* "Twas there I read my happy boy "Ere" when nurse fobb'd and faid, "Good lack!the babe, to whom kind heaven "So many bounteous gifts hath given, "These two hours hath been dead." LETTER XXXVII. To the SAME. Ireland, 26 January 1777. One of Lord Harcourt's fuite will carry this to England. His Lordship was relieved from guard yesterday by the arrival of the new Lord Lieutenant. As politicks have not much to do with love, I fhall not trouble you with a history of the late reign, or with a prophecy of what will be the present. Only let our great actors take care they do not play the farce of America in Ireland. My fpirits, I thank you, are now tolerably well. But you know I am, at least I know I have been ever fince you have known me, a strange comical fellow. Neither one thing nor t'other. Sometimes in the garret, but much oftner down in the cellar. If Salvator Rofa, or Rousseau, wanted to to draw a particular character, I am their man. But you and I fhall yet be happy together, I know; and then my fpirits and paffions will return into their ufual channels. Why do you complain of the language and tenderness of my letters? Suppofe they were not tender. What would you fay, what would you think, then? Must not love speak the language of love? Nay, do we not fee every day that love and religion have mutual obligations, and continually borrow phrafes from each other? Put Jamie or Jenny, inftead of Chrift, and see what you will make of Mrs. Rowe's most folemn poems, or of Dr. Watts's hymns. Let me transcribe you a letter written by another perfon to a lady. man. "Sir Benjamin telling me you were not come to town a 3 o'clock, makes me in pain to know how your fon does, "and I can't help enquiring after him and dear Mrs. FreeThe bishop of Worcester was with me this morn"ing before I was dreffed. I gave him my letter to the "Queen, and he has promised to fecond it, and feemed to "undertake it very willingly though, by all the discourse "I had with him (of which I will give you a particular * account when I fee you) I find him very partial to her. "The last time he was here, I told him you had several "times defired you might go from me, and I have repeated the fame thing again to him. For you may eafily imagine 66. I would "I would not neglect doing you right on all occafions. But "I beg it again for Christ Jesus's fake, that you would ne"ver name it any more to me; for, be affured, if you should "ever do fo cruel a thing as to leave me, from that mo"ment I shall never enjoy one quiet hour. And should you do it without asking my consent (which if I ever "give you may I never fee the face of heaven!) I will shut 66 myself up, and never see the world more, but live where "I may be forgotten by human kind." What think you of this letter? If it should have been written by a woman to a woman, furely you will allow H. to write a little tenderly to his own M. This was really the cafe. It is transcribed from " an account of the conduct of the Dowager Duchefs of Marlborough," printed for W. Smith in Dame-street, Dublin, 1742, which I bought at Wilson's in Dame-street yefterday. The pamphlet contains others as loving. This I find page 40. It was written to Lady Marlborough by her Mistress (one would have thought the word mistress in one fenfe did belong to one of the parties) when she was only Princefs of Denmark. It refers to the quarrel between the Princess and her royal fister and brother-in-law, because she would not part with her favourite, upon Lord Marlborough's having displeased the King. 5 These Thefe two female lovers always correfponded, under the names of Mrs. Freeman and Mrs. Morley, at the particular defire of the Princess, who fixed upon the names. And this, after fhe was Queen Anne.-Be affured, my M. that, although I write to you with almoft the fame madnefs of affection, I will ever imitate her example, for all its royalty, and exchange you for a mushroom of your own raifing (Mrs. Masham). LETTER XXXVIII, To the SAME. Ireland, 6 Feb. 1777. My laft was merry, you know. I can't fay as much for your laft. To-day you must suffer me to indulge my prefent turn of mind in tranfcribing fomething which was left behind her by a Mrs. Dixon, who poifoned herfelf not long fince at Inniskillen. It was communicated to me by a gentleman, after a dinner yesterday, who is come hither about bufinefs, and lives in the neighbourhood of Inniskillen. The unhappy woman was not above nineteen years of age. She had been married about two years, and lived with her husband all that time with seeming ease and chearfulness. -She was remarkably chearful all the fatal day, had had company to dine with her, made tea for them, in the evening, fet them down to cards, retired to her chamber, and drank her cup of arfenick. -She left a writing on her table, in which is obfcurely hinted the fad circumstance which urged her impatience to this desperate act. Enclosed is an exact copy even to the spelling. "This is to let all the world know, that hears of me, that it's no crime I ever committed occafions this my untimly end; but defpair of ever being happy in this world, as I have fufficient reafons to think fo. I own 'tis a finful remedy, and very uncertain to feck happiness, but I hope that God will forgive my poor foul; Lord have mercy on it! But ali I beg is to let none reproach my friends with it, or fufpect my virtue or my honour in the leaft, though I am to be no more. Comfort my poor unhappy mother, and brothers and fifters, and let all mothers take care, and never a force a child as mine did me: but I forgive her, and hopes God will forgive me, as I believe fhe meant my good by my marriage. Oh! that unfortunate day I gave my hand to one, whilst my heart was another's, but hoping that time and prudence would at length return my former peace and tranquility of mind, which I wanted for a long time: but oh! it grieves me to think of the length of eternity; and the Lord fave me from eternal damnation! Let no one blame Martin Dixon*, for he is in no fault of it. I have a few articles which I have a greater regard for than any thing else that's mine, on account of him that gave them to me (but he is not to be mentioned)--and I have fome well-wishers that I think proper to give them to. * Her husband, First, |