counsel to fhew cause, and set forth the reafons of our petition. But, to the perfect amazement of the folicitor employed by Mr. Woodward and myfelf, Mr. Willet ufed every argument in his power to prevent the bill from paffing. He affured the court, that the petition was contrary to the letter and intent of the will; which was meant to tie me up, fo as to prevent me from parting with the leaft tittle of what was bequeathed me, as the teftator wished to guard against my extravagance, of which he had the greateft apprehenfions. Upon this the bill was difmiffed.

What could occafion fuch an alteration in Mr. Willet's fentiments, and excite him to fuch a wanton piece of cruelty, I am at a lofs to determine; unless it was the fear of being obliged to come to a regular account, which it feems our folicitor had at the fame time prayed for, and he must have submitted to, had our petition been granted; or else that he might have the pleafure of expending a little more of the money which was bequeathed me, upon another law-fuit, to his own emolument. But this was of a piece: with the rest of his conduct; and will, I trust, meet, ere long, with the cenfure it deferves. The confequences of this unexpected disappointment were, that I became more deeply involved, and was obliged in my turn to difappoint feveral I was indebted to. For F 6

fo

fo certain was I of meeting with no obftruction to the fuit, that I had promifed to pay feveral fums I had been neceffitated to obtain credit for.

From these accumulated circumftances, my diftrefs was become fo urgent, that notwithstanding the refolutions I had made, not to trouble his excellency any more, I found myself obliged to apply again to Comte Haflang. The indelicacy of the measure, I acknowledge, hurt me much; as I had every reafon to fuppofe, the generofity of his excellency would have prevented any folicitation, had it been convenient; for nature had bleft him with the moft liberal fentiments, fuch, indeed, as often involved him in very great difficulties. And as I had no reason to doubt his friendship, after fuch repeated inftances of it as he had fhown me, cruel neceffity could alone have forced me to obtrude my diftrefs again upon him.

Friendship with women, is faid to be fifter to love. You might, therefore, or at leaft the world might, be induced to fuppofe it was that kind of friendship, which is fo nearly a-kin to love, that fubfifted between the Comte and myself. But it is my boast, and upon reflection a fource of happinefs to me, amidft the cenfures that have been paffed upon my conduct, that I have been bleft with the difinterested friendship of fome of the moft confpicuous and fhining characters

which have appeared in the fenate, the cabinet, the drawing-room, and the green-room.

And this enviable diftinction, I can only impute to my invariable fincerity and philanthropy; together with my never affuming any fuperiority of understanding-a vanity that too many females are apt to indulge, when they happen to have tolerable talents joined to reading; and more particularly fo, if they are gifted with retention.--By not laying claim to praife, every little fally of mine had ten times the effect it would have had, if I had fet myself up either as a wit, or a woman of literature and understanding.

Pardon the feeming egotifim of this declaration; it does not, I affure you, proceed from vanity, but from a defire to convey to my fair country-women my ideas on this fubject. They may be affured, that a modest diffidence will give a luftre to their accomplishments, which the most oftentatious difplay of them cannot do.-The lefs pretenfions our fex make to a fuperiority of talents and understanding, so much the greater will be the refpect and admiration bestowed upon them, by those who have the undoubted fuperiority.

The next day, being Sunday, I went to Golden-Square, and had the infinite pleafure to fee the Comte fo far recovered, as to be able to attend divine fervice in the chapel, where he had not been for fome months..

After

After his Excellence returned from chapel, I had the happiness of hearing from him, that his health was wholly re-eftablished, and that he had not been fo well for the last thirty years. He then told me, that he propofed doing me the honour of a visit very foon, and defired I would fend my fervant, the Thurfday following, for an answer to the application I had made to him. To which he was pleafed to add, that it gave him very great. concern to have fuffered me to remind him of his promife.

I was moft fincerely happy at the Comte's recovery, as I was not only attached to him by obligations, and a feries of many years profeffed friendship, but had a very great perfonal refpect and regard for him. And I felt an additional fatisfaction upon this occafion, when I confidered, that I fhould be at once able to pay the demands I was preffed. for, and have befides fome little income to fupport me, till fuch time as my affairs were fettled; when I fhould no longer be obliged, to intrude upon the generofity of a friend, who had given me fuch repeated proofs of his

munificence.

According to his Excellency's appointment, my little faithful maid, exactly at twelve, tripped away to Golden-Square, with a certainty of my wifhes being gratified: and with the pleafing hope of feeing her old patron, who had always been particularly partial

partial to her. And I myself was so very fure of receiving the relief I expected, that I infifted upon a female intimate, who was juft come to town, ftaying dinner.-But how could I think of expectations being fulfilled in this world of uncertainty !-I who had fo often experienced disappointments!

When my meffenger returned, I eagerly held out my hand to receive the answer I doubted not but fhe had brought. When instead of delivering me the wifhed-for bounty, the exclaimed, "there is no an"fwer; you have now loft your only friend; "the Comte is dead." Thunderftruck at fuch an unexpected piece of intelligence, I could not credit what I heard. I therefore immediately ran with all speed to his houfe, where, to my inexpreffible grief, I found the information too true. The deftroying angel had administered the three fatal drops the day before *.

As there was fomething very fingular in. this nobleman's death, which happened fud-; denly and unexpectedly, after his almoft

*The ancient as well as fome modern Jews maintain, that the exterminating Angel, as foon as the Lord has given commiffion for the death of any perfon, hovers over the head of the deftined mortal with a fword in his hand, at the point of which hangs three drops of gall. The object beholding this terrifying preparation, being fuddenly dis-, mayed, opens his mouth; when the Angel of Death adminifters the fatal unction, which has the following effect: the first drop deprives him of life; the fecond occafions a livid palenefs; and the third re-i duces the Cadavre to duft in the grave. Calmut Differt. fur le Defaite de l'Armees de Sannach.

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