mances of painting, carving, and gilding, enlightened with a thousand golden lamps, that emulate the noon-day fun; crowded with the great, the rich, the gay, the happy, and the fair, glittering with cloth of gold and filver,. lace, embroidery, and precious ftones. While thefe exulting fons and daughters of felicity tread this round of pleasure, or regale in different parties, and feparate lodges, with fine imperial tea and other delicious refreshments, their ears are entertained with the most ravishing delights of mufick, both inftrumental and vocal. There I heard the famous Tenducci, a thing from Italy-It looks for all the world like a man, though they fay it is not. The voice, to be fure, is neither man's nor woman's; but it is more melodious than either; and it warbled fo divinely, that, while I liftened, I really thought myfelf in paradife.

At nine o'clock, in a charming moon-light evening, we embarked at Ranelagh for Vauxhall, in a wherry, fo light and flender, that we looked like so many fairies failing in a nut-fhell. My uncle, being apprehenfive of catching cold upon the water, went, round in the coach, and my aunt would, have accompanied him, but he would not fuffer me to go: by water if she went by land; and therefore the favoured us with her company, as the perceived I had a curiofity to make this agreeable voyage After all, the veffel was fufficiently loaded; for, besides the watermen, there was my brother Jery, and a friend of his, one Mr. Barton, a country gentleman, of a good fortune, who had dined at our houfe The pleasure of this little excurfion was, however, damped, by my being fadly frighted at our landing; where there was a terrible confufion of wherries, and a crowd of people bawling, and fwearing, and quarrelling: nay, a parcel of ugly-looking fellows came, running into

the

1

the water, and laid hold on our boat with great violence, to pull it afhore; nor would they quit their hold till my brother struck one of them over the head with his cane. But this flutter was fully recompenfed by the pleasures of Vauxhall; which I no fooner entered, than I was dazzled and confounded with the variety of beauties that rushed all at once upon my eye. Image to yourfelf, my dear Letty, a fpacious garden, part laid out in delightful walks, bounded with high hedges and trees, and paved with gravel; part exhibiting a wonderful affemblage of the most picturesque and striking objects, pavilions, lodges, groves, grottoes, lawns, temples, and cascades; porticoes, colonades, and rotundos; adorned with pillars, ftatues, and painting the whole illuminated with an infinite number of lamps, difpofed in different figures of funs, ftars, and conftellations; the place crowded with the gayeft company, ranging thro' those blifsful fhades, or fupping in different lodges, on cold collations, enlivened with mirth, freedom, and good humour, and animated by an excellent band of mufick. Among the vocal performers I had the happiness to hear the celebrated Mrs., whofe voice was fo loud and fo fhrill, that it made my head ake through excefs of pleasure.

In about half an hour after we arrived we were joined by my uncle, who did not seem to relish the place. People of experience and infirmity, my dear Letty, fee with very different eyes from those that fuch as you and I make use of Our evening's entertainment was interrupted by an unlucky accident. In one of the remoteft walks we were furprifed with a fudden fhower, that fet the whole company a running, and drove us in heaps, one upon another, into the rotunda; where my uncle, finding himself wet, began to be very peevish and

urgent

urgent to be gone. My brother went to look for the coach, and found it with much difficulty; but as it could not hold us all, Mr. Barton stayed behind. It was fome time before the carriage could be brought up to the gate, in the confufion, notwithftanding the utmoft endeavours of our new footman Humphry Clinker, who loft his fcratch periwig, and got a broken head in the fcuffle. The moment we were feated, my aunt pulled off my uncle's fhoes, and carefully wrapped his poor feet in her capuchin; then fhe gave him a mouth-full of cordial, which fhe always keeps in her pocket, and his clothes were fhifted as foon as we arrived at our lodgings; fo that, bleffed be God, he escaped a fevere cold, of which he was in great terror.

As for Mr. Barton, I must tell you in confidence he was a little particular; but, perhaps, I mistake his complaifance; and I wish I may, for his fake

You know the condition of my poor heart; which, in fpite of hard ufage-And yet I ought not to complain: nor will I, till farther information.

Befides Ranelagh and Vauxhall, I have been at Mrs. Cornely's affembly, which, for the rooms, the company, the dreffes and decorations, furpaffes all defcription; but as I have no great turn for card-playing, I have not yet entered thoroughly into the fpirit of the place. Indeed I am still fuch a country hoyden, that I could hardly find patience to be put in a condition to appear, yet I was not above fix hours under the hands of the hair-dreffer, who ftuffed my head with as much black wool as would have made a quilted petticoat; and, after all, it was the fmalleft head in the affembly, except my aunt's-She, to be fure, was fo particular with her rumpt gown and petticoat, her fcanty curls, her lappet-head, deep triple ruffles, and high ftays, that every body looked at her with furprife; fome

whif

whispered, and fome tittered; and lady Griskin, by whom we were introduced, flatly told her, fhe was twenty good years behind the fashion.

-

Lady Grifkin is a perfon of fashion, to whom we have the honour to be related. She keeps a fmall rout at her own houfe, never exceeding ten or a dozen card-tables, but these are frequented by the best company in town. She has been fo obliging as to introduce my aunt and me to fome of her particular friends of quality, who treat us with the moft familiar good humour: we have once dined with her, and the takes the trouble to direct us in all our motions. I am fo happy as to have gained her good-will to fuch a degree, that the fometimes adjufts my cap with her own hands; and she has given me a kind invitation to ftay with her all the winter. This, however, has been cruelly declined by my uncle, who feems to be (I know not how) prejudiced against the good lady; for, whenever my aunt happens to speak in her commendation, I obferve that he makes wry faces, though he fays nothing-Perhaps, indeed, thefe grimaces may be the effect of pain arifing from the gout and rheumatism, with which he is fadly diftreffed- To me, however, he is always good natured and generous, even beyond my wifh. Since we came hither, he has made me a prefent of a fuit of clothes, with trimmings and laces, which coft more money than I fhall mention; and Jery, at his defire, has given me my mother's diamond drops, which are ordered to be fet a-new; fo that it wont be his fault if I do not glitter among the ftars of the fourth or fifth magnitude. I wish my weak head may not grow giddy in the midft of all this gallantry and diffipation; though, as yet, I can fafely declare, I could gladly give up all these tumultuous pleafures, for country folitude,' and a happy retreat with those we

love;

love; among whom, my dear Willis will always poffefs the firft place in the breaft of her

ever affectionate,

London, May 31.

LYDIA MELFORD.

To Sir WATKIN PHILLIPS, Bart. OF JESUS COLLEGE, Oxon.

DEAR PHILLIPS,

I SEND you this letter, franked by our old friend Barton; who is as much altered as it was poffible for a man of his kidney to be-Inftead of the careless, indolent floven we knew at Oxford, I found him a bufy talkative politician; a petitmaître in his dress, and a ceremonious courtier in his manners. He has not gall enough in his conftitution to be inflamed with the rancour of party, fo as to deal in fcurrilous invectives; but, fince he obtained a place, he is become a warm partizan of the miniftry, and fees every thing through fuch an exaggerating medium, as to me, who am happily of no party, is altogether incomprehenfible

Without all doubt, the fumes of faction not only difturb the faculty of reafon, but alfo pervert the organs of fenfe; and I would lay an hundred guineas to ten, that if Barton on one fide, and the moft confcientious patriot in the oppofition, on the other, were to draw, upon honour, the picture of the k-or m-, you and I, who are ftill uninfect ed; and unbiafed, would find both painters equally diftant from the truth. One thing, however, muft be allowed for the honour of Barton, he never breaks. out into an illiberal abufe, far lefs endeaYours, by infamous calumnies, to blaft the moral. character of any individual, on the other fide.

Ever fince we came hither, he has been remark,

ably