Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

Mafter talked of getting; but that vile black dog

Mrs. Queeney might write to me, and do herself no harm; fhe will neglect me till I shall take to Sufy, and then Queeney may break her heart, and who can be blamed? I am fure I ftuck to Queeney as long as I could.

Does not Mafter talk how full his canal will be when he comes home. Now or never. I know not how the foil was laid; if it flopes towards the canal, it may pour in a great deal of water, but I fufpect it flopes the wrong way.

This is but the fourteenth day; there are twelve more to the twenty-fixth. Did you ever hear of notching a ftick? however we have it in Horace-truditur dies die; as twelve days have gone, twelve days will come.

Hector of Birmingham just looked in at me. He is come to his only niece, who is ill of a cancer; I believe with very little hope, for it is knotted in two places.

I think at least I grow no worfe; perhaps valerian may make me better. Let me have your prayers.

[blocks in formation]

I

LETTER CXCVIII.

To Mrs. THRA L E.

DEAR MADAM,

Nov. 21, 1778.

WILL write to you once more before you come away; but-nil mihi refcribas-I hope foon to fee you. Burney and I have fettled it; and I will not take a poft-chaise, merely to fhew my independence.

Now the dog is drowned, I fhall fee both you and my mafter just as you are used to be, and with your being as you have been, your friends may very reasonably be fatisfied.Only, be better if you can.

Return my thanks, if you please, to Queeney for her letter. I do not yet design to leave her for Sufy; but how near is the time when she will leave me, and leave me to Sufy, or any body else that will pick me up.

-Currit enim ferox

Ætas, et illi, quos tibi demferit,

Apponet annos.

Queeney,

Queeney, whom you watched while I held her, will foon think our care of her very fuperfluous.

Mifs Biron, and, I fuppofe, Mrs. Biron, is gone. You are by this time left alone to wander over the Steine, and liften to the waves. This is but a dull life. Come away

and be bufy, and count your poultry, and look into your dairy, and at leisure hours learn what revolutions have happened at Streathain.

I believe I told you that Jack Defmoulines is rated upon the book at Drury-lane fiveand-twenty fhillings a-week.

Baretti has told his musical scheme to B—, and B - will neither grant the queftion nor deny. He is of opinion, that if it does not fail it will fucceed, but if it does not fucceed he conceives it must fail.

It is good to speak dubiously about futurity. It is likewife not amiss to hope.

Did I ever tell you that *

* was

* fell

married? It fo fell out, that * * in love with a girl whofe fortune was fo small that he perhaps could not mention it to

9

his father; but it happened likewise, by the lottery of love, that the father liked her fo well, as himself to recommend her to * * * *. Such coincidence is rare.

Come now, do come home as fast as you

can:

Come with a whoop, come with a call,
Come with a good will, or come not at all.

I am, &c.

LETTER CXCIX.

To Mrs. THRA L E.

March 10, 1779.

ND fo, dear Madam, it is a mumm to A

fee who will fpeak firft. I will come to fee you on Saturday, only let me know whether I must come to the Borough, or am to be taken up here.

Baretti's golden dream is now but filver. He is of my mind; he fays, there is no money for diverfions. But we make an

other

other onset on Friday, and this is to be the laft time this feafon.

I got my Lives, not yet quite printed, put neatly together, and fent them to the King; what he says of them I know not. If the King is a Whig, he will not like them; but is any king a Whig?

So far had I gone, when in came Mr. Thrale, who will have the honour of bringing it.

I am, &c.

LETTER CC.

To Mrs. THRAL E.

DEAR MAD AM,

THERE

March 18, 1779.

HERE is fome comfort in writing, when fuch praise is to be had. Plato is a mul

titude.

On Monday I came late to Mrs. Vesey. Mrs. Montague was there; I called for the print, and got good words. The evening was not brilliant, but I had thanks for my com

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinua »