I had no fooner faid this, than in an inftant away my gentleman went; and notwithstanding I had been heartily frightened at his approach, yet to see the short squab skuttling away as if he had crackers at his tail, presented such a ridiculous fcene, that I could not help bursting into an immoderate fit of laughter. In this I was joined by the very chairmen, who had heard the curious conversation, and had reconnoitred my Turtle-eater; so that it was fome moments before they could take up their burthen, that is, their chair; for, as for myfelf, I was reduced to my original goffomer.

I afterwards mentioned the incident to one of his lady's intimates: fhe was highly entertained with it, and declared, fhe would make her friend. acquainted with it. She at the fame time informed me, that this flower of gallantry, at home, appeared to be the most docile and fond help-mate The ever knew.

I never heard any more from or of this mirror of knighthood, till I read in the news-papers, some short time after, that he had made his entrée into the family vault. And I much fear the proof he gave of his activity upon the above-mentioned occafion fent him fome years fooner to his long home than if he had acted the part of a fober citizen, and the difcreet father of a numerous family. I am the more induced to draw this con

clufion,

clufion, from its being announced that his death was occafioned by an afthma, which proved fatal from the breaking of a blood-veffel.

Not long after, Mrs. Smith (whom I have more than once mentioned), a relation of the knight, came to put me in mind of the thirty pounds I ftood indebted to him, left it should be demanded at an inconvenient time. As the informed me of his death, the accompanied the information with tears, the common tribute paid to a worthy coufin. Seeing which, I could not help telling her of his gallant attack upon me. As she was a pattern of virtue herself, the no fooner received the intelligence, than fhe wiped away the pearly drops, and had recourse to the other female weapons, by which the forcibly proved her inveterate abhorrence of connubial infidelity.

As I know not that I fhall be able to terminate this letter with a more memorable incident than the foregoing, I will do fo, ere the fmile has left your face; for I am fure even my lifeless reprefentation of it must have raised that pleasurable appearance on your lovely countenance.-What hilarity would it have afforded you, had you been a difinterested fpectator of the laughable fcene! I have no doubt but you would have enjoyed it even in a higher degree than I did.

Not

Not even Shakspere's fat knight, in any of the humourous diftreffes his wanton attacks on the dames of Windfor led him into, could furnish you with a furer fund of mirth, than the amorous fally of my city knight would have done.

G. A. B.

LETTER LXXXIX.

December 2, 17

THE fummer following, his majesty of Den

mark visited England; when Mr. Garrick, who wanted performers, as all those belonging to the London theatres had by this time joined their feveral companies in their fummer excurfions, and none were to be collected upon the occafion but those at Richmond, made application to Mr. Woodward, and requested that he would ask me. I complied with great readiness, but upon condition that leave was obtained of the acting manager. Mr. Woodward thought this unneceffary, and said he intended applying to Mr. Harris, who would, no doubt, fign a liberty for me, at the fame time he did for him.

The first piece we performed was the " Sufpi"cious Husband," in which I played Clarinda,

Upon my appearance, there was one perfon hiffed. As this was a falutation I was not acquainted with, I could not help receiving pain from it; but upon Mr. Garrick's faying it was apparent malice, as the general opinion was evidently for me, I composed myself, and played as well as I could.

"The Provoked Wife" was the second piece that we performed, in which I appeared in the character of Lady Fanciful. In the last Act, the perfon, whose bufinefs it was, not having called me, Mr Garrick was just going to be witty upon the occafion, as you may recollect my worthy friend, Mr. Quin, was upon my non-appearance, from a very particular incident, many years before; but my entering juft as he had advanced for that purpose prevented his wit from being for that time made known; and I could never find out what occafion he would have fixed on to fhew his fatire.

I must here add, that the incidents may not be disunited, that the beginning of the next feafon his Danish Majefty came to fee" Jane Shore," at Covent-Garden, in which I played Alicia; when obferving the royal vifitor to prefer the charm of Somnus to the Tragic Mufe, and unwilling that he should lofe the fine acting it might be fuppofed he came to fee, I drew near to his box, and with a moft violent exertion of voice,

4

which

which the part admitted, cried out," Oh! thou "falfe Lord!" by which I fo effectually roufed his majesty, that he told the unfortunate Comte de Bathmore (who, as I have already informed you, used to be a frequent vifitor at my houfe), that he would not be married to a woman with fuch a bell voice, upon any account, as he should never expect to fleep.

This fummer Mr. Powell died. The laft time I ever faw him he requested my pardon, and affured me he would make atonement, the next winter, for the injury he had done me in my profeffion.

The concluding feafon of my agreement I was feldom called upon at the theatre; and indeed the fevere indifpofition, I had undergone had left me fo weak, that I should have executed my duty with great difficulty, as I always made it an invariable rule to play when called upon, were I able to rife; nor did I ever engage persons to applaud me, or pay the doers of the papers to put in puffs to impofe upon the public, under the signature of "Im"partial Writers."

Now I am upon this subject, I will send you a fpecimen of the dependence that in general is to be placed on the accounts given in the papers by those sort of writers. Though it happened many years before the period I am upon, yet it will not be the lefs à-propos here.

VOL. IV.

K

During