"The heart of a woman is fo fufceptible of "tenderness, that fhe muft fall in love. The "preference is generally given by them to a red "coat and cockade, perhaps to the tinfelled hero

or buffoon.. The ferious fix their trembling "hearts on the four-cornered cap or band. But! "if all these fail, they will prefer the hangman, "rather than not admire a public character."

After I returned from my vifit, I received a letter from this lady, with one enclofed, which fhe requested I would fend, agreeable to the directions, by the chairman I usually employed, that she might be fure it was delivered fafe; but fhe ordered, that the bearer was by no means to wait for an anfwer. She had informed me, that, fince her arrival, fhe had been at the new opera; when fhe observed that Mr. of the Theatre Royal, Drury-lane, looked remarkably penfive; to which fhe added, "poor fellow! I wish I knew "how to affift him!"

From this converfation, I had every right to believe that the letter committed to my care was dictated folely by humanity. I therefore fent the man with it, who, as it happened to be Sunday, had great difficulty to find the gentleman's lodgings. Two days after, an express came to town; but not

finding an answer at the place where he had ordered it to be left, a little diftance from town, the fervant foon after brought me a letter, which feemed to be dictated by a Bedlamite. In consequence of this pretty manoeuvre, the lady and I had a breach. She returned to France; and, as I hear, has thrown a large fortune and all her beauty into a cloifter, where the purposes to end her days.

I forgot to mention, that during the short time I was at the officer's houfe in Cary-street, I met there a perfon whose face I thought I had feen before; and as fhe fhowed me fome civility, I fuppofed, by the eafe which appeared in her countenance, that the belonged to the houfe, her drefs being rather frippery genteel.

Whilft the bail bond was filling up, fhe informed me that her name was Douglas; that the was of a good family, but from fome indifcretions, had involved herself in a debt of thirty pounds, which occafioned her confinement, and which fhe had in vain endeavoured to raife. You know humanity is fo predominant a propensity in my mind, that it may even be termed a foible; you will not wonder, therefore, that I felt an inclination to affift her; but going out of town for a few 'days

days upon a vifit to Mrs. Ay, as I have juft mentioned, it was totally out of my power to pay any attention to her.

Upon my return I found a letter from her. I fent an answer to it, and therein advifed her to write to a noble duke, who is poffeffed of humanity in the highest degree. She did fo, but received no anfwer. She was foon after liberated by what was then termed a fire ticket, which was fent by an unknown hand. As foon as the found herself reftored to freedom, fhe came to me; and as I always fuppofe perfons to be what they feem, and there appeared to be fo much candour in her manner of telling her ftory, I took her to be with me, and the strongest intimacy was formed between us.

Methinks I hear you fay, infpired by a prefentiment, from a few words I have let drop, of what is likely to be the confequence of this hafty attachment, "Will nothing make you wife?-Wilf

not the many inftances of ingratitude and du"plicity you have already experienced, guard you 6 against a repetition of them-How many more inftances have you to tell me of? for you lately faid the number was not complete."-Have a fittle patience; and as I now draw towards a con→

clufion of my long fad ftory, the latter part of your questions will foon be anfwered. With re

gard to your firft quere, "Will nothing make you "wife?" I can only fay, I fear not; if the wisdom you mean is to be purchased with the annihilation of that humane fufceptibility which has ever been my pride and my delight.

LETTER XCIX.

G. A. B.

March 1, 17

N fome fhort time, there appeared a paragraph in the public papers, which mentioned, that the. names of all thofe who had furrendered themfelves, or had been fet down in the books of the King's-Bench, would be published in a pamphlet. Alarmed at having my name enrolled with many who had caufed theirs to be fet down, and provided themselves with fire tickets, for fraudulent purposes, I wrote a letter to Mr. Woodfall, to prevent it, if poffible. I therein acquainted him. with the real fact. I fully explained the circum, ftances of the arreft, and requested that my name, might not be inferted, as the next term would

conclude

conclude the affair; an affair which had been productive of fo much vexation to me. But to my

very great mortification, when the black lift came out, I found Mrs. D-s and myself not in the moft pleafing company.

The people of the house where I refide had, till now, entertained no fufpicion of what had happened; but when they faw my name published, they were not a little alarmed. They apprehended that I fhould avail myself of being in the fituation of a prisoner, which every person in the lift pretended they had a right to. I, however, foon convinced them of their error, by giving them demonstrative proofs that I was incapable of fuch basenefs.

I never in my life felt myself in fo humiliating a fituation, as at the bare fuppofition of being fo bafe as to take means of fuch a nature to releafe myfelf from juft debts. Let the poor unfortunate man or woman, who by loffes in trade, or by fimilar misfortunus, are reduced to a state of infolvency, take advantage of these opportunities to regain their liberty, and to be restored to their families and avocations; but all others, in my opinion, ought to be precluded from the advan