"Lord, and have feen that to your maid; by "which I find you are unalterable in your "refolution. I hate Hollwood, and every "place which reminds me how happy I "have been in your company. Caroline has "almoft broke my heart with fhewing me "the fweet letter which accompanied your "fairing. Every body is made happy but "me; but vexation and the gout will foon "relieve you from the man you hate. I "have ordered the plate, your new fedan, "and books to be fent you. I have fent you the parchment I have found, which "I fuppofe is the counterpart of your annuity; but depend upon it, I fhall not "think it fufficient for your fupport. For "God's fake write to me, and be affured "whilft I have breath, I am affectionately yours. Signed, JOHN CALCRAFT." The parchment mentioned in the above letter, was that given me by Mr. Davy, the person who had lent me the five hundred pounds. It was a writing to fhow that I had only fold the annuity conditionally. Mr. Calcraft's barefaced meannefs in pretending to be ignorant of what he had before upbraided me with, increafed, if poffible, my difguft and contempt. Unfortunately for me, I kept thefe feelings, with the injuries which occafioned. 6 them, them, a fecret from every body but Lady Tyrawley. Whilft my former friend, the perfon who had fucceeded me in Mr. Calcraft's affection, propagated innumerable falfehoods against me. As fhe poffeffed a fertile genius, fhe was able to clothe them with an appearance of plaufibility, which made them believed; and my filence gave her every advantage over me. My extravagance furnished her with a fund of calumny. Nor was this the worst. It was induftriously reported, that I entertained a partiality for a man I fcarcely knew; and that this was the caufe of my leaving Mr. Calcraft. So improbable a ftory, I think, could hardly gain belief. For, had that been the cafe, I fhould certainly have ftaid in London, where my imagined lover was, rather than have removed to fo great a diftance from him. But to what lengths will not malevolence and the love of flander carry fome people! How finely, and at the fame time how justly, has Shakfpere described this propenfity, in the following lines! Slander Whofe edge is fharper than the fword; whofe tongue Out-venoms all the worms of Nile; whole breath Rides on the pofting winds, and doth belie All corners of the world, kings, queens, and ftates, Inftead of being able to indulge my tender emotions, the mortification and difguft I had fo long been a prey to, entirely engroffed my thoughts. I had not even the flighteft idea of forming another connection. Not that I thought myfelf debarred from it, by any ties that fubfifted between myself and Mr. Calcraft; for thefe were now perfectly diffolved by his duplicity. Had I encouraged fuch a wifh, I could foon have extricated myself from all my difficulties, as there was many a competitor for my favour; particularly one of the firft and most generous men in the kingdom. The packet not being ready to fail from Parkgate, left I fhould forfeit the penalty of my articles, by not being at Dublin in time, I fet off for Holyhead. As I travelled by myself, I had leifure to indulge my melancholy. I could not even help envying the happiness of my fervants, in whofe bofoms cheerful innocence feemed to reign, whilft I Cymbeline, A& III. Scene IV. was was tortured with the feverest reflections. Thefe arofe, not only from my unhappy fituation, but from the perfidy and ingratitude I had experienced from a man, who, whilft he was pretending to regret my lofs, was, as I had been informed, abetting and inventing the moft improbable, and the falfeft reports of me. Among thefe, it was given out by them, that I encouraged the addreffes of a noble Lord, with whofe Countefs I had the honour of being upon terms of intimacy. Had I been inclined to gallantry, for this reafon, as well as upon account of his own deformity, that nobleman would have been the laft man I should have chofen. They alfo carried their inveteracy fo far, as to engage a perfon who wrote for bread, and is a difgrace to the navy, to fcandalize me in a fcurrilous pub lication, not unlike Bellmen's Verses. In travelling to the Head, however dull and melancholy my days were; I had great entertainment in the evenings; there being always fome perfon at the inns playing upon the harp, the favourite inftrument of the Welch. And the ditties they played feemed to fuit the gloomy temperature of my mind. When I arrived at Conway Ferry, the wind was fo high, that it was impracticable to go over. I was therefore obliged to remain at the ferry-house during the night. Here I was neceffitated to fup in the fame room with all thofe who were forced, like myfelf, to take up their abode at the inn. There being but one room below stairs, and that, like the cobler's, ferving at once for parlour, for kitchen, and hall," we all fat together; only the parlour was divided from the kitchen by a curtain. And both were tolerably well filled. For befides my fuit, which confifted of the two poftillions, a guide, two footmen, and three maids, the company was numerous. From the unfavourable appearance of the habitation, I was apprehenfive that my entertainment would have been as homely. But I was not only most agreeably furprized with one of the best fuppers I had ever fat down to at an inn, but with a finall neat bed-room, and a very good bed, and every accommodation that could be hoped for in the best inns on the road. And all this at fo trifling an expence, that it was not to be imagined the people of the house could get a reasonable profit. When I arrived at the Head, the packet was ready to fail. I found there a great number of people waiting to go over, but very few would venture, the fea being extremely boisterous. But as I neither wifhed for life, nor was apprehenfive of danger, it was very immaterial to me in what flate the fea was. I therefore went aboard, and, by |