court my favour; and as the fureft way to do fo paid a handsome tribute to my theatrical merit. Lord Kildare, Lord Granby, Mr. Fox, and Mr. Digby, who was now returned from abroad, took four tickets at one hundred pounds each; and the three last continued their liberality to me till death. All these circumftances combined, account for the largeness of the before-mentioned fum.

I befides received prefents from Afia, Africa, and America, together with others the produce of our own climate. In fhort I was now in poffeffion of every thing that could excite the envy of the world. And yet amidst all this, even in the very zenith of

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my splendour, 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 with but to render themfelves acceptable to their "God."

The constant perturbation I underwent from these uneafy reflections, and the unceafing fatigue I had gone through, had greatly impaired my health. It was therefore thought adviseable for me to go to Brif-· tol 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 whofe name was Walker. When we reached Marlborough, as we drove into the yard of the castle, Mr. Ryan ran out to receive me, and greeted me with the pleafing intelligence,

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

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 likewife 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 acquaintance; 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 "prefently!" Turning about, I perceived him at the window, with his night-cap on; and before I could suppose 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 fondness of a father, I received that confolation from his advice, which I always experienced from unbosoming myself to this most difinterested and fincereft of friends. At three o'clock I retired and ordered a poft chaife to pursue 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 geniufes 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.

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