tuals to his appetite, he applied to the apothe cary for an appetite to his victuals; but, not fatisfied with the ftomachic bitters and other medicines fent to himself, he occafionally preferred those directed for his mistress; and being more pleased with either the effect or taste of her nervous draughts than his own, he continued to fteal them without remorse, until, being detected, he was difmiffed her fervice, and foon after was engaged in mine, where, as Ben always rode out with me, he had little or nothing to do, but to meditate on his nerves, and his bile, and his flatulencies, which, he had learned from the apothe→ cary, were the origin of all his mifery. I was a little surprised, one morning, to fee this fellow enter the room without being called. He told me, in a doleful voice," that he was afraid he was infected with the hysterics, for he had a palpitation and a beating in his veins, which, he dreaded, would reach his arteries, if it was not stopped in time; for he VOL. III. 1 " felt a dejection of spirits, and was ready to cry." I ordered him to go and cry below stairs; and next day paid him his wages and difmiffed him. When he had spent his money, he came and told me that he was in great diftrefs, and begged that I would recommend him to fome other fervice.-I faid" that no fervice would fuit him fo well as his majefty's; and that, if he pleased, I would recommend him to my friend, colonel W, of the foot-guards." He accordingly enlisted as a grenadier. I met him fome months after in the park, and asked "how his hysterics went on?” fwore that the drill-ferjeant had driven them entirely away before he had completely learned his exercise." And your palpitations," continued I:-" being now a foldier, I hope you are free from them ?" tr "That I am," faid he. He "There is no fuch disease in our brigade; as the French will find, come when they will.- Your honour has made a complete cure of me.” "A complete cure deserves a fee," rejoined I:" and as it will be more convenient for you to receive than to pay it, here is a guinea for you." I have fince been affured that he is as alert a foldier as any in the corps. Thus an ufeful fubject was made of a man, who, had he been allowed to remain in the lady's fervice, was in danger of becoming, from mere indolence and example, an effeminate, puffy, miferable wretch, for life. Now, if this kind of difcourfe and example could have fuch influence on a robust fellow, I leave you to judge what it is likely to have on a delicate girl. I do remember that, during the time I vifited lady Amelia at Bath, her aunt was continually admonishing her about her health; narrating the dire effects of open windows and piercing air; interdicting one dish, and re 1 commending another; in fhort, doing all in her power to subject a girl in good health to all the inconveniences of one in bad, and, perhaps, rendering her a miferable, fickly drug-taker for life. I could not help thinking that fuch admonitions and such discourse tended to produce two pernicious effects-to render her conftitution more delicate, and her ears lefs fo than they originally had been. And were a woman as beautiful as Helen, as virtuous as Penelope, with the infinite variety of Cleopatra, fhe would be odious to me if fhe feemed to take delight in medical difcourfe, or could bear the most distant allufions to certain subjects, when converfing with any perfon except her physician. This circumftance has brought the attachments I have experienced in the courfe of my life to certain women, particularly French women, to a termination, fooner than otherwife would have happened. |