company, which would have done credit to a London theatre. We, however, more than fhared the public favour. Mr. Moffop revived "The Orphan of "China," which had fucceeded at DruryLane the winter before. The dreffes, in which he and myfelf were to perform, came from London. But how to manage, with regard to thofe of the reft of the characters, was a difficulty hardly to be got over. As the manager had quarrelled with Tracey, the taylor, credit was no more to be had than money. And if the piece could not be got up fo as to anticipate the other house, we had very little chance of rivalling them in it; all their decorations, clothes, &c. being expected from London, and having been already puffed away in all the papers, in the most oftentatious manner. At length I prevailed upon Tracey, not only to make and expedite the dreffes, but likewife to find the materials. We rehearsed three times a day, and after having taken. the most indefatigable pains, got the piece ready for representation in lefs than a week. We accordingly were able to perform it before the proprietors of Crow-ftreet, and got eight great audiences, ere the finery they fo much boasted of arrived. This manœuvre proved a fore disappointment to the expectations of the gentry of the other houfe, who were thereby prevented from reimburfing their expences, which, I was informed, were very confiderable. Mr. Digges, who had marked me for a conqueft, fighed at a distance, and covered his vanity with fuch awful refpe&t, that I imagined the character I had heard of him was not a just one. He, at length, through the introduction of a female acquaintance of mine, got admittance to my house as a vifitor. And as he was really the accomplished gentleman and an entertaining companion, it was impoffible to refift being pleased with his company. For a while he affected to fmother his paffion. But in a fhort time. after, being really ill, or pretending to be fo, he wrote to me, and declared that love for me was the cause of it. Impelled by an irresistible fatality, I read his letters. And a circumftance foon after happened, which helped to forward the attainment of his wifhes. LETTER G. A. B. LXXIV. July 31, 17 MY Y bill, for wine and other articles, had of Mr. Crump, amounted to four hundred pounds, two of which I had paid; and intended fettling the whole at my benefit, which I thought would be in good time. For For though I received fifty guineas a week, yet through the extravagance of my fervants, and my own thoughtleffnefs, I had not a guinea before hand. But to my great furprise I heard that Mr. Crump had failed, and that Coates had taken poffeffion of his effects, books, &c. "Coriolanus" was befpoke, and Mr. Moffop had the agreeable profpect of a fubfcription for fix plays, which would enable him to pay the performers. For not one of them was regularly paid but myfelf, though by what means he expended his money I could not imagine. As I went one day as ufual to the rehearsal, I obferved a mean-looking fellow run by the fide of my chair. I called, in my way, upon a lady. Still the fame man was my attendant. Having no fufpicion of any danger from him, I attributed it to the beauty of my fedan; which, indeed, attracted every eye. I had fome company at dinner, which made it rather later than ufual when I fet out for the theatre. As my chairmen entered Damafk-ftreet, the man who had followed me in the morning knocked at the front window of my chair, and, when I had let it down, fhowed me a bit of paper. Upon my enquiring what it was, he told me it was a writ for the two hundred pounds I owed Coates, as fucceffor to Crump's affairs, and infifted that I fhould go with him. I told him he should have the money, if he would go to the theatre, and that I would likewife make him a handsome prefent for the permiffion. But this he would not confent to do; as, he faid, he had particular orders. from the plaintiff to the contrary. The This being the cafe, I made a virtue of neceffity, and went with him to a house in Skinner-row. When I got there, I fent for Coates, but he was not to be found. officer now candidly told me, that the intention of taking me in the evening was, to prevent my appearing at the theatre that night. He had been particularly warned, he faid, not to arrest me in the morning, as they were well affured I should have paid the debt, and by that means have difappointed their purpofe. It was two o'clock in the morning before the plaintiff could be met with, and as he had given orders that the affair fhould only be fettled by himself, I was obliged to wait with patience his coming. Mrs. Molloy and Mifs Ly'll vifited me in my durance, and I believe the officer's houfe was never fo graced before. Mrs. Ufher had been obliged to read my part. As foon as the play was over, Mr. Moffop came to me. And I was vaftly apprehenfive that he would have caned Coates. This was what the man feemed to wifh, for fuch a vulgar impertinent I never heard before. He had the impudence to tell us, that that he knew he fhould eafily have got the money, but he wished to prevent my playing that night. "Every thing," continued he, "is fair, where interefts clafh." When Mr. Digges found me in this fituation, he was like a distracted man. His firft bufinefs was to give a moft fevere chaftifement to Coates; which, together with fome other embarraffments in his private affairs, obliged him to leave Dublin. Before he went, he wrote to me, earneftly requesting to speak with me. I confented. When his attractions, his fufferings, gratitude, pity, and a predilection in his favour, all joined to induce me to enter into a ferious connection with him. This, though not binding by the laws of the country to a person of my religious perfuafion, was notwithstanding valid to all intents and purposes. And the connection, in confequence, made us mutually unhappy, during the two years we lived together. I was, I think, to be unhappy in every union I formed. Whether this arofe from the contrarieties naturally attendant on love, fo truly defcribed by Shakfpere in the following. beautiful lines, or from fome other caufe, I will not pretend to fay. -For aught that ever I could read, The |