but the winter cometh, when no man can visit. The dipute is adjusted by time, whit we are arguing it by expoftulation.-No uncommon event in moft fublunary projects!

Lady Luxborough faid very extraordinary things in praise of Mrs. G after you left us at Barrels; yet I fincerely believe no more than the deferves. I took the libery of fhewing her your letter here, as it included a compliment to her which I thought particularly genteel. She will always confider you as a perfon of gerius, and her friend.

LETTER XXIV.

Mr. Shentone to Mr. Jago.

The Leaf

Nov. 15,7

Dear Mr. Jago, COULD I with convenience mount horfe, and ride to Harbary the pftant, I should much more willingly Cham

than begin this letter. Such tem

events have happened to us, fire st faw each other laft, that, however fome it may be to dwell upon them, ka in the fame degree unnatural to fubizz any fubject in their place.

of

Dering not of this fummer (wherein I have feen much company either here I do uncerely forgive your long le or at Lord Dadley's), I have been almoft constantly engaged in one continued my good friend, indeed i do; Laz fcene of jollity. I endeavoured to find gave me uneafinefs. I hope yar relief from such sort of diffipation; and, fame by mine. I own, I could not m account for the former period of y... when I had once given into it, I was obliged to proceed; as, they fay, is the any otherwife than by fuppofing t cale when perions difguife their faces with had faid or done fomething, in the le my heart, which had given y paitt. Mine was a fort of painting 3p-guft; but being confcious to my plied to my temper-" Spem vultu fimu- the most fincere regard for you, "lave, promere atrum corde dolorem." And the moment I left it off, my foul lieving it could never be difcredite appeared again all haggard and forlorn. any trivial inadvertencies, I rememb I continued fill in expectation of a My company has now deferted me; the and did not dream of writing t fpleen-fogs begin to rife; and the terri- time as I had received one. I ble incidents of last winter revive apace in my memory. This is my ftate of you would write at last; and that br mind, while I write you theie few lines; my paft endeavours to demonftrat v friendship, you would believe the yet, I thank God, my health is not was rooted in my heart, whatever much amiís. regularity you might obferve

I did not forget my promise of a box,

&c. to Mrs. G. I had a dozen fent me, one or two of which I could have T'ked, had they been better finished. They were of a good oval, white enamel, with flowers, &c. but horribly gilt, and not accurately painted. I beg my beft fervice to her, and will make a fresh eulay. My dearest friend, accept this awkward letter for the prefent.-In a few pods, I will write again.-Believe me your's from the bottom of my foul.

I will fend you a label for made-wine, after my own plan. It is enamel, with grapes, fhepherd's pipe, &c. The motto Vin de Paijan.”

branches.

This was my fituation before: dreadful era which gave me fuch a as to banish my best friends for out of my memory. And when the curred, as they did the first of any I was made acquainted with that dep able misfortune of your's! Believer fympathifed in your affliction, neftanding my own; but alas! what fort could I adminifter, who had m of every poffible affiftance to myfelf? I wrote indeed a few k with difficulty; amongst the reft, chmy friend Graves; but it was to ver complaint.-I will fend you the lette you pleafe, as it is by far my leaf p ful method of conveying you fone count of my fituation. Let it conce you, that I could have written not at that time, which could have been a any fervice to you: let it afford you,

would be endless to mention upon paper.

Adieu! my dear friend! May your merit be known to fome one who has greater power to ferve you than myself; but be affured, at the fame time, that no one loves you better, or efteems you more.

I

WROTE you some account of myself, and inclofed fome trivial criticisms, in

letter I fent you about a fortnight ago, which I hope you have received.-Tom comes now to inquire after your health, and to bring back my "Ode to Colonel "Lyttelton;" in regard to which, I defire that you will not be fparing of your animadverfions. I whispered my difficulties to Mr. Miller at Hagley, how delicate I found the subject, and how hard it was to fatisfy either myself or others; in all which points he agreed with me. Nevertheless, having twice broken my promife of fending a corrected copy to Sir George, I was obliged to make my peace by a fresh one, which, I fuppofe, I must of neceflity perform. - Give me your whole fentiments hereupon, I befeech you; in particular and in general, as a critic and as a friend.-The bad state of

leaft, a faint sketch of my dearest brother's character; but let it not appear an oftentatious display of forrow, of which I am by no means guilty. I know but too well that I difcovered upon the occafion, what fome would call an unmanly tenderness; but I know alfo, that forrow upon fuch fubjects as thefe is very confiftent with virtue, and with the moit abfolute refignation to the juft decrees of Providence" Hominis eft enim affici "dolore, fentire; refiftere tamen & filatia "admittere, non folatiis non egere." Pliny. -I drank, purchased amusements, never fuffered myself to be a minute without company, no matter what, fo it was but continual. At length, by an attention a to fuch converfation and fuch amufements as I could at other times defpife, I forgot fo far as to be cheerful. And after this, the fummer, through an almost conftant fucceffion of lively and agreeable vifitants, proved even a fcene of jollity.-It was inebriation all, though of a mingled nature; yet has it maintained a fort of truce with grief, till time can affilt me me more effectually by throwing back the event to a distance.-Now, indeed, that my company has all forfaken me, and I am delivered up to winter, filence, and reflection, the incidents of the last year revive apace in my memory; and I am even aftonished to think of the gaiety of my fummer. The fatal anniverfary, the "dies quem femper acerbum, &c." is beginning to approach, and every face of the fky fuggets the ideas of laft winter.-Yet I find myself cheerful in company; nor would I recommend it to you to be much alone. You would lay the highest obligation upon me by coming over at this time.-I preffed your brother, whom I faw at Birmingham, to ufe his influence with you; but if you can by no means undertake the journey, I will take my speediest opportunity of feeing you at Harbury. - Mr. Miller invited me ftrenuously to meet Dr. Lyttelton at his houfe; but I believe my moft convenient feason will be, when my Lord Dudley goes to Barrels; for I can but ill bear the penfiveness of a long and lonely expedition. After all, if you could come hither first, it would afford me the most entire fatisfaction.-I have been making alterations in my house that would amufe you; and have many matters to difcourfe with you, which it

fpirits which I complained of in my laft, for a long time together made me utterly irrefolute: every thing occafioned me fufpenfe; and I did nothing with appetite. This was owing in a great meature to a flow nervous fever, as I have fince difcovered by many concurrent fymptoms. It is now, I think, wearing off by degrees. I feem to anticipate a little of that "vernal delight" which Milton mentions, and thinks

"Able to chafe "All fadnefs, but despair." At least, I begin to refume my filly clue of hopes and expectations; which I know, however, will not guide me to any thing more fatisfactory than before.

I have read fcarce any new books this feafon. Voltaire's new tragedy was sent me from London; but what has given me the most amufement, has been the "Lettres de Madame de Maintenon.” You have probably read them already in T14

English,

English, and then I need not recommend them. The Life of Lord Boling"broke" is entirely his public life, and the book three parts filled with political

remarks.

As to writing, I have not attempted it this year and more; nor do I know when I fhall again. However, I would be glad to correct that "Ode to the Dutchefs of Somerfet," when once I can find in whofe hands it is depofited. I was fhewn a very elegant letter of her's, the other day; wherein the afks for it with great politenefs: and as it includes nothing but a love of rural life, and fuch fort of amufements as the herfelf approves, I fhall ftand a good chance of having it received with partiality. She lives the life of a religieufe. She has written my Lady Luxborough a very ferious letter of condolence upon the misfortune in her

fo, I fhould not have any other fubject. I have not a fingle neighbour, that is ei ther fraught with politeness, literature, or intelligence; much lefs have I a tide of fpirits to fet my invention afloat: but the lefs I am able to amufe you, the mort defirous am I of your letters; which af ford me the trueft entertainment, even when my fpirits are ever fo much depreffed.

That univerfal cheerfulness which is the lot of fome people, perfons that you and I may envy at the fame time t we defpife, is worth all that either fr tune or nature can bestow. I am, with entire affection, your's.

LETTER XXVI.

of Mr. Whitler.

Dear Mr. Graves,

The Lef June 7, 1754

family; and need enough has Lady Lux- Mr. Shenstone to Mr. Graves, on the Deal borough of fo unchangeable a friend! for fure nothing could have happened to a perfon in her fituation more fpecifically unfortunate.-Mr. Reynolds has been at Barrels, I hear, and has brought her a machine that goes into a coat-pocket, yet anfwers the end of " a jack for boots, a “reading-desk, a cribbage-board, a pair "of fnuifers, a ruler, an eighteen-inch"rule, three pair of nut-cracks, a lemonfqueezer, two candlesticks, a picquet

"board, and the Lord knows what be"fide."Can you form an idea of it? If you can, do you not think it must give me pain to reflect, that I myself am ufeful for no fort of purpofe, when a paltry bit of wood can answer fo many? But, indeed, whilft it pretends to thefe exploits, it performs nothing well; and therein I agree with it. So true it is, with regard to me, what I told you long ago,

"Multa & præclara minantem

« Vivere nec recte, nec fuaviter !" We have a turnpike-bill upon the point of being brought into the Houfe of Commons: it will convey you about half the way betwixt Birmingham and Hales, and from thence to Hagley; but, I truft, there will be a left-hand attraction, which will always make you deviate from the

itrait line.

I fhould be ashamed to reflect how much I have dwelt upon myfelf in this letter, but that I feriously approve of egotiim in letters; and were 1 not to do

friend Whitler's death was conveye HE melancholy account of our dear to me, at the fame inftant, by your's an by his brother's letter. I have written his brother this post; though I am ver ill able to write upon the fubject, but for decency. The triumvirate, w would willingly have waved it longs, was the greatest happiness and the grea pride of my life, is broken! The fabr of an ingenuous and difinterested friendand will, I trust, endure till one of us x ship has loft a noble column! yet it m laid as low. In truth, one can fo Litt fatisfy one's felf with what we fay fuch fad occafions, that I made three

four effays before I could endure what had written to his brother. -Be fo gost as excufe me to him as well as you c and establish me in the good opinion him and Mr. Walker.

Poor Mr. Whitler! how do all ca little ftrifes and bickerments appear to at this time! yet we may with comfort reflect, that they were not of a fort th touched the vitals of our friendship; and I may fay, that we fondly loved and e teemed each other, of neceflity-"Tein "animas oportuit effe concordes." Poct Mr. Whitler! not a fingle acquaintanc have I made, not a fingle picture or cu riofity have I purchafed, not a fingle em

bellithmara

I

I confess to you, that I am confiderbly mortified by Mr. John W-'s conuct in regard to my letters to his broher; and, rather than they should have xen fo unneceffarily deftroyed, would ave given more money than it is allow ble for me to mention with decency. ock upon my letters as fome of my chefl'œuvres; and, could I be fuppofed to have the leaft pretenfions to propriety of tyle or fentiment, I fhould imagine it muft appear, principally, in my letters to his brother, and one or two more friends. I confidered them as the records of a friendship that will be always dear to me, and as the hiftory of my mind for these twenty years laft paft. The amufement I should have found in the per

English, and then I need not recommend them. The Life of Lord Boling"broke" is entirely his public life, and the book three parts filled with political remarks.

As to writing, I have not attempted it this year and more; nor do I know when I fhall again. However, I would be glad to correct that " Ode to the Dutchefs of Somerfet," when once I can find in whofe hands it is depofited. I was fhewn a very elegant letter of her's, the other day; wherein the afks for it with great politenefs and as it includes nothing but a love of rural life, and fuch fort of amufements as fhe herself approves, I thall ftand a good chance of having it received with partiality. She lives the I life of a religieufe. She has written m Lady Luxborough a very ferious letter condolence upon the misfortune in family; and need enough has Lady borough of fo unchangeable a for fure nothing could have hap a perfon in her fituation more f unfortunate.-Mr. Reynolds ' Barrels, I hear, and has br machine that goes into a co anfwers the end of " a ja "reading-desk, a cribba "of fnuffers, a ruler, "rule, three pair of n' fqueezer, two cap board, and the T fide."-Can y

66

ure

cerely ght it not t letter. I fuccefs in befchool-fellow; in has walked hand in

If you can, do ake the two children in

me pain to refl
ful for no fort
bit of wood
indeed, whi'
it perform
agree wit

to me,

of

y

Awery path and fhelly grot,
Julled us in her private maze.

thought, you fee, tips my pen
and brings Eton to my view.
very feriously here in a

me

fo, I fhould not have any ot
I have not a fingle neighb
ther fraught with poli
or intelligence; mur
of fpirits to fet m
the lefs I am ab}
defirous am I
ford me the
when my
preffed.

That

lot of

I m

we

ti

RECENT

pleasures to what you read, mi our time, &c. &c. ...at I do not read, and how! &c. for almost all the emplo of my hours may be beft expla y negatives; take my word and exper ence upon it, doing nothing is a mo amufing bufinefs; and yet neither fo thing nor nothing gives me any plea When you have feen one of my days, y have feen a whole year of my life; they go round and round like the blind b in the mill, only he has the fatisfac of fancying he makes a progress, gets fome ground; my eyes are e enough to fee the fame dull profpett, to know that having made four-re twenty fteps more, I thall be juft whet I was; I may, better than most peopl fay my life is but a fpan, were I not aft left you should not believe that a perf

country, inhabited by things that fo short-lived could write even fo long calenteives Doctors and Mafters of letter as this; in fhort, I believe I a country Rowing with fyllogifms

where Horace and Virgil are

not fend you the history of my own tire till I can fend you that alfo of the reform

equally unknown; confider me, I fay, ation f. However, as the moft unde

in this

ferving people in the world muft fure lay the vanity to with fomebody had a rega for them, fo I need not wonder at ry

melancholy light, and then think mething be not due to your's, &c. P.S. I defire you will fend me foon, and truly and politively, a hiftory of own, in being pleafed that you care ab

your

own time.

Alluding to his grandfather's hiftory.

me.

You need not doubt, therefore, having a firit row in the front box of r little heart, and I believe you are not danger of being crowded there; it is a ing you to an old play, indeed, but you

Carrying on the allufion to the other Liity written by Mr. Weft's grandfather.

14