But here, perhaps, you will think the following lines, though wrote on Mr. Bofwell, may be applied

to me :

With conftitutional vivacity,

Yet, garrulous, he tells too much,
On fancied failings prone to touch
With fedulous loquacity.

But as Voltaire juftly remarks in his Count Serbetti, "The world, who much taste as curiofity, will have all a as well as his works.".

COLMAN.

letter to the have not fo man's follies,

I am,

Dear Friend,

Yours.

LETTER XII.

Terror in dreams the anxious mother moves,
Or bids fond virgins mourn their abfent loves.
Sylvia in vain her wearied eyes would close,
Hark! the fad death-watch clicks-adieu, repofe
The diftant owl, or yelling mastiff near,
Terror ftill vibrates on the lift'ning ear,
And bids th' affrighted Sylvia vigils keep,
For Fancy, like Macbeth, has murder'd fleep.

DEAR FRIEND,

Mr. PRALL.

THE fubject of my last recalls to

my mind a ridiculous affair, which excited much mirth in that part of the country.

During the election at Taunton, a gentleman one day came in a poft-chaife to the White-hart Inn, kept by Mr. Baldwin, and after having refreshed himself, frolled into the yard, and feeing the hoftler, afked

him if he could inform him where they took in the news? The hoftier understanding him in a literal fenfe, directed him to a bookfeller's fhop on the oppofite fide of the way; this fhop was kept by Mifs A-d-n, a beautiful young lady of irreproachable character, and one whofe fine understanding and polifhed tafte did honour to the profeffion; which profeflion fhe only adopted for an amufement, as fhe poffeffed an indepedent fortune.

Our gentleman on entering the fhop, enquired of the hopmaid for her miftrefs, but the maid being ufed to ferve in the fhop, and knowing that her mistrefs had fome ladies with her, informed the gentleman that the could help him to any thing that he wanted. But on his faying he had fome private bufinefs with her mistress, he was fhewn into a back parlour, and the mistress being informed a gentleman wanted to fpeak to her, he went directly to him. The moment The entered the room, he clafped her in his arms, called her a divine creature, &c. This fo alarmed Mifs A-d-n, that the fcreamed aloud: on hearing which, the ladies, preceded by the housemaid and fhopmaid, repaired to the parlour, where they found Mifs A-d-n almoft in fits. The gentleman thinking that it was only a trick to raise her price, took but little notice, on which one of the maids ran out and called in feveral of the neighbours, who, on coming' into the parlour, faw with aftonifhment our Sir Harry Wildair taking improper liberties with Mifs A-d-n, and defired him to defift. But he defired them not to attempt to put tricks on travellers, and ordered them to leave the room. Instead of obeying his injunctions they, in a refolute tone, ordered our spark to go inftantly about his bufinefs. However, he still kept his ground, until the mayor of the town, who happened to live juft by, was called in. Mr. Mayor, demanded why he took fuch freedom with the lady! Our gentleman, feeing that the affair began to look very ferious, now became calm, and informed the company that having an inclination for a frolic, he had enquired for a bad house, and had been directed there; adding, that if there had been any mistake, he

E 4

was

was very forry for it, and would beg the lady's pardon. On hearing this the company were more furprized than before, and demanded of the gentleman, who had informed him that that houfe was a bawdyhoufe? He, without hefitation, replied, The hoftler at the White-hart. Upon this the hoftler was fent for, and on being afked, if he had directed that gentleman to Mifs A-d-n's as a bawdy-house ? The poor fellow, with marks of terror and surprise, anfwered, No. The Gentleman never afked me for a bawdy-houfe, he only asked me for a house where they took in the news. So that the hoftler's underftanding him in a literal fenfe, caufed all the confufion.. The affair, however, had got fo much air, that our fpark was glad to leave the town immediately.

A very strange unaccountable circumftance happened in this Inn about the fame time; one of thofe occurrences that puzzle the philofopher, and strengthen fuperftition in weak minds. Three or four gentlemen of the neighbourhood were drinking wine in one of the rooms, when the landlord of the Inn (as it appeared to them) walked into the room, and coming up to the table, around which they were feated, they addreffed him with "Mr. Baldwin, how do you do? fit down and take a glass of wine with us;" but instead of doing as requested, the fuppofed Innkeeper walked out without making any reply; which not only furprized, but offended the company, who rung the bell violently, and on the waiter's appear. ance, they ordered him to fend in his master. The waiter informed them that his master was not at home. The gentlemen replied, that he was at home a few minutes fince, and therefore they infifted on feeing him; but the man affured them they were mistaken, as his mafter was in Bristol, and had been there fe veral days. They then ordered the waiter to fend in Mrs. Baldwin, who immediately appearing, the gen. tlemen asked her where Mr. Baldwin was, and fhe informed thom, as the waiter had already done, that he was at Bristol, and had been there feveral days; on which the gentlemen grew very angry, and swore that Mr. Baldwin had just before come into the room, and

on their requesting him to partake of their wine, had infulted them by going out of the room, without deigning to give them an answer. Mrs. Baldwin ther drew out of her pocket a letter fhe had that morning. received from Mr. Baldwin, by which it was apparent, that he really was at Briftol. The story was then told round the neighbourhood, and all the old women certainly concluded that Mr. Baldwin must certainly be dead, and that he died at the very instant that the gentlemen faw him come into the room; but Mr. Baldwin, returning two days after, rendered it neceffary for them to vary their story; they then af ferted that it was a token, or fome warning of his death, and had no doubt but it would very foon happen. It was generally thought that Mr. Baldwin was weak enough to pay fuch attention to the ftory and inference, as to hurt his health, as he really died within a year after, and the old women were not a little pleafed at the event, as it tended to justify the truth of their prediction.

A more ridiculous affair happened about ten years fince, at the Two Bells, oppofite Whitechapel-church. The landlord was fitting one night with fome jovial company, one of whom happening to fay, that he prayed to God, that fuch a thing hould not come topafs; the landlord replied in a good humoured man-ner, your prayers will neither do good nor harın ; upon which the other faid a deal to perfuade the host that his prayers would do great things; but the more he faid in praise of his prayers, the more the landlord laughed at, and ridiculed him. The man at laft infifted that he could pray the landlord to death in two months time, and offered to bet him a crown bowl of punch to the truth of it, which the landlord accepting, the wager was laid, and almost every night after this, the man came to the houfe, and conftantly laughed at the landlord, and affured him that he would lofe his wager; and however ftrange

it may appear, our hoft did die within the time, and his widow paid the wager: I think there cannot re main a doubt but that the ridiculous talk of the fellow actually affected the landlord's mind, and haftened

his death; and the following inftances tend alfo to hew how eafily the lives of fome are shortened :

Jofeph Scales, Efq. about five years fince, in turn. ing thort one day in one of the streets of London, met a man whom he had no feen for fome time, and innocently addreffed him with, Ha! what are you alive yet which had fuch an affect on the poor man,, that he died a few hours after.

Being at Bristol about four years fince, I enquired after a worthy leather-feller whom I had formerly known, and was informed that he was lately dead, and that his death was fuppofed to have been haftened by a famous fortune-teller, who, having caft his nativity, declared that he would die within fix months, which affected his mind fo as to accomplish his prediction.

Live to day, the now is ours,
Who can truft the future hours?
Now the rapt'rous moments roll;
This is the fun-fhine of the foul..

FAWKES

The following lines of Pope,, being fo much to my purpofe, I muft quote them alfo :

Heav'n from all creatures hides the book of fate,

All but the title page, prefcrib'd their present state;
From brutes what men," from men what fpirits know:
Or who could fuffer being here below?

The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to day,
Had he thy reafon, would he skip and play?
Pleas'd to the laft, he crops the flow'ry food,
And licks the band just rais'd to shed his blood.
Oh, blindnefs to the future kindly given,

That each may fill the circle mark'd by heav'n.

Dr. Moore in his travels through France, Swit zerland and Germany, relates the following remarkable account which is to the point: Being at Berlin, he went to fee a man executed for the murder of a child. His motives for this horrid deed were much more extraordinary than the action itself. He had accompanied fome of his companions to the houfe of a fellow, who affumed the character of a fortune-teller; and having difobliged him, by expreffing a contempt for his art, the fellow, out of revenge, prophefied, that this man fhould die on a scaffold. This

feemed