"You allow,

be wanting," answered I. "then," immediately interpofed the Knight, "that the lands of Harrow-field make part of my barony of Acredale: you are at last be

come fenfible of the juftice of my claims." I am glad of it, heartily glad of it," rejoined the attorney; "but, indeed, it is impoffible to " doubt of it, for "—and here he began a long differtation, fo full of law-terms and bad Latin, that I did not understand a word on't, which he finished with, "From all which, it "is luce clarius, that the lands belong to Sir "Ralph." Most affuredly," echoed the parfon. "And when, my dear Sir, do you mean to "renounce your claim," refumed the attorney? All this, Mr MIRROR, paffed with fo much rapidity, that I had no time for recollection or reply. Nothing could be farther from my intention, than totally to furrender my claim: an amicable accommodation was all that I meant to hint at. But what could I do, Mr MIRROR My friend, who might have fupported me, had left the room: I had no anfwer ready to the attorney's argument: the whole company concurred in regarding my claim as groundless; my meaning had been mifunder ftood, and an explanation, befides expofing

?

me

me to their refentment, (but that I did not value a ftraw), would have fubjected me to the suspicion of infincerity and loose dealing. Still, however, I was loath thus to play away fo confiderable a part of my inheritance. After hefitating a little while, aukward and em. barraffed, between these oppofite motives, I did, at laft, refolve to undeceive them, and had actually begun to meditate an address for that purpofe, which, I do believe, I thould have delivered, when the attorney, flapping me on the fhoulder with one hand, and ftretching out the other to me, with an air of the greatest cordiality, cut me short, "What say you, Mr Softly? fast bind, fast "find; what fay you to finishing the matter "immediately?" This propofal, being quite unexpected, utterly difconcerted me. Between surprise, embarraffment, and the defire of relieving myself by a decifion one way or other, feeing them, at the fame time, full of expectation, I haftily, almost without knowing what I did, took him by the hand, and answered, Sir, with all my heart. In fhort, Mr MIRROR, paper, pen, and ink, were called for, and a deed drawn out, which I instantly executed. The Knight, immediately after, coming,

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coming up to me, fhook me by the hand, and commanding a bumper to my health, defired and infifted to fee me often at Caftle Holdencourt.

Being naturally of an easy temper, and seeing that the matter could not be mended, touched at the fame time with the fatisfaction it had diffused, 1 foon, in fome degree, regained my good humour. More wine was called for repeatedly; and next morning, I found myself at my friend Mr B.'s houfe, without knowing how or when I had been tranfported to it.

Upon ferious deliberation, however, and after fome converfation upon the fubject with my wife, I am really vexed and difpirited with this affair. In making application to you, I have three views; the firft merely to disburden my mind by telling the ftory, (I fear it is a dull and tedious one); the fecond, to learn from any of your readers who is at the bar, whether my facility be a ground for reducing my confent; the third, to warn perfons of a fimilar difpofition from going into company with their adverfaries in a law-fuit.

I am, Sir, yours, &c.

SIMON SOFTLY.

As I fincerely fympathife with Mr Softly in his distress, I have published his letter for the first purpose mentioned in its conclufion, to disburden his mind of the ftory. As to the fecond, I am afraid I can be of little ufe to him, as a law-opinion delivered through the channel of the MIRROR would be destitute of fome of the pre-requifites, without which it would be dangerous to rely on it as the ground of legal proceedings. The third, which is a very difinterefted motive, is, I believe, more charitable in him, that it will be ufeful to his readers. There is, I fancy, very little occafion for warning people against going into the company of those with whom they are at law, left they should be furprifed into improper conceffions; I have generally obferved, that,, being in company with an adverfary in a lawfuit, has a greater tendency to make a man. tenacious of his rights, than to dispose him to relinquish them.

Z

N° 104

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No 104.

SATURDAY, May 6. 1780.

T has been remarked, that the country-life prevails more in Great Britain than in any civilized nation in Europe.

However true this obfervation may be in the general, there is one fet of men among us, to whom, in the present times, it will by no means apply: I mean our great nobles, and men of high fortune. It is indeed vain to expect, that perfons in that rank of life fhould be able to withstand the attractions of a court, and the feductions of a luxurious capital.

It is, nevertheless, a melancholy circumftance, in travelling through this island, to find fo many noble palaces deferted by their illuftrious owners, even in that feafon of the year when, to every man of tafte, the country muft afford true pleasure. How mortifying is it to hear a great man tell you, that he cannot afford to live at his country-feat, and to fee him, after paffing a winter in London, and lofing thoufands in a week, reduced to the neceffity of murdering the fummer, by lounging