Lett. v. i. p. 250. ously so; the time glided away in deliberation of what was to be done; and we resolved, at last, to run to the house of a gentleman in the Temple, of whom we knew nothing but that he was D'Avenant's friend, and look at the race from his windows, then drive away for Ranelagh, in time to see the barges drawn up, and the company disembark. Of the race, however, scarce any thing could be seen for clouds of dust that intercepted one's sight; and we have no balconies to see shows from, as are provided in countries where processions make much of the means of entertainment; so we discomposed our head-dresses against each other, by struggling for places in an open window, and then begged pardons with courtesies, which exposed our trains to be trod on, and made us still more out of humour. It was however a real pleasure to look at the crowd of spectators. Every shop was shut; every street deserted; and the tops of all such houses as had any catch of the river swarmed with people, like bees settling on a branch. Here is no exaggeration, upon my honour; even the lamp-irons on Westminster-bridge were converted into seats, while every lighter lying in the Thames bore men up to the topmast-head. This was the true wonder of the day. Baretti says he will show us finer sights when we go to Italy. I believe him; but shall we ever see so populous a city as London? so rich a city? so happy a city? I fancy not. 'Let bear or elephant be e'er so white, The people sure, the people, are the sight.' "They could not indeed be very attentive to the games, like those Horace talks of, for here was neither panther nor camel; no pretence to draw us together, as I could find ;—yet they sat so thick upon the slating of Whitehall, that nobody could persuade me for a long while out of the notion that it was covered with black, till through a telescope we espied the animals in motion, like magnified mites in a bit of old cheese. Well! from this house in the Temple we hasted away to Ranelagh, happy in having at least convinced a hundred folks we never saw before, and perhaps never shall see again, that we had tickets for the regatta, and fine clothes to spoil with the rain, and that we were not come thither like the vulgar-in good time!-only to see the boat-race. And now, without one image of Cleopatra's galley or Virgil's games, or one pretext to say how it put us in mind of either, we drove to Ranelagh, and told each other all the way how pretty it would be to look at the 251. ladies disembarking to musick, and walking in procession up Lett. to the rotunda. But the night came on; the wind roared; the V. p. rain fell; and the barges missing their way, many came up to the wrong stairs. The managers endeavoured to rectify the mistake, and drive them back, that some order might be kept, and some appearance of regularity might be made; but the women were weary and wet, and in no disposition to try for further felicity out of the old common road; so the procession was spoiled and as to musick, we heard none but screams of the frighted company, as they were tossed about at the moment of getting to shore. Once more, then, all were turned loose to look for pleasure where it could be found. The rotunda was not to be opened till twelve o'clock, when the bell was to call us to sup there; the temporary building was not finished, and the rain would not permit walking in the garden. Calamity, however, vanishes often upon a near approach--does not it?—as well as happiness. We all crowded into the new building, from whence we drove the carpenters, and called for cards, without the help of which, by some fatality, no day dedicated to amusement is ever able to end. "Queeney said there was no loss of the ornaments intended to decorate Neptune's hall; for she saw no attempt at embellishment, except a few fluttering rags, like those which dangle from a dyer's pole into the street; and in that room we sat telling opinions, adventures, &c. till supper was served, which the men said was an execrable one, and I thought should have been Was nothing good then?' you begin to exclaim; 'here is desire of saying something where little is to be said, and lamentations are the readiest nonsense my mistress can find to fill her letter with.' No, no; I would commend the concert, the catch singers, for an hour, if you would hear me; the musick was well selected, and admirably executed; nor did the company look much amiss when all the dismal was over, and we walked round Ranelagh a little in the old way ;-every body being dressed in white was no advantage indeed to the general appearance. "We returned safe home about five or six o'clock: a new scene to Hester, who behaved sweetly, and had no fears in the crowd, but prodigious surprise in finding it broad day when we came out. I might have wondered too, for few people have frequented publick places less than myself; and for the first six years after my marriage, as you know, I never set my foot in any theatre or place of entertainment at all. What most Lett. v. i. p. 250. ously so; the time g be done; and we re gentleman in the Te he was D'Avenant's windows, then driv barges drawn up, an however, scarce any t intercepted one's sigh from, as are provide much of the means head-dresses against open window, and th exposed our trains to humour. It was how of spectators. Every and the tops of all su swarmed with people no exaggeration, upo Westminster-bridge lighter lying in the T This was the true w show us finer sights w shall we ever see so p so happy a city? If 'Let bear The peopl They could not i those Horace talks of no pretence to draw i so thick upon the slat suade me for a long v with black, till throu motion, like magnifie from this house in t happy in having at le saw before, and perh tickets for the regatt and that we were no time!-only to see th of Cleopatra's galley how it put us in mind each other all the wa Le amazed me about this regatta, however, was the mixture of -A company, when tickets were so difficult to obtain. Somebody talked at Ranelagh of two ladies that were drowned; but I have no doubt that was a dream."] In the last days of June, he removed to Ashbourne: and his letters thence contain the usual rou tine of his country observations, with one or two more characteristic circumstances. He was very anxious that an old horse of Mrs. Thrale's should not be sold to hard work, or, as he called it, degraded, for five pounds, and was willing to have borne the expense of maintaining the poor animal. For his friend Baretti, of some point of whose educt Mrs. Thrale had complained, he intercedes with that lady in a tone of modest propriety: tunes serious. Change of place is useful; ma residence at Auchinleck will have many good efters. + That I should have given pain to Rasay. I am smere y sorry; and am therefore very much pleased that he singer uneasy. He still thinks that I have represented as per sonally giving up the chieftainship. I meant only that W15 no longer contested between the two houses, and supposed it sett'od, perhaps, by the cession of some remote generation, in the house of Dunvegan. I am sorry the advertisement was not ovetrued for three or four times in the paper. That Lord Monboddo and Mr. Macqueen should controvest a position contrary to the imaginary interest of literary or nonal prejudice, might be easily imagined; but of a standing fact there ought to be no controversy; if there are men with six esté a šeme caudatus; if there was writing of old in the Wands or Hebrides, in the Erse language, produce the maWhere men write they will write to one another ste some of their letters, in families studious of their ancestry 1. De koge. In Wales there are many manuscripts. have new three parcels of Lord Hailes's history, which I vumos & vtmn all the next week: that his respect for my Uve Jeseviers should keep his work in suspense, makes one site er sat my journey. It is in our language, I think, a now mode af history which tells all that is wanted, and, I supves u. hat siewn, without laboured splendour of language, je utom side to a conjecture. The exactness of his dates ANN 11° VARÀS He seems to have the closeness of Henault - Docess entertained with your ‘Journal',' that year he set blind. She has a great regard for you. 1 Rowo though she knows in her heart that she ove me I am always glad to hear any good, and hope the line den ladies will have neither sickness nor But she knows that she does not care Nano a me and be that she may be sure that I think mou sa de you take it into your head to think you may settle yourself in full confidence one and strem, I love you as a kind man, I valne mat, and, hape in time to reverence you as a 24. Hadrids,” which that lady read in the |