Mifs Moore has written a poem called Le Bas Bleu; which is in my opinion a very great performance. It wanders about in manuscript, and furely will foon find its way to Bath,

I fhall be glad of another letter from my dear Queeney; the former was not much to be cenfured. The reckoning between me and Mifs Sophy is out of my head. She must write to tell me how it ftands.

I am fenfible of the ease that your repayment of Mr. * * * * * * has given; you felt yourself genée by that debt; is there an English word for it?

As you do not now use your books, be pleased to let Mr. Cator know that I may borrow what I want. I think at present to take only Calmet, and the Greek Anthology. When I lay fleepless, I ufed to drive the night along by turning Greek epigrams into Latin.

.I know not if I have not turned a hundred.

It is time to return you thanks for your prefent. Since I was fick, I know not if I have not had more delicacies fent me than I had ever feen till I faw your table.

It

It was always Dr. Heberden's enquiry, whether my appetite for food continued. It indeed never failed me; for he confidered the ceffation of appetite as the defpair of nature yielding up her power to the force of the difease.

1

MAKE hafte to fend you intelligence, which, I if I do not ftill flatter myself, you will not receive without fome degree of pleasure. After a confinement of one hundred twentynine days, more than the third part of a year, and no inconfiderable part of human life, I. this day returned thanks to God in St. Clement's church, for my recovery; a recovery, in my feventy-fifth year, from a distemper which few in the vigour of youth are known

to

to furmount; a recovery, of which neither myself, my friends, nor my physicians, had any hope; for though they flattered me with fome continuance of life, they never fuppofed that I could ceafe to be dropfical. The dropfy however is quite vanished, and the asthma fo much mitigated, that I walked to-day with a more easy respiration than I have known, I think, for perhaps two years paft. I hope the mercy that lengthens my days, will affift me to use them well.

The Hooles, Mifs Burney, and Mrs. Hull (Wefley's fifter), feafted yesterday with me very cheerfully on your noble falmon. Mr. Allen could not come, and I fent him a piece, and a great tail is ftill left.

Dr. Brocklesby forbids the club at present, not caring to venture the chillness of the evening; but I purpose to fhew myself on Saturday at the Academy's feaft. I cannot publish my return to the world more effectually; for, as the Frenchman fays, tout le monde s'y

trouvera.

For this occafion I ordered fome cloaths; and was told by the taylor, that when he brought me a fick drefs, he never expected to

MADAM,

ON

N Saturday I fhewed myself again to the living world at the Exhibition; much and splendid was the company: but like the Doge of Genoa at Paris, I admired nothing but myself. I went up all the ftairs to the pictures without ftopping to reft or to breathe,

"In all the madnefs of fuperfluous health."

The Prince of Wales had promised to be there; but when we had waited an hour and half, fent us word that he could not come.

My cough ftill torments me; but it is only a cough, and much less oppreffive than fome of former times, but it difturbs my nights.

Mrs.

Mrs. Davenant called to pay me a guinea, but I gave two for you. Whatever reasons you have for frugality, it is not worth while to fave a guinea a-year by withdrawing it from a public charity.

I know not whether I told you that my old friend Mrs. Cotterel, now no longer Mifs, has called to see me. Mrs. Lewis is not well.

Mrs. Davenant fays, that you regain your health. That you regain your health is more than a common recovery; because I infer, that you regain your peace of mind. Settle your thoughts and controul your imagination, and think no more of Hefperian felicity. Gather yourself and your children into a little system, in which each may promote the ease, the safety, and the pleasure of the rest.

Mr. Howard called on me a few days ago, and gave the new edition, much enlarged, of his Account of Prisons. He has been to furvey the prisons on the continent; and in Spain he tried to penetrate the dungeons of the Inquifition, but his curiofity was very imperfectly gratified. At Madrid they shut him quite out; at Villadolid they fhewed him fome publick rooms.

I

While