My letter of licence was likewife figned in a few days by all my creditors but one, who declared she would never proceed to any violent meafure for the recovery of the debt, but, having made a folemn promife never to fign any paper whatever, fhe could not fet her hand to mine.

Mr. Digges, I found, was gone into Wales to wait for my return; it being inconvenient for him to cross the water, he could not go to Ireland to accompany me the whole way. Whilft he was waiting near the Head (for, from my returning by way of Chefter, he had miffed me), he was informed that a nobleman had paffed through the town, on his way to London, with an actress; being told that the lady was a little black woman, and that the went on feemingly againft her confent, Mr. Digges inftantly concluded it must be me. He accordingly, like a true Don Quixote, fet off after them, in order to refcue his Dulcinea from the hands of her ravisher. He could not overtake them till he got to Holywell, where he was informed they were in bed. His fears however were a little alleviated, by hearing that they flept in feparate apartments. He waited with the utmoft impatience till they arofe; when he difcovered that the person who had caused this alarm was no other than Lord Ferrers, who had been to Ireland, to prevent his fugitive fifter from

t

going on the stage, and was now returning with her to London. As the defcription Mr. Digges had received of the lady answered in every particular to mine, the mistake was natural; and, happy to find it was not the person he expected, he made directly for town.

Paying a vifit one evening to Lady St. Leger, I obferved a lady with a pair of my bracelets upon her arms; I could not be deceived, as they had on them the letters G. A. B. in diamonds, and with the fame letters likewife in blue enamel, and were fet round with brilliants. Maifoneuve had charged me two hundred and forty pounds for them. Having been informed by Mr. Cracroft that all my jewels had been taken to pieces, I could not help obferving to the lady, that she did me too much honour in wearing my cypher. Upon which it came out, that Mr. Calcraft had made her a present of them.. I further learnt, that my good friend before-mentioned had received, as a prefent from that gentleman, my best diamond ear-rings, which coft me five hundred and feventy pounds of the fame jeweller; together with many other valuable ones, among which was my pink diamond ring, a gem of fo rare a kind as not to be matched.

Their being fent to a filverfmith's, to be unfet, was now easily accounted for. It is very well

known,

known, that pawnbrokers never lend near half their value on diamonds, the fashion of them changing so often. Confequently, Bibby would not have advanced me two thousand pounds upon what fold for eleven hundred. As foon as I had made this discovery, I ordered a fuit to be commenced against Mr. Calcraft for the whole value, which was fettled amicably the March following. But that did not annihilate the intended injury.

Can any reflections which may drop from my pen, in the course of these Memoirs, upon the conduct of a man capable of fuch an act of difhonesty, even at the time he was pretending to have the greatest regard for me, be thought to favour too much of afperity? I am too well convinced of your candour, to fuppofe you will think they do. Nor will the world, I dare fay, after they are hereby informed of the truth, which has never till now reached them. The deteftation I entertained for him, after fuch repeated proofs of duplicity, was well founded. And I muft furely stand acquitted in the eyes of every impartial perfon, for not renewing a connection with one, whose heart was fashioned of fuch ftuff as I have in the preceding pages described it, with the stricteft justice, to be.

G. A. B.

C

VOL. IV.

LET

Auguft 6, 17

WHEN the feafon began, I took a house in Jermyn-street; and by a most fortunate political event I was enabled to live in a degree of elegance little inferior to what I had been accuftomed to. Mr. Digges had embarraffed himself, both in England and Scotland, for a woman he had formerly been connected with. This, with our living feparately, doubled my expences. And the latter fubjected me to folicitations, to which every woman, who has been fuppofed to make one in the gay world, is liable. A great part of this I indifcreetly drew upon myfelf, by not making known to the world the reasons of Calcraft's treacherous conduct. Had I done fo, the liberal part of mankind would have pitied me.

Among the competitors for my favour, which were numerous, there was one who actually offered me ten thousand pounds to be admitted as a favoured lover. As the gentleman is now lappily married, I will not mention his name; there are, however, I believe, living vouchers of the truth of this affertion. And here I can fafely aver, that, notwithstanding ill-nature or envy

might

might have fuggefted infinuations to the contrary, I never, even in thought, deviated from the duty I owed, as I imagined, to Mr. Digges, whilft the union between us exifted.

Whilft my house in Jermyn street was fitting up, I continued to fleep at Chelsea, but was in town all day. The drawing-room and beft bedchamber being not yet finished, the upholsterer's man fecreted nine yards of damafk, a quantity of chintz, and fome very fine Drefden china, which were prefents. As his honefty had been more than once fufpected by his employer, a fearchwarrant was obtained to examine his lodgings. This being carried into execution, the whole of my property, which was very remarkable, was found, but nothing belonging to his mafter.

The upholsterer was one of the most implacable of men. He came to Chelfea in the evening, whilst I was abfent; and by means of threats fo far intimidated my maid, as to prevail upor her to go to the juftice's, and fwear to the goods which were found. This fhe did, and was bound over to prosecute in the penalty of forty pounds. But the offender having a very large family, I was fo far influenced in his favour by my natural humanity, as to keep my maid from appearing against him. I then fet on foot a subscription to

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