that, as Lord Oxmington was well known to have his brain very ill timbered, a fenfible man should rather laugh than be angry at his ridiculous want of breeding. Mr Bramble took umbrage at my prefuming to be wifer than he upon this occafion; and told me, that, as he had always thought for himself in every occurrence in life, he would still use the fame privilege, with my good

leave.

WHEN we returned to our inn, he clofeted Lifmahago; and having explained his grievance, defired that gentleman to go and demand fatisfaction of Lord Oxmington in his name. The lieutenant charged himself with this commiffion, and immediately fet out a-horseback for his lordship's house, attended, at his own requeft, by my man Archy Macalpine, who had been ufed to military service; and truly, if Macalpine had been mounted upon an ass, this couple might have paffed for the Knight of La Mancha and his fquire Panza. It was not till after fome demur that Lismahago obtained a private audience, at which he formally defied his lordship to fingle combat, in the name of Mr Bramble, and defired him to appoint the time and place. Lord Oxmington was fo confounded at this unexpected meffage, that he could not, for fome time, make any articulate reply; but ftood ftaring at the lieutenant with manifeft marks of perturbation. At length, ringing a bell with great vehemence, he exclaimed, "What! a commoner fend a challenge to a peer of the realm !— Privilege! privilege! Here's a perfon brings me a challenge from the Welchman that dined at my table. An impudent fellow! My wine is not yet out of his head."

THE whole houfe, was immediately in commotion. Macalpine made a foldierly retreat with the two horses; but the captain was fuddenly furrounded and difarmed by the footmen, whom a French valet de chambre headed in this exploit; his fword was paffed through a close frool, and his perfon through the horse pond. In this plight he returned to the inn, half mad with his difgrace. So violent was the rage of his indignation, that he mistook its object. He wanted to quarrel with Mr Bramble; he faid, he had been difhonoured on his acVOL. VI. Sf

count, and he looked for réparation at his hands. My uncle's back was up in a moment; and he defired him to explain his pretenfions. "Either compel Lord Oxmington to give me fatisfaction (cried he), or give it me in your perfon." "The latter part of the alternative is the most easy and expeditious (replied the squire, starting up); if you are difposed for a walk, I'll attend you this moment."

HERE they were interrupted by Mrs Tabby, who had overheard all that paffed. She now burst into the room, and running betwixt them, in great agitation, "Is this your regard for me (faid fhe to the lieutenant), to seek the life of my brother?" Lifmahago, who feemed to grow cool as my uncle grew hot, affured her he had a very great refpect for Mr Bramble, but he had still more for his own honour, which had fuffered pollution; but if that could be once purified, he should have no farther caufe of diffatisfaction. The fquire faid, he fhould have thought it incumbent upon him to vindicate the lieutenant's honour; but as he had now carved for himself, he might swallow and digeft it as well as he could-In a word, what betwixt the mediation of Mrs Tabitha, the recollection of the captain, who perceived he had gone too far, and the remonftrances of your humble fervant, who joined them at this juncture, those two originals were perfectly reconciled; and then we proceeded to deliberate upon the means of taking vengeance for the infults they had received from the petulant peer; for until that aim fhould be accomplished, Mr Bramble fwore, with great emphasis, that he would not leave the inn where we now lodged, even if he should pafs his Christmas on the spot.

IN confequence of our deliberations, we next day, in the forenoon, proceeded in a body to his Lordship's houfe, all of us, with our fervants, including the coachman, mounted a-horseback, with our pistols loaded and ready primed.--Thus prepared for action, we paraded folemnly and flowly before his Lordfhip's gate, which we paffed three times in fuch a manner, that he could not but fee us, and fufpect the cause of our appearance. --After dinner we returned, and performed the fame cavalcade, which was again repeated the morning fol

lowing; but we had no occafion to persist in these manœuvres.-About noon we were vifited by the gentleman at whose house we had first seen Lord Oxmington. -He now came to make apologies in the name of his lordship, who declared he had no intention to give offence to my uncle, in practifing what had been always the custom of his house; and that as for the indignities which had been put upon the officer, they were offered without his lordship's knowledge, at the instigation of his valet de chambre." If that be the cafe (said my uncle, in a peremptory tone), I fhall be contented with Lord Oxmington's perfonal excufes; and I hope my friend will be fatisfied with his lordship's turning that infolent rascal out of his service.”—“ Sir (cried Lifmahago), I muft infift upon taking perfonal vengeance for the perfonal injuries I have fuftained."

AFTER fome debate, the affair was adjusted in this manner. His lordship, meeting us at our friend's house, declared he was forry for what had happened; and that he had no intention to give umbrage.-The valet de chambre asked pardon of the lieutenant upon his knees, when Lifmahago, to the astonishment of all present, gave him a violent kick on the face, which laid him on his back, exclaiming in a furious tone, " Oui je te pardonne, gens foutre."

SUCH was the fortunate iffue of this perilous adventure, which threatened abundance of vexation to our family; for the fquire is one of thofe who will facrifice. both life and fortune, rather than leave what he conceives to be the least speck or blemish upon his honour and reputation. His lordship had no fooner pronounced his apology, with a very bad grace, than he went away in fome diforder, and, I dare fay, he will never invite another Welchman to his table.

WE forthwith quitted the field of this atchievement, in order to profecute our journey; but we follow no determinate course.-We make small deviations, to see the remarkable towns, villas, and curiofities on each fide of our route; fo that we advance by flow steps towards the borders of Monmouthshire: But, in the midft of these irregular motions, there is no aberration nor

eccentricity in that affection with which I am, dear

Wat,

Yours always,

September 28.

J. MELFORD

A

A

DEAR DICK,

To Dr LEWIS.

T what time of life may a man think himself exempted from the neceffity of facrificing his repose to the punctilios of a contemptible world? I have been engaged in a ridiculous adventure, which I fhall recount at meeting; and this, I hope, will not be much longer delayed, as we have now performed almost all our vifits, and feen every thing that I think has any right to retard us in our journey homewards-A few days ago, understanding, by accident, that my old friend Baynard was in the country, I would not, pafs fo near his habitation without paying him a vifit, though our correfpondence had been interrupted for a long courfe of years.

one

I FELT myself very fenfibly affected by the ideas of our paft intimacy, as we approached the place where we had spent fo many happy days together; but when we arrived at the houfe, I could not recognize any of those objects which had been fo deeply impreffed upon my remembrance-The tall oaks that fhaded the avenue had been cut down, and the iron gates at the end of it removed, together with the high wall that furrounded the court-yard. The house itself, which was formerly a convent of Ciftercian monks, had a venerable appear. ance; and along the front that looked into the garden, was a stone gallery, which afforded me many an agree able walk, when I was difpofed to be contemplative. Now the old front is covered with a fcreen of modern architecture; so that all without is Grecian, and all Iwithin Gothic.-As for the garden, which was well ftocked with the beft fruit which England could pro duce, there is not now the leaft veftige remaining

of

trees, walls, or hedges.-Nothing appears but a naked circus of loose fand, with a dry bafon and a leaden Triton in the middle.

You must know, that Baynard, at his father's death, had a clear eftate of fifteen hundred pounds a-year, and was in other refpects extremely well qualified to make a refpectable figure in the commonwealth; but, what with fome exceffes of youth, and the expence of a con tested election, he, in a few years, found himself encumbered with a debt of ten thousand pounds, which he refolved to discharge by means of a prudent marriage. He accordingly married a Mifs Thomson, whofe fortune amounted to double the fum that he owed.She was the daughter of a citizen who had failed in trade; but her fortune came by an uncle, who died in the Eaft Indies.-Her own parents being dead, fhe lived with a maiden aunt, who had fuperintended her education, and, in all appearance, was well enough qualified for the ufual purposes of the married state.-Her virtues, however, stood rather upon a negative than a pofitive foundation. She was neither proud, infolent, nor capricious, nor given to scandal, nor addicted to gaming, nor inclined to gallantry.-She could read, and write, and dance, and fing, and play upon the harpfichord, and smatter French, and take a hand at whist and ombre; but even thefe accomplishments fhe poffeffed by halves. She excelled in nothing. Her converfation was flat, her ftile mean, and her expreffion embarraffed-In a word, her character was totally infipid. Her perfon was not disagreeable; but there was nothing graceful in her address, nor engaging in her manners; and she was fo ill qualified to do the honours of the house, that, when she fat at the head of the table, one was always looking for the mistress of the family in fome other place.

BAYNARD had flattered himself that it would be no difficult matter to mould fuch a fubject after his own fashion, and that she would cheerfully enter into his views, which were wholly turned to domestic happiness. He propofed to refide always in the country, of which he was fond to a degree of enthusiasm; to cultivate his eftate, which was very improveable; to enjoy the ex