fhould grant my petition implicitly. But, in earnest, I intend to come and stay a =day or two with you next fummer.

Mr. Whistler is at Mr. Gofling's, bookfeller, at the Mitre and Crown, in Fleet-treet, and inquired much after you in his laft letter to me. He writes to me; but I believe his affection for one weighs lefs with him while the town is in the other scale; though he is very obliging. I do not know whether I do right, when I fay I believe we three, that is, in folitary circumstances, have an equal idea of, and affection for, each other. I fay, fuppofing each to be alone, or in the country, which is nearly the fame; for fcenes alter minds as much as the air influences bodies. For instance, when Mr. Whiftler is in town, I fuppofe we love him better than he does us; and when we are in town, I fuppofe the fame may be faid in regard to him.

The true burlefque of Spenfer (whofe characteristic is fimplicity) feems to confit in a fimple reprefentation of fuch. things as one laughs to fee or to obferve one's felf, rather than in any monftrous contrast betwixt the thoughts and words. I cannot help thinking that my added ftanzas have more of his manner than what you faw before, which you are not a judge of till you have read him.

I

Dear Sir,

1743.

LONG heartily to talk over affairs with your tête-à-tête; but am an utter enemy to the fatigue of tranfcribing what might pafs well enough in converfation. I fhall fay nothing more concerning my departure from L-, than that it was neceflary, and therefore excufable.-I have been fince with a gentleman upon the borders of Wales, Bishop's Castle, from whence I made a digreffion one day beyond Offa's Dyke; faw mountains which converted all that I had feen into molehills; and houses which changed the Leafowes into Hampton-Court: where they talk of a glazed window as a piece of magnificence; and where their highest idea of his Majefty is, that he can ride in fuch a coach as 'Squire Jones or 'Squire Pryce's. The woman of the inn,

at one place, faid, "Glafs (in windows) "was very genteel, that it was; but she "could not afford fuch finery."

You agree with the rest of the married world in a propensity to make profelytes. This inclination in fome people gives one a kind of dread of the matter. They are ill-natured, and can only with one in their own ftate because they are unhappy; like perfons that have the plague, who, they fay, are ever defirous to propagate the infection. I make a contrary conclufion when you commend marriage, as you seem to do, when you wish Mils may reconcile me to more than the name of wife. I know not what you have heard of my amour; probably more than I can thoroughly confirm to you. And what if I should fay to you, that marriage was not once the fubject of our converfation?

Nec conjugis unquam

« Prætendi tædas, aut hæc in fœdera veni.”

Do not you think every thing in nature ftrangely inproved fince you were married, from the tea-table to the warming-pan?

I want to fee Mrs. Jago's hand-writing, that I may judge of her temper; but the muft write fomething in my praise. Pray see you to it, in your next letter.

I could parodize my Lord Carteret's letter from Dettingen, if I had it by me. "Mrs. Arnold (thanks be praised!) has "this day gained a very confiderable victory. The scold lafted two hours. "Mrs. S -e was posted in the hall, "and Mrs. Arnold upon the ftair-cafe; which fuperiority of ground was of no "fmall fervice to her in the engagement. "The fire lafted the whole space, with"out intermiffion; at the clofe of which, "the enemy was routed, and Mrs. Ar"nold kept the field.”

"

Did you hear the fong to the tune of "The Cuckow?"

friendship! I do infift upon it, that you ought to compound for the difappointment you have caufed me, by a little letter every poft you ftay in town. I shall now scarce fee you till next fummer, or fpring at fooneft; and then I may probably take occafion to vifit you, under pretence of feeing Derbyshire. Truth is, your prints have given me fome curiofity to fee the original places. I am grateful for your intentions with regard to giving me part of them, and impertinent in defiring you to convey them to me as foon as you can well fpare them. Let me know if they are fold feparately at the print-fhops. I think to recommend them to my new acquaintance, Mr. Lyttelton Brown. I like the humour of the ballad you mention, but am more obliged for your partial opinion of me. The notes that fall upon the word " can"non, cannon," are admirably expreffive of the found, I dare fay: I mean, jointly with its echo; and fo, I fuppofe, you will think, if you ever attended to the Tower-guns. I find I cannot afford to go to Bath previously to my London journey; though I look upon it as a proper method to make my refidence in town more agreeable. I fhall, probably, be there about the first of December; or before, if I can accelerate my friend Whitler's journey. The pen I write with is the moft difagreeable of pens! But I have little elfe to fay; only this that our good friend Jack Dolman is dead at Aldridge, his father's benefice.

I beg, if you have leifure, you would inclofe me in a frank the following fongs, with the notes: "Stella and "Flavia," "Gentle Jeffy," ," "Sylvia, "wilt thou waste thy prime?" and any other that is new. I should be glad of that number of the British Orpheus which has my fong in it, if it does not coft above fix-pence. Make my compliments to your brother and fifter; and believe me, in the common forms, but in no common degree, dear Mr. Graves's most affectionate friend and fervant.

Do write out the whole ballad of
The Baron ftood behind a tree."

I

as

LETTER XII.

From the fame to the fame, with Thoughts on Advice.

The Leafowes, Sept. 21, 1747.

Dear Mr. Graves, AM under fome apprehenfion that you dread the fight of a letter from me, it feems to lay claim to the compliment of an answer. I will therefore write you one that fhall wave its privilege, at least till fuch time as your leifure encourages, or your prefent diffipation does not forbid, you to fend one. I dare now no longer expatiate upon the affair you have in hand; it is enough for me if you will excuse the freedom I have taken. I have often known delay produce good effects in fome cafes which even fagacity itfelf could not furmount; and, if I thought I did not go too far, would prefume to recommend it now. You know I have very little of the temper of an alderman. I almoft hate the idea of wealthinefs as much as the word. It seems to me to carry a notion of fulnefs, ftagnation, and infignificancy. It is this difpofition of mine that can alone give any weight to the advice I fend you, as it proves me not to give it through any partiality to fortune. As to what remains, you are, I hope, affured of the value I muft ever have for you in any circumftances, and the regard I fhall always fhew for any that belongs to you. I cannot like you lefs or more.I now drop into other matters. Bergen, I fee, is taken at laft; pray what are the fentiments of your political companions? I dined fome time ago with Mr. Lyttelton and Mr. Pitt, who both agreed it was worth twenty thousand men to the French; which is a light in which I never ufed to confider it." Any little intimation that you pleafe to confer upon me, enables me to feem wife in this country for a month; particularly if I take care to adjust my face accordingly.As I was returning laft Sunday from church, whom should I meet in my way, bat that fweet-fouled bard Mr. James Thomfon, in a chaife drawn by two horfes lengthways.-I welcomed him. into the country, and afked him to accompany Mr. Lyttelton to The Leafowes (who had offered me a vifit), which he promifed to do. So I am in daily expectations

pectations of them and all the world this week. I fancy they will lavish all their praifes upon nature, referving none for poor art and me. But if I ever live, and am able to perfect my fchemes, I fhall not defpair of pleafing the few I first began with, the few friends prejudiced in my favour; and then "Fico por las

malignatores." Cenfures will not affect me; for I am armed fo ftrong in vanity, that they will país by me as the idle wind which I regard not.-I think it pretty near equal, in a country place, whether you gain the fmall number of tafters, or the large crowd of the vulgar. The latter are more frequently met with, and gape, ftupent, and ftare much more. But one would chufe to pleafe a few friends of tafte before mob or gentry, the great vulgar or the fmail; because therein one gratifies both one's focial paffions and one's pride, that is, one's felf-love. Above all thing, I would wish to please you; and if I have a with that projects or is prominent beyond the reft, it is to fee you placed to your fatisfaction near me; but Fortune muft vary from her ufual treatment before the favours me fo far. And yet there was a time, when one might probably have prevailed on her. I knew not what to do. The affair was fo in tricately circumftanced-your furprifing filence after the hint I gave. Mr. D offering to ferve any friend of mine; nay, preffing me to ufe the opportunity. His other relations, his guardians, teizing him with fure fymptoms of a rupture in cafe of a refufal on their fide. Mr. P- foliciting me if the place were fold, which it could not legally be. Friend fhip, propriety, impartiality, felf-intereit (which I little regarded), endeavouring to distract me; I think I never fpent fo difagrecable an half-year fince I was born. To clofe the whole, I could not forefee the event, which is almoft foretold in your last letter, and I knew I could not ferve you; but I must render it a neceffary one. In fhort, when I can tell you the whole affair at leifure, you will own it to be of fuch a nature, that I muft be ever in fufpenfe concerning my behaviour, and of courfe fhall never refect on it with pleafure. Believe me, with the trucft affection, yours.

I

LETTER XIII.

Mr. Shenstone to Mr. Grave.

Dear Sir,

It is fomewhere about the c

Sept. 1747; and I write from The Leafowes. THINK I have lived to out-comfpond almost all my correspondents; whether you are the lait that is to be f ducd, I will not fay; the rest are lo fatigued, that they are not able to achieve a line. Apprized of this, and being nature difpofed to have mercy on the vanquifhed," parcere fubject," 18dom write a fyllable more than is requ fite to further fome fcheme, or ascerta fome interview, the latter of thefe beg the purpofe of this mine epile. In great hopes I fhall be at liberty to ke you cre many weeks be paft; and wedd beg of you, in the mean time, to infra me, by a letter, when I am likely, a when very unlikely, to meet with you a home. I am detained, just at prefer, by continual expectations of the Hagky family.

As I was returning from church o Sunday laft, whom should I meet, in chaife, with two horfes lengthways, b that right friendly bard Mr. Thoma I complimented him upon his arrival à this country, and asked him to accomprTMv Mr. Lyttelton to The Leafowes, whichbe faid he would with abundance of pleasure; and fo we parted. You will obferve, that the more ftrefs I lay upon this vili, and the more I difcover to you, the me fubftantial is my apology for deferring mine into Warwickshire. I own, I as pleafed with the profpect of fhewing them fomething at The Leafowes beyond what they expect. I have begun my terras on the high hill I fhewed you, made feme confiderable improvements in Virgil's Grove, and finished a walk from it to the houfe, after a manner which you will approve. They are going to build a cafle in the park round the lodge, which, if well executed, muft have a good ef fect; and they are going likewife to build a rotund to terminate the vilto. The fault is, that they anticipate every thing which I propofe to do when I become rich; but as that is never likely to be, perhaps it is not of any importance; but what I term rich, implies no great

deal;