fortune, led by fome unknown whim, he infifted on doing duty as one of the privates. The Marquis had juft fent him out his dinner; which he was dividing with his comrade, when a cannon ball fhot him dead upon the fpot. By this fatal blow was the world deprived of one of its greatest ornaments, and myself of the only admirer that ever really loved me. As the untimely fall of that worthy nobleman never occurs to my mind without exciting a figh, permit me here to bestow one on his memory.

G. A. B.

LETTER

LXV.

May 18, 17

WH

HEN the Marquis of Granby returned to England, he came to Parliament-ftreet, as he could not enter the place of refidence from whence his better half had departed; and, can you believe it, he made me his cafb-keeper; which Mr. Fox humouroufly compared to the lame leading the blind. His Lordship's generofity, however, greatly exceeding his purse, I was foon obliged to refign my office. His wants could not have been fupplied, fuch was the liberality of his heart, even by the Exchequer itfelf.

Colonel Burton, the husband of my late much valued friend, Mifs St. Leger, was still in America; and, whilft I was imagining

that

that he had broken his heart for the lofs of her, I received a letter from him, requesting that I would fend over to him a repeater, and fome other fashionable prefents, as he had fallen in love with a Squaw, whom he admired notwithstanding her complexion. I fent the things, and at the fame time rallied him upon his inconftancy and tafte. For by the word Squaw,' I apprehended he had taken a black to his arms. I was the more readily led to this conclufion, by knowing that he was remarkably averfe to fair women.

But what was my furprize to hear afterwards, that the Colonel had married a daughter of Apollo, whofe locks were as red, as thofe of her father are defcribed to be! I have often heard that the tafte alters in a certain number of years; and that men fometimes contract a habit of liking what before they disliked. But I fcarcely ever knew an inftance, except this, where fuch a feeming invincible averfion to any particular complexion, was to be so easily overcome. This convinces me, that there is fome foundation for the belief, that marriages are made in Heaven, as the good old folks exprefs themselves; elfe, this gentleman would have remained fingle, rather than have chofen a partner of fuch a hue, after having been bleft with the elegant and accomplished woman he had been.

On the evening of my benefit, Mr. Fox,

having been detained by the Duke of Cumberland, happened to be late at the theatre. Lady Caroline came early; and there being a great crowd, he told the door-keeper he had forgot his ticket, but that was immaterial, he said, as it was his benefit. He then, laughing, ordered the box-keeper to open the door of his lady's box. A malignant writer, who wanted to have his filence purchafed, took occafion from this fally, as well as from the reports Mrs. Woffington had propagated in my disfavour, to infert in one of his publications that I was the great Captain's Captain; and that no commiffion or place was difpofed of in that department, but through my recommendation.

This farcafm greatly affected me. Although I was confcious there was no foundation for the report, as I had never requested an improper favour of Mr. Fox; yet as he was conftantly at our houfe, which it was impoffible to avoid, or even to attempt putting a stop to, it created an uneafinefs in my bofom not to be defcribed. This arofe chiefly from the apprehenfion that the reflectión which had been thrown on us fhould injure me, if but for a moment, in the opinion of a lady, who was an honour to her fex, and who was befides one of the warmest of my patronesses. I mentioned the circumftance to Mr. Fox, who laughed at my fears. He affured me, that his lady was not

only

only too confident in his affection to harbour such a doubt, but that he had too good an opinion of my rectitude, as the really' thought me married, to regard what a hireling fcribler fhould write. But notwithstanding these affurances, I could perceive, that after the publication of the piece of fcandal juft mentioned, Lady Caroline never received me with that cordiality fhe had honoured me with before.

I have in a former letter bestowed my t cenfure on those who wantonly rob others of their good name.-You must just permit me to add, that the indecent lengths to which perfonal reflections are carried in fome publications, is deferving of the fevereft reprobation. A character is often mangled, and the fair fame of the devoted prey blasted, upon hearfay affertions, and the most groundlefs and improbable conjectures, merely to make a paragraph.—I am sorry to fay, that the writers know that scandal is almoft univerfally acceptable; and fo they can, by dealing out a fufficient quantity of it, enhance the value of their publications, and increase their` emoluments, the peace and happiness of an individual or a family is beneath confideration.-And for this there appears to be no redrefs. An application to the courts of law is expensive and uncertain. The guarded ambiguity with which the reflections are penned, though

they

they are worded fo as not to be misinterpreted, renders fuch a reference hazardous; and instead of extinguishing, it only adds fuel to the fire.-A filent contempt is all that a perfon thus aggrieved has for it. A consciousness of innocence will be their only fupport; and though it is extremely hardto be obliged to put up with undeferved imputations, thofe are the only fhields to repel the envenomed darts.

But to proceed, had it not been for this difagreeable incident, I fhould have been the completeft female quidnunc that ever appeared in petticoats. To give as little room as poffible to the cenfures arifing from my being fo much with Mr. Fox, I excused myfelf from going as ufual to Hollwood, where a political junto met every week. These confifted of the Duke of Cumberland, occafionally, but conftantly the Dukes of Bedford and Marlborough, Lord Ducie Morton, Mr. Fox, Mr. Charles Townfend, &c. &c. &c.; where the national concerns were talked over, and in which, but for the refolution I had taken, I might have acquired a knowledge beyond moft other women.

My ftaying in town was, however, productive of one good confequence. For by being there, I was the means of faving Mr. Calcraft from ruin; and many individuals. from irreparable lofs or the greatest inconvenience. A large party were gone down

to