But if he's alive,

And does not lie here,

Let him live till he's hang'd,

For which no man will care."

In the 113th number of the 'Tatler,' under the motto of "Ecce iterum Crispinus," the catalogue is given of the effects of a defunct beau; and probably with some allusion to Fielding. Among the articles cited are A very rich tweezer case, containing twelve instruments for the use of each hour in the day." To this succeed gilt snuff-boxes, with looking-glasses in the lid, or portraits of equivocal ladies; "a sword with a steeldiamond hilt, never drawn but once at May Fair; eyebrow brushes, a "pocket perspective," a dozen pair of red-heeled shoes, three pair of red silk stockings, and an amber-headed cane. The beau's "strong box" contains five billets-doux, a Bath shilling, a crooked sixpence, a silk garter, a lock of hair, and three broken fans." His book-case is instructive : on the upper shelf there are three bottles of diet-drink, two boxes of pills, a syringe, and other mathematical instruments; on the second, there is a miscellaneous collection of lampoons, plays, tailors' bills, and an almanack for the year 1700; the third shelf holds a bundle of unopened letters, indorsed "from the old gentleman," with Toland's 'Christianity not Mysterious,' and a paper of "patterns of several fashionable stuffs,"-Toland's Christianity' being stuff that was very fashionable at that time. The lowest shelf of all reveals an odd shoe, a pair of snuffers, a French grammar, a mourning hatband, and half a bottle of usquebagh. These "effects" paint the beau of a by-gone time; and Fielding was the grand master of the petits-maîtres, who were the proprietors of this very varied property.

There was however as great, as impudent, and as renowned a beau as he. He comes this way in a white hat, and his name is Nash.

BEAU NASH.

“N'achetez pas vos principes chez ce Gentis homo, homme de la nation."-DE BONALD.

THE gaudiest flies spring from the most unsavoury of cradles, and Beau Nash was born in ill-odoured Swansea. He used to say, he "could not help it." Like Liston, it had been his own intention to be born in Shropshire; but he and the grotesque comedian possessed not the privilege of the embryo saint, whose prayers procured his birth in the locality and at the period which best suited himself. Accordingly, Richard Nash was born at Swansea in the stirring year 1674. His very boyhood was brassy, as befitted so metallic a locality.

In after years, when Nash was at the most brilliant epoch of his butterfly period, and it had for some time been remarked that, much as the Beau talked of other people, he never mentioned his own father, the Duchess of Queensberry, in her Grace's usual familiar style, asked the meek Richard if he were ashamed of his sire, that he never mentioned him. "Nay, madam," said Nash, "if I never name him, it is because he has reason to be ashamed of me." It was the only humble speech which Nash ever uttered, and it had truth for its foundation.

The sire of the gay Richard was a quiet individual, a partner in one of the Bristol glass-houses. He had more ambition than wisdom; and he commenced blowing his son into a gentleman by sending him to Jesus College, Oxford, at the age of sixteen. "I hope, Dick," said the honest man, “you will distinguish yourself before you are a year

older." "Dad," replied Dick, "I will astonish you within that period." And he kept his word. Before a year had expired he had taken first-class honours in puppyism, had become the terror or temptation of half the women in Oxford, made an offer of marriage to a young lady as modest as himself, and had got expelled. He did astonish his father!

The good man, on recovering from his surprise, began to perceive that his first attempt at making Dick a gentleman had failed; but he was a determined individual, and had resolved to succeed. Accordingly he bought for young Master Hopeful an ensign's commission. "Now, Dick," said he, "the thing is done; you are an officer and a gentleman' by right of your commission." Poor old citizen! he might as well have said that the zenith was also the nadir by power of astronomy.

I believe Nash entered the 46th. I am inclined to think so, from the circumstance that he seemed to have lost his memory as soon as he "joined." He certainly forgot everything but what he had done well not to remember. He forgot to get up to parade; could never remember, when he did rise, the events of the preceding night; even what the chaplain had said to him, over the punch, had gone out of his memory, as it had from that of the reverend gentleman. He was oblivious of every point of duty, never recollected to pay his bills, and was in all things a consummate scamp. The colonel, who might have endured a young fellow who was a more unprincipled scamp than himself, could not tolerate one who was a greater wit. He made the ensign's life miserable; and as the ensign had determined that his life should not be of that quality, he sold his commission, and, having spent the money, did his father the honour of returning home.

"Go to the devil!" said his sire; and Dick accordingly came up to town, and entered at the Temple. Having done this, he went to the gaming table. It was impossible for

son to show more alacrity in setting out on the journey whither his father had sent him.

The ancient gentleman to whom his sire had consigned him must have been proud of his young friend. The latter was at dice one half the night, at balls and assemblies the other half; and he was in bed all day. His gains were devoted not to the comfort of his appetite or the nourishment of his intellect, but almost exclusively to dress. He eclipsed every beau of whatever rank; the women adored, the men hated him, but all acknowledged that a spirited young fellow, who had been expelled college, had found it convenient to withdraw from the army, who was a Templar " for the fun of the thing," and who was all gold lace and gallantry, was worthy of being the leader of the" ton ;" and for that matter they were perfectly right.

He was the conductor of the entertainments given by the Middle Temple to William the Third. The Monarch was so pleased with the Master of the Ceremonies that he offered to make him a knight. "That depends," said the impudent beau, "upon what sort of a chevalier your Majesty would make of me. If it were a 'poor knight of Windsor,' I should be rich at once, and well content." The King shook his head, and Nash lost the honour.

He made up for it by gaining them at whist; and he was so good-tempered a player that even his adversaries bore his triumphs without cursing him-much. The truth is, that he was a terrible rake; but he was not a dishonourable fellow, according to the then existing code of honour. The Templars entrusted him with some portion of their funds. His accounts were once ten pounds short of correctness, and he accounted for its deficit by saying, that he had heard a poor fellow say that ten pounds would make him happy, and he could not resist giving him that sum. The charity was something like that of Mrs. Haller, who gave away her master's wine to the sick, and got a character for generosity

thereby. However, the Templar auditors passed the accounts. The beau's story was probably true, for he was quick to feel for others, and the readiest man at a lie of his own or any other period.

Nash never frittered away his money in paying his debts. 'Doing that vulgar sort of thing," said he, "never procures you a friend; lending money does!" and he was ready to lend to the great when the dice favoured him. The young gentleman's maxim was quite worthy of one whose "indignant parient" had constituted him a ward of the devil.

His relaxations from town and Temple studies further showed the respect he had for his eminent guardian. During a country excursion he stood in a blanket at the door of York Minster. He professed to be doing penance for his sins, and the clergy cut jokes with him as they passed. He performed this pretty trick for a poor wager of half-a-dozen guineas, and he performed a worse for a bet more trifling; he rode stark-naked through a quiet and astonished village, -an achievement in which he was subsequently imitated by the father of Louis Philippe. But these were little foibles the most readily forgiven by the ladies: how could they be angry with a fine gentleman, whose gallantry was so great that when he sat next one at table he made love to her then and there, and swore with the most liberal parade of oaths that he never drank any wine but such as had been "first strained through his mistress's smock!"

And then the pretty process was gone through, amid a world of wild talk that would nowadays somewhat ruffle even the Vestas of Cremorne; but the fair creatures of William's age declared him to be " a dear, delicate,” and some Lady Bettys added, in their grapy enthusiasm, "a d-d gallant fellow." His friend Satan must have chuckled at

the word.

It is quite possible that after some one of these orgies, he was, by way of a good practical joke, carried off, by a cap