But if you order me to do otherwise, with part or all of the sum I have of yours, I will obey you. Hitherto I have only acted in your affair as I have done in my own.

very

I hope you had the Grand Cyrus by the Reading coach, above a week ago. I am in London almost constantly, and every hour in company; have renewed all idle and evil haunts my well; am not ; sit up very late, etc. I have lately been told, my person is in some danger; and (in any such case) the sum of 11211. will be left for you in Mr. Gay's hands. I have made that matter secure against accidents.

Gay is well at court, and more in the way of being served than ever. However, not to trust too much to hopes, he will have a play acted in four or five weeks, which we have driven a bargain for.

I long to see you both: and love you so very well, that I wish I were the handsomest fellow in England, for your sakes. I dined yesterday with Jacky Čampbell, at the Duke of Argyle's.. Gay dines daily with the Maids of Honour. Adieu. I am melancholy,and drunk.

Tuesday night.

LETTER XXXII.

TO THE SAME.

Sunday.

MADAM, THIS is just to let you know, that being again in the city yesterday, I was obliged to stay so late, that I could not go home: so that, if you have any thing to say to me, here I am; and here shall stay, till the matter of your annuities is decided, on purpose to do as you commission me. I expected some answer to my last.

Your other business is at last brought about. I have borrowed money upon ours and Mr. Eckersal's orders, and bought 500l. stock S. Sea at 180. It is since risen to 184. I wish us all good luck in it, and am very glad to have done what you seemed so desirous of.

I am, etc.

My faithful services to your mother and sister.

LETTER XXXIII.

DEAR MADAM,

TO THE SAME.

I

I FIND, upon coming to town, that Mrs. Robinson's tickets are not given out till to-morrow. hope this notice will arrive in time, before you are engaged otherwise.

If you'll give this bearer your exchequer orders for 5ool. I'll get them register'd, and the interest received; this being a proper time to send them to the exchequer.

I heartily wish you all the amusements and pleasures I must be (for a time at least) deprived of. I beg you to think me not the worst of your friends, who, after so many mistakes, and so many misfortunes, am resolved to continue unalterably, Madam,

Yours.

r Mrs. Anastasia Robinson, the celebrated singer, afterwards Lady Peterborough.

LETTER XXXIV.

TO TERESA BLOUNT.

MADAM,

Feb. 21.

I AM too much out of order to trouble you with a long letter. But I desire to know what is your meaning, to resent my complying with your request, and endeavouring to serve you in the way you proposed, as if I had done you some great injury? You told me, if such a thing was the secret of my heart, you should entirely forgive, and think well of me. told it, and find the contrary. You pretended so much generosity, as to offer your service in my behalf. The minute after, you did me as ill an office as you could, in telling the party concerned, it was all but an amusement, occasioned by my loss of another lady.

I

You express yourself desirous of increasing your present income upon life. I proposed the only method I then could find, and you encouraged me to proceed in it. When it was done, you received it as if it were an affront; since, when I find the very thing in the very manner you wished, and mention it to you, you don't think it worth an answer.

If your meaning be, that the very things you ask, and wish, become odious to you, when it is I that comply with them, or bring them about; pray own it, and deceive me no longer with any thought, but that you hate me. My friendship is too warm and sincere to be trifled with: therefore, if you have any meaning, tell it me, or you must allow me to take away that which perhaps you don't care to keep. Your humble servant.

I shall speedily obey you, in sending the papers you ordered; which, when I do, be pleased to sign

the inclosed receipt, and return it by the bearer of them.

LETTER XXXV.

TO THE SAME.

MADAM,

YOUR letter gives me a concern, which none, but one who (in spite of all accidents) is still a friend, can feel. I am pleased, however, that any thing I said explains my past actions or words in a better sense than you took them. I know in my heart (a very uncorrupt witness), that I was constantly the thing I professed myself to be, to you; that was, something better, I will venture to say, than most people were capable to be, to you, or any body else.

As for forgiveness, I am approaching, I hope, to that time and condition, in which every body ought to give it, and to ask it of all the world. I sincerely do so with regard to you; and beg pardon also for that very fault of which I taxed others, my vanity, which made me so resenting.

We are too apt to resent things too highly, till we come to know, by some great misfortune or other, how much we are born to endure and as for me, you need not suspect of resentment a soul which can feel nothing but grief.

I desire extremely to see you both again: yet I believe I shall see you no more; and I sincerely hope, as well as think, both of you will be glad of it. I therefore wish you may each of you find all you desired I could be, in some one whom you may like better to see. In the mean time, I bear testimony of both of you to each other, that I have certainly known you truly and tenderly each other's friend, and wish you a long enjoyment of each other's love and affec

tionate offices. I am piqued at your brother, as much as I have spirits left to be piqued at any one: and I promise you I will prove it, by doing every thing I your service.

can in

I am sincerely.

LADIES,

LETTER XXXVI.

TO THE MISSES BLOUNT.

Thursday morn.

PRAY think me sensible of your civility and good meaning, in asking me to come to you.

You will please to consider, that my coming or not is a thing indifferent to both of you. But God knows it is far otherwise to me with respect to one of

you.

I scarce ever come but one of two things happens, which equally afflicts me to the soul: either I make her uneasy, or I see her unkind.

If she has any tenderness, I can only give her every day trouble and melancholy. If she has none, the daily sight of so undeserved a coldness must wound me to death.

It is forcing one of us to do a very hard and very unjust thing to the other.

My continuing to see you will, by turns, teaze all of us. My staying away can at worst be of ill consequence only to myself.

And if one of us is to be sacrificed, I believe we are all three agreed who shall be the

person.

VOL. VIII.