The fpirit of the boy pleased me, and from that hour refolved not to curb it. He was a great favourite in Mr, Hoole's family; and as that gentleman is poffeffed of one of the best of hearts, in addition to his other qualifications, it was not long before he obtained for my nephew a brevet in the honourable the Eaft-India Company's fervice at Bombay.

The difficulty was how to fit him out. As my finances were but in an indifferent fituation, I was obliged to try my credit; and failing in that, to the amount of about eighty or ninety pounds, I applied to Mr. Woodward, who faid he would advance the money upon his bond; as he well knew, though a minor, his principles and honour were fuch as he could depend upon.

My worthy friend Mr. Hoole now introduced him to a gentleman of the India-Houfe, named Corbet; who not only lent him twelve guineas, but fpoke to a Captain in his favour, and fhewed him uncommon civilities. Befides this teftimony of friendship, I was indebted to Mr. Hoole the fum of forty pounds, which I am forry to say ftill remains unpaid. Thefe circumftances undoubt edly made me feel this coolness more feverely than otherwife I fhould have done; and I do not know that any deprivation of feeing real friends ever gave me fuch fenfible pain.

But these revolutions in friendships are, I fee, as certain and unavoidable, as the common viciffitudes in all human affairs. Even those which appear to be the firmeft founded, which have a fimilarity of fentiment and difpofition for their bafis, are not fometimes proof against the feeblest blafts of difcord.-How finely has my immortal poet defcribed this frailty, and confirmed the foregoing obfervation * !

"Oh! world, thy flippery turns! friends now fast "sworn,

"Whofe double bofoms feem to wear one heart,

Whofe hours, whose bed, whofe meal, and exercise, "Are ftill together, who twine, as 'twere, in love "Unfeparable; fhall within this hour,

"On a diffenfion of a doit, break out

"To bitter enmity."

At the conclufion of the fummer, Mr. Woodward engaged with his former opponent, Foote, to go to Scotland, and to play during the fummer at the little theatre. As I had now no business to call, me to town, I determined to remain at Strand, and divert myself with books, birds, and writing. I began a comedy; but unfortunately, Thalia had no fooner honoured me with a vifit, tlian she was obliged fuddenly to decamp, upon account of the return of a far more difagreeable vifitant,

Coriolanus, A& IV. Scene III.

the

the pain in my fide; a guest with whofe intrufions I had long been troubled, and of whom, notwithstanding all my endeavours, I could not totally get rid. This obliged me to come to town, as I had no opinion of any of the phyfical gentlemen but Mr. Adair, to whose skill and unremitting attention I had been frequently indebted.

I had now no dependence but on Comte Haflang's promised friendship, and a few jewels, the relicts of Mifs Meredith's legacy, the very thoughts of parting from which almoft broke my heart.. Notwithstanding this, I wrote to a lady, without confidering her tafte for expence, and the contracted state of my finances, to procure me a lodging for a few weeks, for myself and one maidfervant. Accordingly I fet off the next day, leaving the cook, gardener, and footman, to take care of my treasure at Strand.

At the time Mr. Woodward firft made the propofal to board with me, he had laid in wine, coals, candles, &c. &c. and infifted (as he had engaged for a year, and as he hoped I would permit him to return in the fummer) upon paying the whole fum he had agreed for, notwithstanding his abfence. All falfe punctilio ceased upon this occafion; and, when he fet off for Scotland,

he left me the quarter's money, together with all his writings, in a strong box.

Being unwilling to hazard a depofit of fuch importance in the country whilft I was away, I took this box with me to town; and finding a ray of my ufual prefentiment cross my mind just as I arrived in London, I inftantly determined that I would not take it to Mrs. Moore's (the Lady I had wrote to), though the lived in stile, and kept a number of fervants; I therefore ftopt at Mr. Colley's, in Grofvenor-ftreet, and left it provi dentially in his care.

When I arrived in South Audley-ftreet, I found Mrs. Moore extremely ill, lying upon a couch in her dreffing-room, which was towards the ftreet, her beft rooms being backwards. She informed me, that her woman had taken a lodging for me, agreeable to my requeft; and that it was in Leicester-ftreet, at two guineas a week. This intelligence ftartled me, as I was miftrefs of but nine guineas; and thofe were all I was 'certain of, till I should receive Mr. Woodward's quarter at Christmas.

Mrs. Moore infifted upon my ftaying the night; and, indeed, her illness induced me to do this, as fhe would not fuffer any body to fit up with her ; and her bed was one of the daughters of the bed of Ware. You know fupper is my only meal; therefore,

therefore, when the lady retired to her repofe, I had the cloth laid, and a nobleman, who had called in upon a vifit, walked about the room while I ate it. About twelve, his Lordship left me. Upon hearing a loud knock at the door, immediately after, I rang, to enquire what occafioned it; when the butler informed me, that the noble vifitor had met fome ill-looking, fellows at the corner of the ftreet, who, upon his telling them he feared they were upon no good, one replied, "Go home, my "Lord, and be fatisfied there is no harm intend"ed you." This induced his Lordship to return, in order to take a ftick he had feen in the hall, as he paffed through it, by way of defence.

As I generally read till I am fleepy, I took up a book with me into the bed-chamber, and em ployed myself in that manner till I heard the clock ftrike two. I then went into bed; and I had not been laid down five minutes, before I heard a great noife in the houfe. Very fortunately for me this happened after I was undreffed, otherwife I. fhould have gone to have checked the fervants for difturbing their lady, at a time when the was fo much indifpofed. This was a liberty I should have taken at the houfe even of common acquaintance; and much more here, where I could as free as in my own.

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