fertions had made but very little impreffion on her Graces's mind; and I was obliged to give up the cause I had undertaken. Indeed I could not pretend to excufe the levity which had given her Grace too much reafon to establish such a conjecture. I cannot however miss the opportunity this incident offers, to obferve, how cautious every woman ought to be, not to give the leaft appearance of offence to decency; and could wish to recommend the following lines to my own fex, requesting, at the fame time, that they would imprefs them ftrongly on their memory, and join them with their daily orifons.

Come Decency, celeftial maid,

Defcend from heaven to beauty's aid.

My friend and advifer, Mr. Quin, fixed upon "The Double Dealer," for my benefit. A play replete with wit, and not unexceptionable for its levity, to call it by no harsher name. The fame patroneffes, however, who had honoured me with their prefence at my firft benefit, and who were ef teemed the brightest patterns of virtue in the whole kingdom, graced the boxes that night. So flattering a proof of diftinction gave me the greatest pleasure. And the more fo, as Lord Tyrawley feemed for the firft time to enjoy fo fingular a mark of public approbation.

The emoluments which accrued from my benefit were not fo confiderable as thofe of my preceding night. For this there appeared two evident reasons. The first was, that thofe who encouraged me whilft I was confidered as a young performer; did not think their affiftance fo neceffary now I was eftablished, especially as I had fince found a protector in Lord Tyrawley. The fecond was, that the gentlemen were kept at a diftance by a belief that Mr. Metham was a favoured lover. It is true his Lordship afforded me fome pecuniary affiftance; but as for any other, he wore a fhort fword very quietly by his fide, except when called upon to draw it in defence of his King and country. And as to the latter, appearances. áre not always to be trusted to.

I am now about to recall to my memory, the firft ftep I have reafon to look back upon with real regret. For although fome of the paft fcenes of my life may be deemed imprudent, and led me into many inconveniencies, yet no lafting bad effects flowed from them, and the fcandal which attended them was unmerited and tranfient.-Would I could fay the fame of that which is to furnish a fubject for my next letter. But L will not anticipate.-The corrofive reflections due to my errors will arife faft enough as I proceed.

G. A. B.

LETTER

LETTER XXXVI.

Aug. 2, 17-.

A FEW nights after my benefit, Lord

Tyrawley came into the room finiling, and faid, with pleasure fparkling in his eyes," Pop, I have got you a husband!" I replied, "I then hope my Lord you have "found out my choice." I had no fooner faid this, than his Lordship's countenance was in an inftant clouded.-And after a paufe (not like a paufe in mufic, when art can reach to no higher a pitch of harmony; it was rather a paufe productive of a crafh of difcord) his Lordfhip affumed juft fuch a look as I fuppofe he fhould have done if he had been about to face an enemy. He then threw a letter upon the table with an air of a Bajazet; faying at the fame time, "There, "read that. I have given my word, which "I will not break for you nor the whole "world; therefore no trifling; for I will "be obeyed." Having pronounced this dreadful fentence, he hopped off as faft as he could to his chair, leaving me to read the letter at my leifure.

Had his Lordship infifted in the fame au thoritative manner upon my taking the man of my choice, I believe in my heart I fhould have refufed him. My temper could never brook compulfion. And though no

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perfon can more approve of obedience and fubordination, in all cafes where it is due, than myfelf; yet were not the orders for the obfervance of these to be iffued in gentle terms, I fhould certainly act retrogade to them.

The letter his Lordship threw on the table was from Crump. By the tenor of which I found that every thing had been fettled relative to my marriage with him, before his Lordship left Dublin. He therein further informs my Lord, that he was to be in town the next evening, and intended himself the honour of meeting his Lordship at my apartments in Tavistock-ftreet. He adds, that he had delivered his Lordship's letter to Captain Johnson, who faid he was much concerned to lofe his Lordship's agency, but the occafion was a fufficient excufe.

At first I was going to wish my mother joy of the fucceís of her fcheme; but on confideration, I thought it better to say nothing about it till I had acquainted Mr. Metham with it. I accordingly fat down with a mind agitated with indignation, instead of its being depreffed with grief; and wrote him a letter from which he could have no room to doubt his being the entire mafter of my affections. "Tis true I had already given him reafon to believe this, by admit ing his addreffes as I had done; but I never before acknowledged to him the real state of my heart.

The

The alternate joy and grief which my letter occafioned in his mind, robbed him for a time, as he as fince informed me, of recollection. Till at length his anger was aroused at the thoughts of my being treated with fo much indignity. For my own part, the refentment I felt prevented tears from flowing, as they otherwife would have done. My face was therefore properly enlightened with that spirit of difdain which was fuited to the character of Lady Fanciful in "The "Provoked Wife," which I was to play the fame evening. And the prefence of Mr. Crump in the front row of the pit, who was the first object that ftruck my eyes, proved an additional incitement towards keeping my anger alive.

Poor Metham ftood behind the fcenes, though naturally too florid for a fine gentleman, as pale and dejected as if he had been the disappointed lover instead of the favoured one, The perfon who performed the

part of lady Brute, and who had before made obfervations on our conduct, attributed this dejection to fome love quarrel, efpecially as he did not follow me as ufual into the green-room.

We are now arrived at the most important crifis of my fate; the moment which was to determine the tenor of my future life. The die was to be thrown, and my happinefs to be the ftake.-My heart flutters at

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