Goundu for my dreffer, I had very little op portunity of knowing any thing relative to

her.

An unexpected event foon deprived me of the fervices of Peter; and my own fervant having fet up the bufinefs of a cheefemonger, I was left to the rapacious depredations of fervants, who had no regard but for themfelves, and studied their own ease and interest more than mine. And this my attendance at the theatre prevented me from obferving, or being able to prevent.

One morning I was informed that a foreign gentleman defired to fee me. As Madam Brilliant fancied fhe could never fufficiently repay the civilities I had fhewed her in her diftrefs, and took every opportunity which offered of fending me fome token of her gratitude and attention, I concluded it was fome person that waited on me by her defire. Or elfe I thought it might be fome body from the Marquis de Vernueil, as he honoured me with his correfpondence. I therefore ordered that the gentleman fhould be admitted.

Being fhewn in, he requested to know whether I had not a youth in my fervice whofe name was Peter? On my answering that I had, he exclaimed with transport, "Then, thank God, I have found my fon!" The agitation of the ftranger on receiving this affurance, and my furprife at fo unexpected an event, occafioned a filence for fome

time. In the interim, Peter entered the room leading in my little boy, with whom he had been taking a walk. Upon feeing his father, he dropped upon the floor in a state of infenfibility; and it was not without fome difficulty that he was brought to himself. When he was a little recovered, his father affured him of his forgiveness, telling him also that his companion was living. Upon which the boy's face brightened up, and falling upon his knees, he cried with great fervency, "Thank God! Thank God!"

This exclamation exciting my curiofity, I begged the gentleman to explain to me the cause of the scene I had just been a witnefs to. He replied "that I will do with "the greateft readiness, Madam. I am a "wine-merchant of fome eminence at Bruges.

My fon, whom you fee before you, had a " quarrel with his favourite fchool-fellow, "at the time he was about twelve years of age, in which he received a blow. En

raged at the affront, he plunged a knife, "which he unfortunately had in his hand, "into the bofom of the lad that had of"fended him. Shocked at the deed he had

juft committed, and apprehenfive of fall"ing into the hands of juftice, he fled. And "all the enquiries I have made after him,

during fix years, have been till now inef"fectual. Some business calling me to "England, a townfinan of mine informed

"me

"me yesterday that he had feen my fon "Peter go into a house in Frith-Street. His "information was the means of my paying <c you this vifit, Madam, and has restored to "me my child."

Though I was concerned at losing a fervant who had been so faithful to me, and had fhewn me fo much respect and attention; yet I could not help being pleased that his father had discovered him, and that he would now be removed to a fituation more eligible than that of fervitude. In a fhort time he left me, with a mind deeply impreffed with gratitude for the pleafing reverfe he had experienced in my fervice to that from which I refcued him. And his father gave me a preffing invitation to pay him a vifit, if ever I fhould travel through Flanders. Which fome years after I did; when he made my short stay as agreeable to me as he could.

LETTER XLIV.

G. A. B.

Oct. 3, 17-.

THE

HE fuccefs we met with at Drury-lane Theatre was infinitely greater than we had reason to expect, confidering Mrs. Cibber had not played the preceding winter, which made

made her appearance the greater novelty now. My mother was continually inciting me to require of Mr. Metham that he would make me his wife. This I promised her to do; but no opportunity for carrying my promife into execution, for fome time, prefented itself. For I was feldom alone with him, either from my engagements at the theatre, or from the company which we constantly had.

At laft, finding one day an opportunity, I asked him, without any circumlocution, whether he would marry me? He made me no anfwer, but abruptly left the room. This cavalier behaviour furprifed me the more, as he was ufually extremely polite to every one; and particularly fo to me. I was therefore highly offended at fuch an indignity, and refolved to let him fee that I refented it. I accordingly rung the bell the moment he was gone, and ordered the fervant not to admit him when he came again.

But in about an hour, I received a card from him, which informed me, that his brother-in-law, Mr. Dives, and himself, would dine with me; and as they fhould come about business, he requested that I would admit no other company. I had no doubt but that the bufinefs they were coming on, was relative to the question I had put to him in the morning.

When they appeared I obferved another gentleman,

VOL. II,

G

gentleman, with whom I was totally unacquainted, but whom I foon found to be an attorney. Mr. Metham, who was the spokesman, now entered upon the bufinefs which had procured me the honour of this vifit. He began with a confequential exordium in favour of his brother-in-law. This was of fuch

a length that it had the appearance of a fermon. At laft, however, he came to the point. When I found that they had come to execute a writing before me, in which Mr. Metham had agreed, that in cafe he died without legitimate iffue, the estates he expected to receive from his father, and thofe he now enjoyed in right of his mother, were to devolve to Mr. Dives, who had married his fifter, and to their heirs. In this deed Mr. Dives had kindly confented to join him in fecuring to me an annuity of three hundred pounds a year, and the fum of two thousand pounds to our fon George.

I at firft efteemed this acquiefcence of Mr. Dives to be an act of difinterested generofity; and as fuch I fincerely thanked him for it. But upon fhowing the writing to my mother, after they were gone, fhe entertained a different opinion of it. of it. She told me, it appeared evident to her, that Mr. Dives, who had acquired a perfect knowledge of the world, and had ftudied with the greatest minutenefs Mr. Metham's difpofition, had a view folely to his own interest,

in