This gentleman, whose name is Hearne, made many enquiries after me, upon his return to England; and cafually hearing of my distress, whilft I was at Edinburgh, he most generously fent me two hundred pounds. This was the moft acceptable favour I ever received, as it fhewed the gratitude of the donor; of which I fhall have. occafion to fay more in the course of my nar

rative.

I must not omit mentioning another event of a fimilar nature, which likewife happened about this time. I had formerly had a fervant, named Daniel Douglas. He lived with me about nine years. But at length, from the gentleman's gallantries in the family, the maids being all partial to him, I recommended him as a domestic to Lord Hume, then governor of Gibraltar. His Lordship made him his major-domo; and Daniel behaved fo much to the fatisfaction of his master, that he left him fomething handfome when he died.

I had been informed, that a Mr. Douglas had called at my house several times, when I happened not to be at home. One day, as I was going up the Castle-hill, I was accofted by a perfon, whose face was familiar to me, though I could not recollect him. The poor fellow burst into tears, and having made himself known to me,

and

and enquired after my health, &c. he begged I would permit him to speak to me for a few minutes the first leifure I had, as he was detained in Edinburgh by no other bufinefs. I appointed that af ternoon to fee him at my houfe, and could not imagine what the bufinefs he wifhed to speak to me upon was; for though I had always endeavoured to deferve the regard of my domeftics, I never had been particularly kind to him.

When he came, he informed me that he had faved up eleven hundred pounds; that his wife had taken an inn upon the Dover road, for which, upon being put into poffeffion, they were to pay feven hundred. He then faid, he hoped I would forgive his prefumption in what he was about to fay; but as he was afraid I was not in fuch cir cumstances as formerly, if I would be fo good as to make use, for my own time, of the remainder of the little fortune I had been the means of his getting, it would afford him more real pleasure than he could receive from difpofing of it in any other way.

I could fcarcely refrain from tears at the manner in which this offer was made. It seemed rather as if he had been foliciting a loan than offering a favour. I thanked him cordially for his intended kindness, but declined accepting it; affuring him, at the fame time, that I did not do

fo

fo from being hurt at the offer, which gave me fingular pleasure, but because I had lately received from Mr. Hearne, whom he well knew, the afnftance I then wanted. I added, that I could not think of borrowing the money he had laboured many years for, without being certain of repaying it, even if I was actually preffed for it; I confequently would not contract a debt of such a nature, when I really had no immediate occafion. The worthy man reluctantly acquiefced with this declaration, and took his leave, in appearance as much mortified at the refufal of his money, as others would have been at being dunned for it.

This grateful behaviour of my late fervant Daniel only wants the decorations of Shakfpere's immortalizing pen to make it as memorable as that of Adam in his "As you like it."-The honefty and friendship of that venerable fervant towards the memory of old Sir Rowland, as he terms Orlando, when reprefented by Berry, with that honeft plainnefs, and unaffected fenfibility, which was never equalled by any other performer, could not affect the weeping audience more than this well-meant offer of Daniel's did me. The impreffion will never be eradicated from my mind. And that infinitely more from the manner in which the favour was tendered, and the grateful intention of it, than from the fervice fuch a fum at

that

that time could have been to me. Thefe were the only two inftances of gratitude, among the numerous opportunities I gave for the exertion of it, that ever I met with. But thefe are fufficient to convince me, that the virtue has an exiftence, though, like the phoenix, its appearance is very

rare.

LETTER

G. A. B.

LXXVIII.

August 29, 17

UPON my firft engaging at Edinburgh, the gentlemen of Glasgow offered to build a theatre by fubfcription, if our company would promise to perform there in the fummer. To this we readily confented, as the inhabitants were not only opulent, but liberal to a degree. The theatre being now ready, we formed very agreeable ideas of the jaunt; and that not only from the views of profit that it presented, but from the favourable ideas we entertained of the place and people. The Goddess of Nonfenfe (for fo we had nicknamed Mifs Wordley, from her being directly the reverfe, and having performed the character at Mr. Wilkinson's benefit) was impatient beyond meafure for our removal from the metropolis. I had lately left Bonnington, and refided in the

city, as the business of the theatre required my being near it; and upon this occafion David Hume complimented me with his apartments in the Cannongate.

When we were about to fet off, after having difcharged my bills, I found I had not cafh fufficient to defray the expences of the journey; my family conffting of myself, Mifs Wordley, and three fervants. The chaifes were ordered, and expected foon to be at the door. Not knowing how to raise any money upon this emergency, I sent one of my women, whose name was Watertone, to a watch-maker's in the High-street, to difpofe of the filver repeater Mr. Digges had given me. The perfon I directed her to apply to had gained a reputation, by making several for that great mechanical genius the Duke of Argyll.

The chaifes were now at the door; and I waited with the greatest impatience for the arrival of the money to enable us to fet off. Some hours elapsed without any tidings of my meffenger. Her honefty I could not fufpect. Her ftay therefore could not be accounted for. About four in the afternoon, a person, dreffed something like one of our beadles, came to inform me, that a woman belonging to me was detained about a watch fhe had offered to fell.

This intelligence crowned my misfortunes. I fent back the chaises which were yet in waiting,

and