by the villany of a very bad man in the unpleasant situation I am now in. I have made over my half-pay for the sum for which I was arrested; but some trifling charges which occur enforce me to make an application to your wonted generosity for some immediate assistance, to liberate the author of your favoured poem of the Extravaganza from a prison.

"I am, with profound respect, your grateful humble servant,

"THOMAS DERMODY.

"No. 4, Debtors' Side, Newgate. Monday Night."

To Sir James Bland, Burges, Bart.

"SIR,

"I HAVE the honour of sending the last portion (such as it is) of my poems, in order that you may condescend to mark those trifles you approve for publication. Being rather suspicious that I have lately

received much injury from latent and unprovoked malevolence (a method which has been formerly tried, in regard to me, on the mind of a most accomplished nobleman *, my unwearied and munificent benefactor), I feel the more anxiety at the indifference, not to say contempt, with which my late applications seem to have been received. I am unconscious of any conduct so reprehensible as to merit this coldness from a personage who so lately seemed to take a particular pleasure in conferring unsolicited favours. On this account I once more presume to request the happiness of an explanatory line; for which, if granted, the bearer will attend. "I am, sir, most respectfully, your very obliged and grateful servant,

"THOMAS DERMODY.

"Saturday Morning. No. 10, Portpool-lane,

Gray's-inn-lane."

*The earl of Moira.

To Sir James Bland Burges, Bart.

SIR,

"HAVING escaped from my late embarrassments, I cannot forbear deploring that such a misfortune should excite contempt, not awaken pity. Pardon me if I express some surprise at the silence in which a personage of your refined and liberal sentiment passed over the application of a young man whom you had condescended to patronize, and whose labours were at the same time publishing under the sanction of your name. Nothing but very great distress could prompt such repeated intrusion; but where may the Muse apply, if not to her own most affluent and enlightened favourites? Though at the present crisis reduced to much necessity, yet a few weeks more, I hope, will considerably alter my situation. Mean time, most respect

4

fully soliciting your consideration of my case, I am, sir, with great gratitude, your most obedient humble servant,

"THOMAS DERMODY,

66 10, Portpool-lane, Gray's-inn-lane, Saturday Morning."

To Sir James Bland Burges, Bart.

"THOMAS DERMODY has in vain solicited a reply from sir James Bland Burges to his numerous entreaties. The cause he cannot divine, as he imagined sir James did not intend his displeasure to be immortal, Indeed, from a poetic mind he had more hopes of lenity than from the ordinary classes of mankind. Dermody's volume is nearly printed; and sir James will imagine his chagrin at being deprived of that personage's favour to whom it is inscribed, and from whose sanction he formed his most immediate hopes of success. If sir

James will condescend to grant Dermody a short interview, he will attend his leisure at ten o'clock to-morrow; and humbly hopes to prove the reform in his conduct, as far as his embarrassed circumstances permit.

66 Portpool-lane, Gray's-inn-lane, Wednesday Morning.”

This request, however, sir James did not grant, though applications were repeatedly made for the same purpose: and thus did Dermody, as he had often done before, lose a friend and benefactor who had made many vain efforts to reclaim him from his follies; and tocheck those gross propensities which sullied his genius, and too often compelled him to languish under difficulties which an opposite course would have totally prevented, or would have incited the interest of an indulgent patron to remove. The peculiarities of his conduct will appear still more strongly marked on its being