:

but, with the other consideration joined to it, is, I think, as strong as any human resolution can be. And, indeed after forty, it is high time to think of a settlement, and of getting a steady settled income somewhere or other to prevent one's old age being rendered uneasy.-I guess you are already laughing to hear a son of your's talk of being an old man; but that will begin to be a very serious truth in a few years more. Whenever it happens, I don't expect it as a very disagreeable thing; a good easy chair, good company, and the being able to look back upon one's life without any thing to frighten one in it, may make that season, at least, not so terrible and I don't see why one may not enter upon it as agreeably as one goes into a bed, after being tired with the labour of the day. But, lest I should fall into too deep a fit of morality, I will conclude." In another letter, reverting to the same subject, he says "I want to be setting out; for that is doing something, and looks at least like being nearer coming home. Much as I long again to see Rome, I long more to be with you; and to be settling our little affairs, in order to live together in a comfortable manner the rest of our time; whether that is to be long or short does not signify a great deal; but one would make the time, whatever it may be, agreeable as one can. Thank heaven, we are likely, at present, to have enough to live comfortably, and to do some little good round about us; and that I always reckon among the highest pleasures both to you and me." In another place he says-" I don't at all desire wardenships, or indeed any high dignity in the world; and that not out of wisdom, but a love of ease. I am for happiness in my own way, and, according to my notions of it, I might as well, and better, have it in living with you, at our cottage at Birchanger, than in any palace. As my affairs stand at present, 'tis likely that we shall have enough to live quite

at our ease; when I desire more than that, may I lose what I have!"

He seems to have been very fortunate in the companions of his travels-Lord Middlesex was a young nobleman of most amiable manners and character; and he found Lord Lincoln so sensible, so agreeable, and obliging, that he says, he thought several times upon the road that he was beginning a second journey with his former friend. From Turin they went to the baths of Aqui, near Milan, and after remaining there a month, on account of Lord Lincoln's health, they pursued their journey by Florence to Rome*. They staid at Rome from the beginning of December until the middle of May following, and he had there an opportunity of cultivating the acquaintance of that extraordinary woman, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. He says " I always desired to be acquainted with Lady Mary, and could never bring it about, though we were so often together in London; soon after we came to this place her ladyship came here, and in five days I was well acquainted with her. She is one of the most shining characters in the world, but shines like a comet; she is all irregularity, and always wandering; the most wise, most imprudent; loveliest, most disagreeable; best-natured, cruellest woman in the world, all things by turns and nothing long.'-She was married young, and she told me, with that freedom much travelling gives, that she was never in so great a hurry of thought, as the month before she was married: she scarce slept any one night that month. You know she was one

Mr. Spence says, "I find myself at this great city, just as I did the first time I was here;-though it is now a fortnight since I came, I have not yet recovered myself; 'tis all astonishment at the greatness of the things about one; and they are so very great, and in such numbers, that one does not know where to fix one's attention, or what to look at first."

of the most celebrated beauties of her day, and had a vast number of offers, and the thing that kept her awake was who to fix upon. She was determined as to two points from the first, that is to be married to somebody, and not to be married to the man her father advised her to have. The last night of the month she determined, and in the morning left the husband of her father's choice buying the wedding ring, and scuttled away to be married to Mr. Wortley." It was here that Mr. Spence learned those particulars from her which are recorded in the Anecdotes.

From Rome they went to Reggio' opera hunting,' as Mr. Spence expresses it, and here they found Mr. Horace Walpole very ill with a quinsey." About three or four in the morning I was surprised with a message, saying, that Mr. Walpole was very much worse, and desired to see me ; I went and found him scarce able to speak. 1 soon learned from his servants that he had been all the while without a physician, and had doctored himself; so I immediately sent for the best aid the place would afford, and dispatched a messenger to the minister at Florence, desiring him to send my friend Dr. Cocchi. In about twenty-four hours I had the satisfaction to find Mr. Walpole better; we left him in a fair way of recovery, and we hope to see him next week at Venice. I had obtained leave of Lord Lincoln to stay behind some days if he had been worse. You see what luck one has sometimes in going out of one's way. If Lord L. had not wandered to Reggio, Mr. Walpole (who is one of the best natured and most sensible young gentlemen England affords) would have, in all probability, fallen a sacrifice to his disorder."

From Reggio they went to Venice. After staying there about two months they passed by sea from Genoa to the south of France. They spent a month at Montpellier and Vigan, where Lord Lincoln's excellent mother had

lived two or three years with her children "in one of the finest airs in the world (says Mr. Spence); in spite of which she lost her eldest son there, but brought off my lord stronger and in better health, though I doubt not his friends will be surprised to see how much stronger and better he is grown now. 'Tis said that the name of Lady Lincoln is blest by all the good people in the Cevennes, among whom she did a world of good." From thence they went to Paris, and, after a few weeks stay there, returned to England in November, 1742.

In this year he was presented by his college to the rectory of Great Horwood, Bucks, and succeeded Dr. Holmes as Regius Professor of Modern History. From this time he resided chiefly in London for some few years; but his health, since his return from abroad, having been precarious, he was advised by his friends to abandon his studies; and, however disagreeable the remedy, he would, probably, have listened to their en treaties. The Polymetis which had now occupied his attention for several years, for which he had made very large collections, and had obtained very large and numerous subscriptions, was about to have been abandoned; had not Dr. Mead interposed and prescribed to him a middle course, advising him to apply moderately, and at short intervals, to his literary pursuits rather than entirely and at once to abandon them: he followed this friendly advice, and it had the desired effect*.

His tastes and inclinations led him very early to a love for the country and rural improvement. Ornamental gardening was then taking a direction quite opposite to the

* Soon after the rebellion in 1745 Mr. Spence wrote and published an occasional paper under the title of "Plain Matter of Fact, or a short Review of the Reigns of our Popish Princes since the Reformation; in order to show what we are to expect if another should happen to reign over us." I am not sure that more than one number was published.

old and formal methods of the French, Dutch, and Italians. Walpole, who had paid much attention to its progress, has proved that Kent was the first artist who diffused the prevailing taste of landscape gardening, and says, that Pope undoubtedly contributed to form Kent's taste*. It is most probable that Spence's enthusiam for this elegant art was strengthened, if not derived from his intimacy with the poet. After the publication of his Polymetis in 1747, by which he had realized upwards of fifteen hundred pounds, he entertained thoughts of indulging his propensity, by the purchase of a small house and a few acres of ground in the country. Having casually mentioned this intention to his friend Lord Lincoln, he very generously offered him, as a gift for his life, a house of this kind at Byfleet in Surry, in the immediate vicinity of his seat at Oatlands. Thither Spence removed in the year 1749, and immediately proceeded to turn his fields into pleasure grounds, and to plant and adorn the face of the country round his abode. From this time to the end of his life, rural improvement became his favourite amusement; he expended a great part of the profits arising from his Polymetis in embellishing his little seat, and acquired much reputation by the judgment he displayed. He was from time to time consulted by his friends and others when any thing of the kind was meditated; his suggestions were listened to with respect, and generally followed without deviation. Walpole, whose opinion will be allowed to have much weight on this subject, compliments him upon his taste and zeal for the reformed style of

* "Mr. Kent was the sole beginner of the present National Taste in Gardening. Witness his works at Kensington Gardens below Bayswater.-And at Lord Burlington's at Chiswick; the latter in October, 1733. Mr. Scot has a drawing of the first thing done that way there, of Kent's. He had shown his skill before at Lord Cobham's, and by a design for Mr. Pope's Mount."-From Mr. Spence's Papers.