strove to speak, he could not utter above a word or two, but he used to write perpetually, and I was the only subject of his pen. He lived in this wretched state

about a year after I was married. When he was dead they found under his pillow a piece of cut paper, which he had stolen out of my closet at the Farm. I have made this digression too long already, or I could relate more particulars about Roberto' that were very extraordinary. It was very lucky for me that Gromio had never heard of such a person, for, as he observed my looks very narrowly, he might have been alarmed at the alteration he might have then seen in me; but as it was it only passed for common compassion upon hearing a melancholy story.

The day was come when I was to leave all I loved and valued, to go to a remote country, with a man I looked upon as my tyrant-my jailor; one that I was determined to obey and oblige, but found it impossible to love. It was a happiness to me that my sister at that time was too young to observe my distress. Had she been then to me what she is now, how would my misery have been doubled, by the grief it would have been to her! but she was then a child, and I parted with her unwillingly, but not more grieved than for a pretty lively companion, who had often made my sad heart cheerful with her wit and sprightly humour. My

1 "Roberto." Mr. Twyford might have been brother to the ladies who are buried in Kilmersdon church, under the names of Anne and Sarah Twyford, daughters of James Twyford, Esq., by Sarah, daughter and co-heiress of Gabriel Goodman, Esq., Lord of the Manor of Kilmersdon. Mr. Joliffe, of Ammerdoun Park, Somersetshire, is now the representative of this family. The Editor has not been able to discover "Roberto's " tomb.

eldest brother was the only person allowed to go with me into the country, but he was too young and inexperienced in the ways of the world for me to advise with upon any occasion, though he had a thoughtfulness and discretion beyond his years, and we loved each other with great tenderness.

Before I take this long journey I must rest. I am sure it is time, my dearest Maria, to relieve you: and your curiosity must be strong, if you can bear with patience this long narration.

Mary Granville's unaffected expression of apprehension that the Duchess of Portland would blame her for not being able to adopt the views and sentiments of Lord and Lady Lansdown on this occasion, and the evidence there is that her father and mother (for whom she ever expresses so much affection) approved of her marrying Mr. Pendarves, and were not at all disturbed by their disparity of years or the complete absence of congeniality in their dispositions, tastes, or habits, not appearing to have even a suspicion that her tears flowed from any other cause than parting from her family, is a very striking illustration of the complete disregard shown in marriage at that period to everything but the worldly settlement in life. Even Lady Stanley, though represented as so virtuous and so amiable, evinces in the following fragment of a letter of congratulation to her niece, written to Mrs. Pendarves in 1717, that she considered "riches, honours, and length of years," properly to represent "happiness."

Too stupid to write letters, that is indeed the reason that I have not writ to anybody since my last letter to my brother Lansdown. I put myself into your hands to make my excuses, I dare say you can make them acceptable. I have a new acquaintance to talk you over with, that is Mrs. (Leviston ?) I dare say you will be

happy in her acquaintance; she is a very good sort of woman, and one I hope to improve on acquaintance with myself. You see I like to talk with you, by the length of this letter, but must end as I began, wishing you and Mr. Pendarves all happiness together, riches, honour, and length of days is the prayer of dear niece,

Your most humble servant,
ANNE STANLEY.

The name of the lady praised by Lady Stanley as a "good sort of woman" can only be guessed, but it is probably intended for Livingstone (often spelt without a g or an e), in which case it must have been the sister of Mr. Pendarves, who married a Scotchman. Lady Stanley might have considered it not only courteous but politic to intimate, that she considered the acquaintance of so near a relation of the bridegroom would be an acquisition to herself. This opinion is further borne out by the evidence of this lady's being personally unknown to Mary Granville, and yet conversing about her with Lady Stanley.

LETTER VI.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

Must I proceed? Well, then, I will carry you a long way off. I will not hurt your tender heart, by giving you a particular account of my taking leave; under the circumstances I was, you will easily imagine how terrible it must have been to me. We were about a fortnight on the road, for Gromio being desirous' of introducing me to all his friends, we went to all that were in our way, instead of going to an inn, which was very disagreeable to

VOL. I.

D

me, who would much rather have hid myself in a cave, than have been exposed to the observation of any body. I met with great civility and flattery from all, but received no satisfaction from anything but a few stolen retired moments, to vent my grieved heart by my tears, which I took great care should not be seen by Gromio, for I wished to deceive him in that particular, and believe I succeeded. As my nature was very sincere, this dissimulation was painful to me, but I think I may venture to affirm that I never deceived him in anything else.

You say I have omitted giving you his character, 'tis true I have not been very particular in it. I fear I am not good at drawing characters, and that my prejudice is too strong to allow my doing justice. His age I have already told you; as to his person he was excessively fat, of a brown complexion, negligent in his dress, and took a vast quantity of snuff, which gave him a dirty look: his eyes were black, small, lively and sensible; he had an honest countenance, but altogether a person rather disgusting than engaging. He was good-natured and friendly, but so strong a party man, that he made himself many enemies, and was at one time involved in such difficulties that it was with great good luck he escaped being discovered. He was very sober for two years after

It must be borne in mind that there existed at that period a strong party in favour of the exiled Stuarts among the descendants of those who had fought for King Charles I., and assisted in effecting the restoration of King Charles II., and that Cornwall had ever been the stronghold of his adherents, and was distinguished by the following especial letter from Charles II.

"C. R.

King Charles' Letter to the Inhabitants of Cornwall.

"To the inhabitants of the county of Cornwall.

"We are so highly sensible of the merit of our county of Cornwall, and of their great zeal for the defence of our person and the just rights of our crown

we married, but then he fell in with a set of old acquaintance, a society famed for excess in wine, and to his ruin and my misery was hardly ever sober. This course of life soured his temper, which was naturally good, and the days he did not drink were spent in a gloomy sullen way, which was infinitely worse to me than his drinking; for I did not know how to please or entertain him, and yet no one ever heard him say a snappish or cross thing to me.'

I have run a greater length from the course of my story than I designed, but as you desired Gromio's character and behaviour towards me, I thought it necessary to tell you this now.

When we arrived at Averno,2 the name of his seat,

in a time when not only no reward appeared, but great probable dangers were threatened to obedience and loyalty, of their great and eminent courage and patience, in their indefatigable prosecution of their great work against so potent an enemy, backed with so strong, rich, and populous cities, and so plentifully furnished and supplied with men, arms, money, ammunition, and provisions of all kinds, and of the wonderful success with which it pleased Almighty God (though with the loss of some eminent persons, who shall never be forgotten by us,) to reward their loyalty and patience by many strange victories over their and our enemies, in despight of all human probability, and all imaginable disadvantages, that as we cannot be forgetful of so great desert, so we cannot but desire to publish it to all the world, and perpetuate to all time the memory of their merits and of our acceptance of the same, and to that end we do hereby render our royal thanks to that our county in the most public and lasting manner we can devise, commanding copies hereof to be printed and published, and one of them to be read in every church and chapel therein, and to be kept for ever as a record in the same, that as long as the history of these times and of this nation shall continue, the memory of how much that county hath merited from us and our crown, may be derived with it to posterity. (This letter is still on the walls of Truro church, in Cornwall.)

"Given at our camp at Sudely Castle, the 10th of September, 1643."

1 The desire evident in the above passage to give Mr. Pendarves credit for any possible merit does not however imply that he never was cross or snappish when they were alone, but that he constrained himself sufficiently to prevent the appearance of any disrespect in company.

2 Roscrow.