God, they are happily reconciled; we live in harmony together, and every day make parties to see the wonders of this vaft metropolis, which, however, I cannot pretend to describe; for I have not as yet feen one hundredth part of its curiofities, and I am quite in a maze of admiration.

THE cities of London and Westminster are fpread out to an incredible extent. The ftreets, fquares, rows, lanes, and alleys, are innumerable. Palaces, public buildings, and churches, rife in every quarter; and, among these last, St Paul's appears with the most aftonishing pre-eminence. They fay it is not fo large as St Peter's at Rome; but, for my own part, I can have no idea of any earthly temple more grand and magnificent.

BUT even these fuperb objects are not fo ftriking as the crowds of people that fwarm in the ftreets. I at firft imagined, that fome great affembly was just dismiffed, and wanted to ftand afide till the multitude fhould pafs; but this human tide continues to flow without interruption or abatement, from morn till night. Then there is fuch an infinity of gay equipages, coaches, chariots, chaifes, and other carriages, continually rolling and shifting before your eyes, that one's head grows giddy looking at them; and the imagination is quite confounded with splendour and variety. Nor is the profpect by water lefs grand and astonishing than that by land: You fee three ftupendous bridges, joining the oppofite banks of a broad, deep, and rapid river; fo vaft, fo ftately, fo elegant, that they feem to be the work of the giants: Betwixt them, the whole furface of the Thames is covered with fmall veffels, barges, boats, and wherries, paffing to and fro; and below the three bridges, fuch a prodigious foreft of mafts, for miles together, that you would think all the fhips in the univerfe were here affembled. All that you read of wealth and grandeur, in the Arabian Knights Entertainment, and the Perfian Tales, concerning Bagdad, Diarbekir, Damafcus, Ifpahan, and Samarkand, is here realized.

RANELAGH looks like the inchanted palace of a genie, adorned with the most exquifite performances of painting, carving, and gilding, enlightened with a thou

fand 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 roundof pleature, or regale in different parties, and feparate lodges, with fine imperial tea and other delicious refrefhments, their ears are entertained with the most ravifhing delights of mufic, 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 listened, I really thought myself in paradise.

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 fhe perceived I had a curiofity to make this agreeable voyage, After all, the veffel was fufficiently loaded; for, befides the waterman, 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 house-The pleafure 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 water, and laid hold on our boat with great violence, to pull it afhore; nor would they quit their hold till my brother ftruck 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 rufhed 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 moft pictu: efque and ftriking objects, pavilions, lodges, groves, grottoes, lawns, temples, and cafcades; porticoes, colonnades, and rotundas; 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 blissful fhades, or fupping in different lodges, on cold collations, enlivened with mirth, freedom, and good-humour, and animated by an excellent band of mufic. Among the vocal performers I had the happinefs to hear the celebrated Mrs -, whofe voice was fo loud and fo fhrill that it made my head ache through excefs of pleasure.

IN about half an hour after we arrived, we were joined by my uncle, who did not feem to relish the place. People of experience and infirmity, my dear Letty, fee with very different eyes from thofe that fuch as you and I make ufe of-Our evening's entertainment was interrupted by an unlucky accident. In one of the remotest walks we were furprised 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 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 ftaid behind. It was fome time before the carriage could be brought up to the gate, in the confufion, notwithstanding the utmost endeavours of our new footman, Humphry Clinker, who loft his feratch 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 mouthful of cordial, which the always keeps in her pocket, and his cloaths were fhifted as foon as we arrived at our lodgings; fo that, bleffed be God, he efcaped 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 complaisance; 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.

BESIDES 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 such 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 smallest 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 stays, that every body looked at her with surprise; fome whispered, and fome tittered; and Lady Grifkin, by whom we were introduced, flatly told her, fhe was twenty good years behind the fashion.

LADY GRISKIN is a perfon of fashion, to whom we have the honour to be related. She keeps a small rout at her own houfe, never exceeding ten or a dozen cardtables, but thefe are frequented by the best company intown-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 most familiar good-humour: We have once dined with her, and she takes the trouble to direct us in all our motions. I am so happy as to have gained her good-will to fuch a degree, that fhe fometimes adjusts my cap with her own hands; and she has given me a kind invitation to stay 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 fpeak in her commendation, I obferve that he makes wry faces, though he fays nothing-Perhaps, indeed, thefe grimaces may be the effect of pain arising from the gout and rheumatifm, 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 cloaths, 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 anew; fo that it won't 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; among whom my dear Willis will always poffefs the first place in the breast of her

London, May 31.

ever affectionate

LYDIA MELFORD.

To Sir WATKIN PHILLIPS, Bart. of Jefus College,

Oxon.

I

DEAR PHILLIPS,

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 busy talkative politician; a petit-maitre 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 ministry, 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 disturb 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 most 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 uninfected, and unbiaffed, would find both painters VOL. VI.