company than that of a few wretched dependents, greatly affected his pride, for of true spirit he had not a spark. Not all his riches, his fumptuous dwellings, nor his luxurious wines, could procure him one refpectable individual as a companion: He was therefore obliged, as I have been informed, to take up with his clerk, an attorney, and I fuppofe an excifeman, as a perfon of that calling generally makes one in fuch a group; for even his brother the General declined going near him. I must acquaint you, that he promised to leave a handsome provifion for his intimate, the clerk juft mentioned, which I conclude was his inducement for beftowing fo much time on his defpifed master; instead of which, he only left him the immenfe fum of a hundred pounds. A deed which tallies with the many generous deeds I have already related of him.

He left behind him a princely fortune, but without bequeathing a fhilling to his wife, or even mentioning her name; a failure by which fhe recovered a third of his eftate, as well as of his perfonal fortune. This, however, has involved the eftate in fuch difficulties, that I find his debts. are not paid to this day. Every body feemed to rejoice when Mrs. Calcraft's fuit for the recovery

of

of her claim was attended with fuccefs; and I can fincerely fay, that no perfon received greater pleasure upon the occafion than I did, as I have been informed fhe is one of the best of women.

At length the ftipulated day came, when I was to pay Mr. Cullen, the upholsterer, for the furniture of my first floor, and which Comte Haflang had promised to enable me to do. I had appointed four o'clock for the hour of payment, and had wrote to his Lordfhip to acquaint him that was the time fixed. Mrs. Tuffnal and the Secretary were with me, when I received an answer, written upon a quarter of a sheet of paper, and fealed at the corner, like a common

note.

I opened it; and finding it begin in the usual ftyle, of " I wonder you will not get an engagement," I concluded that the remainder was of the fame tenor, in order to excufe a breach of promise; and as I could not poffibly suppose any bill was inclosed in a note of that fize and form, I immediately threw it into the fire. Upon which Mr. Killroff jokingly said, "Do you treat all your "billet-doux in that manner "A billet-doux !" I replied; "It is not of that nature; it is a trifling “fubterfuge to avoid paying a promise.”

I

Whilft I fat ruminating on the Comte's fuppofed evasion, the porter returned with a message, expreffive of his Lord's furprize at my not condefcending to honour him with an anfwer. fent back my compliments, and I could not conceive there was any answer required to a note upon fo difagreeable and hackneyed a subject. The fervant went away and returned directly, with a double surprise of his Lordship's; who sent me word, that if his letter required no answer, at leaft I ought to have acknowledged the receipt of the bill. The word bill was no fooner pronounced, than I gave a violent scream, and cried out, "I am undone! I am undone! I have burnt it." —And we all fat as motionless as ftatues for fome time.

At length the porter returned home, and the fecretary foon followed. When, in two or three hours, I received the note of a banker in the city, I think Nightingale's, promifing to pay the fum of one hundred and twenty pounds if fuch a bankbill fhould not make its appearance within a year and a day. Fortunately his Lordship having leifure that morning, and being alone, had amused himself with taking a memorandum of the numbers of fome bank-notes he had just received; a

precaution

precaution he had never before taken'; and he has often affirmed fince, that he could not account for entertaining fuch an idea then.

Mr. Woodward was kind enough to advance me the money upon this engagement, by which means I was enabled to preferve my credit with Mr. Cullen the upholsterer; and, as from the bank-note being confumed to afhes, there was a certainty that payment could not be demanded, at the expiration of the time, Mr. Woodward received the money. This incident taught his Excellency to fold letters, containing bills, in a proper manner; and your humble fervant to examine, in future, the infide of the fmallest scrap of paper that might be sent to her, before she burnt it.

I now thought myself tolerably easy, as I had let the best part of my house to a brother of the great Parker, who was newly married, for five guineas a week, referving for my own ufe the back-parlour, and the two back-rooms on the fecond floor. The former I made my library; and though it did not contain above four hundred volumes, I have the vanity to say these were well chofen. Nothing but feftivity and expence was to be seen; and the fervants received as

much

much company below ftairs, as the bride and bridegroom did above.

This being the cafe, in order to be out of fo much riot and confufion, I allowed my two maidfervants board-wages for the three months the family was to be with me, and recommended my man to Mr. Woodward. Having done this, I went out early upon a vifit to fome friend or other, and returned home only to fleep.

Mr. Gordon, the undertaker, beginning to be very preffing for his bill for my mother's funeral, I endeavoured to borrow the money, which was forty guineas. Upon this occafion a young, gentleman of my acquaintance recommended me to one Cohan, a Jew money-lender, who promised to get me the cash upon my notes in a few days. In order to make them more negotiable; he defired I would give them in two separate notes, payable to himself, and at different dates. Being perfectly unacquainted with transactions of this nature, and not entertaining the leaft fufpicion of the man's honefty, I did as he defired me; and having this profpect of being able to difcharge Mr. Gordon's bill, I fent to let him know that I would do it in the courfe of the following week.

Encouraged