and with a sneer and a bow, asked her, if she knew her Catechism, and could tell the name of Tobit's dog? His name, Sir, was Nash, replied the lady, and an impudent dog he was. This story is told in a celebrated romance; I only repeat it here to have an opportunity of observing, that it actually happened.

Queen Anne once asked him, why he would not accept of knighthood? To which The replied, left Sir William Read, the mountebank, who had been just knighted, fhould call him brother.

An house in Bath was faid to be haunted by the Devil, and a great noise was made about it, when Nash going to the Minister of St. Michael's, intreated him to drive the Devil out of Bath for ever, if it were only to oblige the ladies.

Nafh used fometimes to visit the great Doctor Clarke. The Doctor was one day converfing with Locke, and two or three more of his learned and intimate compa

nions, with that freedom, gaiety and chearfulness, which is ever the refult of innocence. In the midst of their mirth and laughter, the Doctor, looking from the window, faw Nafh's chariot ftop at the door. Boys, boys, cried the philofopher, to his friends, let us now be wife, for here is a fool coming.

Nafh was one day complaining in the following manner to the Earl of Chesterfield, of his bad luck at play. Would you think it, my Lord, that damned bitch fortune, no later than last night, tricked me out of

500. Is it not furprizing, continued he, that my luck fhould never turn, that I should thus eternally be mauled? I don't wonder at your lofing money Nafk, fays his lordship, but all the world is furprized where you get it to lose.

Doctor Cheney once, when Nash was ill, drew up a prescription for him, which was fent in accordingly. The next day the Doctor coming to fee his patient, found him up and well; upon which he asked,

if

if he had followed his prescription? Followed your prescription, cried Nash, No.Egad, if I had, I fhould have broke my neck, for 1 flung it out of the two pair of ftairs window.

It would have been well, had he confined himself to fuch fallies; but as he grew old he grew infolent, and seemed, in some meafure, infenfible of the pain his attempts to be a wit gave others. Upon afking a lady to dance a minuet; if the refused, he would often demand, if fhe had got bandy legs. He would attempt to ridicule natural defects; he forgot the deference due to birth and quality, and mistook the manner of fettling rank and precedence upon many. occafions. He now seemed no longer fashionable among the prefent race of gentry, he grew peevish and.fretful, and they who only faw the remnant of a man, feverely returned that laughter upon him, which he had once lavished upon others.

Poor

Poor Nash was no longer the gay, thoughtless, idly induftrious creature he once was; he now forgot how to supply new modes of entertainment, and became too rigid, to wind with ease through the viciffitudes of fashion. The evening of his life began to grow cloudy. His fortune was gone, and nothing but poverty lay in profpect. To embitter his hopes, he found himself abandoned by the great, whom he had long endeavoured to ferve and was obliged to fly to thofe of humbler ftations for protection, whom he once affected to defpife. He now began to want that charity, which he had never refused to any; and to find, that a life of diffipation and gaiety, is ever terminated by mifery and regret.

Even his place of mafter of the ceremonies (if I can trust the papers he has left behind him) was fought after. I would willingly be tender of any living reputation; but these papers accufe Mr. endeavouring to fupplant him.

Quin of

He has

even

even left us a letter, which he supposed was written by that gentleman, foliciting a Lord for his interest upon the occafion. As I chufe to give Mr. Quin an opportu nity of difproving this, I will insert the letter, and, to fhew the improbability of its being his, with all its faults, both of style and spelling. I am the less apt to believe it written by Mr. Quin, as a gentleman, who has mended Shakespear's plays fo often, would furely be capable of something more correct than the following. It was fent, as it fhould feem, from Mr. Quin to a nobleman, but left open for the perufal of an intermediate friend. It was this friend who fent a copy of it to Mr. Nah, who caufed it to be inftantly printed, and left among his other papers.

The