and the way in which he lived was not lefs fo. His feclufion from the world, nearly reached that of an hermit: and could the extremity of his avarice have been taken out of the question, a more blameless life was never led. the heir, and of courfe it was requifite to pleafe him. On this acCount it was neceffary, even in old Mr. Elwes, to maiquerade a little; and as he was at that time in the world and its affairs, he dreffed like other people. This would not have done for fir Harvey; to the nephew Of this character a few fingu. ufed to stop at a little Inn, at Chelms- lar circumftances fhall be given. ford which he did not much like, foon: and, to men of modern and began to dress in character a times and more diffipated manners, pair of fmall iron buckles, worsted ufed to hurry, and accustomed to ftockings darned, a worn-out old continual variety-fuch a system of coat, aud a tattered waistcoat, were living as he purfued, will fcarcely put on, and onwards he rode to vifit appear credible. But the picture is his uncle, who ufed to contemplate real and curious. It will ferve to hm with a miferable kind of fatif- fhew-"There is living out of Lonfaction, and feemed pleafed to find don."-and that aman may at length bis heir attempting to come up with fo effectually retire into himselfhim in the race of avarice. There that there may remain little elfe but would they fit-faving pair!-with-vegetation in a human fhape. a fingle stick upon the fire, and with one glass of wine occafionally, be twixt them, talking over the extravagance of the times; and when evening fhut in, they would retire to reft-as going to bed faved candlelight." But the nephew had then, what he had always, a very extraordinary appetite, and this would have been a monitrous offence in the eye of the uncle; fo M. Elwes was obliged to pick up a dinner, first with fome neighbour in the country, and then return to fir Harvey with a little diminutive appetite that was quite engaging. A partridge, a fmall pudding, and a potatue, did the butinefs! and the fire was fuffered to go out, while fir Harvey was at dinner, as eating was quite exercife enough. Providence, perhaps, has wifely ordered it, that the poffefors of eftates fhould change like the fucceffion of feafons: the day of tillage and the feed time-the harveft and the confumption of it-in due order, follow each other; and in the fcale of events, are all neceffary alike. This fucceffion was examplified in the CHARACTER OF SIR HARVEY ELWES who fucceeded to fir Jervaife, a very worthy gentleman, that had involved, as far as they would go, all the eftates he received and left behind him.. On his death, fir Harvey found himself nominally poffeffed of fome thousands a year, but really with an income of one hundred pounds per annum. He said, on his arrival at Stoke, the family feat," that never would he leave it, till he had entirely cleard the paternal eftate,"—and he lived to do that and to realize above one hundred thousand ponnds in addition. But as Mr. Elwes inherited from fir Harvey a great part of the prefent fortune, fomewhat of their hiftories become neceffarily intermixed: But he was formed of the very and, I trust, a small digreffion to give materials to make perfect-the cha-the picture of fir Harvey, will not racter of a MISER. In his youth he he thought unamuling or foreign to had been given over for a confumpthe fubject. He was as may be ima tion, fo he had no conftitution and no gined a moft fingular character-paflions. He was timid, fhy, and 7 diff The Life of the late John Liwes, Ejq. Biffident in the extreme: of a thin, fpare habit of body, and without a friend upon earth. The As he had no acquaintances, no books, and no turn for reading the hoarding up, and the counting his money, was his greatest joy. next to that, was-partriage fitting; at which he was fo great an adept, and game was then fo plentiful-that be has been known to take 500 brace of birds in one season. But he lived upon partridges-he and his whole Little boufhold confifting of one man and two maids. What they could not eat, he turned out again, as he never gave away any thing. when they had got intelligence of any great booty. It was the custom of fir Harvey to go up into his bedchamber at eight o'clock, where, after taking a bafon of Water gruel, by the light of a fmall fire, he went to bed, to fave the unneceflary extravagance of a candle. The gang, who knew the hour when his fervant went to the stable, leaving their horfes in a finall grove on the Effex fide of the river, walked acrofs and hid themfelves in the church porch, till they faw the man come up to his horfes. They then immediately fell upon him, and after fome little struggle, bound and gagged him: they then ran up towards the houfe, tied the two maids to prefented their pitols, and demanded his money. During the partridge feafon, fir Harvey and his man never miffed a day, if the weather was tolerable — and his breed of dogs being remark-gether, and going up to fir Harvey ably good, he feldom failed in taking great quantities of game. At all times, he wore a black velvet cap much over his face-a worn-out fulldreffed fuit of clothes, and an old great coat, with worsted ftockings drawn up over his knees. He rode thin thorough-bred horfe, and "the horfe and his rider" both looked as if a gust of wind would have blown them away together. When the day was not fo fine as to tempt him abroad, he would walk backwards and forwards in his old hall, to fave the expence of fire. If a farmer in the neighbourhood came in, he would strike a light in a tinder-box that he kept by him, and and putting one fingle Stick upon the grate, would rot add another till the first was nearly burnt out. As he had but little connection with London, he always had three or four thousand pounds at a time in his house. A fet of fellows, who were afterwards known by the appellation of the Thackfied Gang, and who were all hanged, formed a plan to rob him. They were totally unfufpected at the time, as each had fome apparent occupation during the day and went out only at night, and At no part of his life did fir Harvey ever behave fo well as in this tranfaction, When they asked for his money, he would give them no answer till they had affured him, that his fervant, who was a great favourite, was fafe:-He then delivered them the key of a drawer in which were so guineas. But they knew, too well, he had much more in the house, and again threatened his life, without be discovered where it was defpofited. At length he fhewed them the place, and they turned out a large drawer, where were feven and twenty hundred guineas. This they packed up in two large baskets, and actually carried off. A rabbery which, for QUANTITY of SPECIE, was perhaps never equalled. On quitting him, they told him, they ould leave a man bebind, who would murder him if he moved for affitance. On which he very coolly, and with fome implicity, took out his watch which they had not asked for, and faio, Gentlemen, I do not want to take any of you; therefore, upon my honour, I will give you twenty minutes for your cfcape: C after Mr. Harrington, of Clare, who was his lawyer, preffed him to go to Chelmsford to identify their perfons; but nothing could perfuade him. "No, no," faid he, "I have loft my money, and now you want me to lofe my time alfo," Of what temperance can do, fir Harvey was an inftance. At an early period of life, he was given over for a confumption, and he lived till betwixt eighty and ninety years of age. to have given-even his affections. And, as he faw no lady whatever, he had but little chance of bartering them matrimonially for money. When he died he lay in flate, fuch as it was, at his feat at Stoke. Some of the tenants obferved, with more humour than decency, that "it was well fir Harvey could not fee it." On his death, his fortune, which had now become immenfe, fell to his nephew, Mr. Meggot, who, by will, was ordered to affume the name and arms of Elwes. Thus lived, and thus died, the uncle to old Mr. Elwes, whofe poffeffions, at the time of his death, were fuppofed to be, at least, two hundred and fifty thousand pounds, and whofe annual expenditure was about one bundred and ten pounds !” However incredible this may ap pear, it is yet ftrictly true; his cloaths coft him nothing, for he took them out of an old cheft, where they had lain fince the gay days of fir Jervaife. He kept his houfehold chiefly upon game and fill, which he had in his own ponds; and the cows which grazed before his door, furnished milk, cheefe, and butter, for the little œconomical household. - What fuel he did burn, his woods íupplied. Among it the few acquaintance he had was an occafional club at his own village of Stoke-and there were members of it, two baronets befide himself, fir Cordwell Firebras, and fir John Barnardifton. How ever rich they were, the reckoning was always an object of their inveftigation. As they were one day fettling this difficult point, an odd fellow, who was a member called out to a friend who was paffing- For Heaven's fake, ftep up flairs and *affift the poor! here are three baro nets worth a million of money, quar-long a period of his life alone, in rerelling about a farthing." Those who have wished to find an excufe for the penury of fir Harvey, have urged, that he had paffed fo covering the estate, that he could not again encounter the world; and that his fhynefs was fo extreme that company gave him no pleasure. When fir Harvey died, the only tear that dropped upon his grave, fell from the eye of his fervant, who had long and faithfully attended him. To that fervant he bequeath-courting the bustle of fociety, and ed a farm of 50l. per annum, 66 to him and his heirs." To thofe who are continually the favour of public fcenes, it may be curious to learn, that here was a man, who had the courage to live nearly feventy years alone! And this was done without former fcenes to afford matter for reflection, or The Life of the late John Elwes, Efq. 13 or books to entertain, but in purfuing | tion little better than the pauper of one ruling paffion-the amaffing un- an alms-boufe! ufed wealth. To the whole of this property Mr. Elwes fucceeded; and it was imagined, that his own was not, at that time, very inferior. He got too an additional feat-but he got it, as it had been moft religioufly delivered down for ages pait. The furniture was moft facredly antique; not a room was painted, nor a window repaired; the beds above stairs were all in canopy and state, where the worms and moths held their undisturbed reign; and the r of of the house was inimitable for the climate of Italy. In short, the whole verified what was faid "That nobody would live with fir Harvey Elwes if they could-nor could they if they would." The contemplation of fuch a character as that of fir, Harvey Elwes, affords a very mortifying and melancholy picture of human infirmity. The contraft of fo much wealth, and fo much abufe of it, is degrading to the human understanding. But in return, it yet has its ufes. For let thofe who fancy there is a charm in riches, able to fix happinefs, here view all their inability, and all their failure; and acknowledge, that the mind alone "makes or mais" our felicity. For who almost would credit, that while the comforts, if not the luxuries of life, are fuppofed to confer happinefs, and be the foundation of our pleafures-who would credit that fir Harvey Elwes, poffeffed of two hundred and fifty thousand pounds, fhould live for above 60 years in folitude, to avoid the expence of company!-Should deny himself almoft fire and candle! -Should wear the cast off cloaths of his predeceffor, and live in a house where the wind was entering at every broken cafement, and the rain defcending through the roof-voluntarily impofing on himfelf a condi To this uncle, and this property, Mr. Elwes fucceeded, when he had advanced beyond the fortieth year of his age. And for fifteen years previous to this period, it was, that he was known in the more fashionable circles of London. He had. always a turn for play, and it was only late in life, and from paying always, and not always being paid, that he conceived difguft at the inclination. The acquaintances which he had formed at Westminfter fchool, and at Geneva, together with his own large fortune, all confpired to introduce him into whatever fociety he beft liked. He was admitted a member of the club at Arthur's, and various other clubs of that period. And, as fome proof of his notoriety at that time, as a man of deep play -Mr. Elwes, the late lord Robert Bertie, and fome others, are noticed in a fcene in the Adventures of a Guinea, for the frequency of their midnight orgies. Few men, even from his own acknowledgement, had played deeper than himfeif: and with fuccefs more various. I remember hearing him fay, he had once played two days and a night without intermiffion: and the room being a fmall one, the party were nearly up to the knees in cards. He loft fome thousands at that fitting. The late duke of Northumberland was of the party-who never would quit a table where any hope of winning remained. Had Mr. Elwes received all he won, he would have been the richer by fome thousands for the mode in which he paffed this part of his life: but the vowels of I. O. U. were then in ufe, and the fums that were owed him, even by very noble names, were not liquidated. On this account he was a very great lofer by play; and though he never could, or Th or perhaps would afcertain the fum, Mr. Elwes, who flood by me at the In this part of his character, no- Recurring, however, from this momentary digreffion, to the fub On this fubject, which regards the manners of Mr. Elwes-gladly I feize an opportunity to fpeak of them with the praife that is their due. They were fuch-fo gentle, fo attentive, fo gentlemanly, and fo engaging, that rudens could not ruffle them, nor ftrong ingratitude break their obfervance. He retain-ject which we left, (the scenes of ed this peculiar feature of the old court to the last. But he had a pra fe far beyond this; he had the mott gallant difregard of his own perfon, and all care about himfelf, I ever witnessed in man. The inftances in younger life, in the most imminent perfonal hazard, are innumerable. But, when age had defpoiled him of his activity, and might have rendered care and attention about himfelt natural, he knew not what they were. He wished no one to afft him-"He was as young as ever-he could walk-he could ride, and he could dance--and, he hoped, he fhould not give trouble, even when he was old." He was, at that time, feventy-five. As an illustration of this-an .anecdote, however trivial, may be pardoned. He was, at this time, leventy-three, and he would walk out a-fhooting with me," to fee whether a pointer, I at that time valued much, was as good a dog as some he had had in the time of fir Harvey. After walking for fome hours, much unfatigued, he determined against the dog, but with all due ceremony. A gentleman who was out with us, and who was a very indifferent hot, by firing at random, lodged two pellets in the cheek of play in which Mr. Elwes had been Had every man been of the mind always 1 |