into company. *this winter inaccessible, is probable, *but false. I bore my disappointment I with the temper of a sage, and only have all this time been talking to use it to render the prospect of next lord Sheffield; I hope that he has year still more pleasing to my imadespatched my affairs, and it would gination. You are likewise mistagive me pleasure to hear that I am ken, in imputing my fall to the awkno longer member for Lymington, wardness of my limbs. The same nor lord of Lenborough. Adieu. accident might have happened to I feel every day that the distance Slingsby himself, or to any hero of serves only to make me think with the age, the most distinguished for more tenderness of the persons whom his bodily activity. I have now reI love. LETTER LXXXVII. Edward Gibbon, Esq. to the Right sumed my entire strength, and walk with caution, yet with speed and safety, through the streets of this mountainous city. After a month of the finest autumn I ever saw, the bise made me feel my old acquaintance; the weather is now milder, and this present day is dark and Lausanne, Nov. 14th, 1783. rainy, not much better than what LAST Tuesday, November eleventh, you probably enjoy in England.after plaguing and vexing yourself The town is comparatively empty, all the morning about some business but the noblesse are returning every of your fertile creation, you went to day from their chateaux, and I althe House of Commons, and passed ready perceive, that I shall have more the afternoon, the evening, and per- reason to complain of dissipation haps the night, without sleep or food, than of dullness. As I told lady S., stifled in a close room, heated by I am afraid of being too rash and the respiration of six hundred politi- hasty in expressing my satisfaction; cians, inflamed by party passion, and but I must again repeat, that appeartired of the repetition of dull nonsense, ances are extremely favourable. I which, in that illustrious assembly, am sensible, that general praise conso far outweighs the proportion of veys no distinct ideas, but it is very reason and eloquence. On the same difficult to enter into particulars day, after a studious morning, a where the individuals are unknown, friendly dinner, and a cheerful as- or indifferent to our correspondent. sembly of both sexes, I retired to You have forgotten the old generarest at eleven o'clock, satisfied with tion, and in twenty years a new one the past day, and certain that the is grown up. Death has swept many next would afford me the return of from the world, and chance or choice the same quiet and rational enjoy- has brought many to this place. If ments. Which has the better bar- you inquire after your acquaintance, gain? Seriously, I am every hour Catherine, you must be told, that more grateful to my own judgment she is solitary, ugly, blind, and uniand resolution, and only regret that versally forgotten. Your later flame, I so long delayed the execution of and our common goddess, the Eliza, a favourite plan, which I am con- passed a month at the inn. She vinced is the best adapted to my cha- came to consult Tissot, and was acracter and inclinations. Your con- quainted with Cerjat. And now to jecture of the revolutions of my face, business. when I heard that the house was for * * * in With regard to meaner cases, these | Raynal, the grand Gibbon, and Merare two, which you can and will un-cier, author of the Tableau de Paris, dertake. 1. As I have not renounc-have been in the same room. The ed my country, I should be glad to other day the prince and princess hear of your parliamentary squab- de Ligne, the duke and duchess bles, which may be done with small d'Ursel, &c., came from Brussels on trouble and expense. After an in-purpose (literally true) to act a coteresting debate, my lady in due medy at time may cut the speeches from the country. He was dying, and Woodfall: you will write or dictate could not appear; but we had coany curious anecdote; and the whole, medy, ball, and supper. enclosed in a letter, may be despatch- seems to have revived him; for that ed to Lausanne. 2. A set of Wedge- great man is fallen from his ancient wood china, which we talked of in glory, and his nearest relations reLondon, and which would be most fuse to see him. I told you of poor acceptable here. As you have a sort Catherine's deplorable state; but of taste, I leave to your own choice madame de Mesery, at the age of the colour and the pattern; but as I sixty-nine, is still handsome. -. The event LETTER LXXXVIII. Adieu. Edward Gibbon, Esq. to the Right * have the inclination and means to live very handsomely here, I desire that the size and number of things may be adequate to a plentiful table. If you see lord North, assure him of my gratitude: had he been a more successful friend, I should now be drudging at the Board of Customs, Lausanne, December 20th, 1783. or vexed with business in the amia- I HAVE received both your epistles; ble society of To lord Lough- and as any excuse will serve a man, borough present an affectionate sen- who is at the same time very busy timent: I am satisfied of his inten- and very idle, I patiently expected tion to serve me, if I had not been the second before I entertained any in such a fidget. I am sure you will thoughts of answering the first. not fail, while you are in town, to * visit and comfort poor aunt Kitty. I* I therefore wrote to her on my first arrival, and conclude, that, on every principle of she may be assured that I will not common sense, before this moment neglect her. To my lady I say no- your active zeal has already expelled thing; we have now our private me from the house, to which, withcorrespondence, into which the eye out regret, I bid an everlasting fareof a husband should not be permit- well. The agreeable hour of five ted to intrude. I am really satisfied o'clock in the morning, at which you with the success of the pamphlet ; not commonly retire, does not tend to reonly because I have a sneaking kind- vive my attachment; but if you add ness for the author, but as it shows the soft hours of your morning comme, that plain sense, full information, mittee, in the discussion of taxes, and warm spirit, are still acceptable customs, frauds, smugglers, &c., I in the world. You talk of Lausanne think I should beg to be released, as a place of retirement; yet, from and quietly sent to the galleys as a the situation and freedom of the place of leisure and freedom. Yet I Pays de Vaud, all nations, and all ex- do not depart from my general printraordinary characters, are astonish- ciples of toleration. Some animals ed to meet each other. The abbé are made to live in the water, others on the earth, many in the air, and and those interesting anecdotes which some, as it is now believed, even in seldom ascend the garret of a Fleet fire. Your present hurry of parlia- Street editor. You say that many ment I perfectly understand; when friends (alias acquaintance) have exopposition make the attack, pressed curiosity and concern-I should not wish to be immediately forgotten ;-that others (you once mentioned Gerard Hamilton) condemn government for suffering the departure of a man, who might have Hora ***** done them some credit and some ser- * * suf * * * Momento cita mors venit, aut victoria lata.* But when the minister brings forward any strong and decisive measure, he at length prevails; but his progress is retarded at every step, and in every stage of the bill, by a pertinacious, though unsuccessful minority. I am not sorry to hear of the splendour of Fox; I am proud in a foreign country, of his fame and abilities, and our little animosities are extinguished by my retreat from the English stage. With regard to the substance of the business, I fered me to depart, without even a scarcely know what to think: the civil answer to my letter. Were I vices of the company, both in their capable of hating a man, whom it is persons and constitution, were ma- not easy to hate, I should find mynifold and manifest: the danger was self amply revenged by imminent, and such an empire, with But the happy souls in paradise are thirty millions of subjects, was not to susceptible only of love and pity; be lost for trifles. Yet, on the other and though Lausanne is not a parahand, the faith of charters, the rights dise, more especially in winter, I do of property! I hesitate and tremble. assure you, in sober prose, that it has Such an innovation would at least hitherto fulfilled, and even surpassed, require, that the remedy should be my warmest expectations. Yet I often cast a look toward Sheffield as certain as the evil; and the proprietors may perhaps insinuate, that Place, where you now repose, if you they were as competent guardians can repose, during the Christmas reof their own affairs, as either Embrace my lady, the young baroness, and the gentle Louisa, and Their acting without a salary seems insinuate to your silent consort, that childish, and their not being remo- separate letters require separate anHad I an air balloon, the vable by the crown is a strange and swers. dangerous precedent. But enough great topic of modern conversation, of politics, which I now begin to I would call upon you till the meetview through a thin, cold, distant ing of parliament. Vale. * or * * cloud, yet not without a reasonable degree of curiosity and patriotism. From the papers (especially when you add an occasional slice of the *cess. LETTER LXXXIX. Chronicle) I shall be amply inform- Edward Gibbon, Esq. to Mrs. Porten. ed of facts and debates. From you I expect the causes, rather than the events, the true springs of action, * Death or victory comes in an instant. Lausanne, December 27th, 1783. Dear madam, THE unfortunate are loud and loquacious in their complaints, but real happiness is content with its own si-lent characters are happily blended, lent enjoyment; and if that happi- and a friendship of thirty years has ness is of a quiet, uniform kind, we taught us to enjoy our mutual advansuffer days and weeks to elapse with- tages, and to support our unavoidaout communicating our sensations to ble imperfections. In love and mar # *. * a distant friend. By you, therefore, riage, some harsh sounds will somewhose temper and understanding times interrupt the harmony, and in have extracted from human life on the course of time, like our neighevery occasion the best and most bours, we must expect some disacomfortable ingredients, my silence greeable moments; but confidence will always be interpreted as an evi- and freedom are the two pillars of dence of content, and you would our union, and I am much mistaken only be alarmed (the danger is not if the building be not solid and comat hand) by the too frequent repeti-fortable. One disappointment I tion of my letters. Perhaps I should have indeed experienced, and pahave continued to slumber, I don't tiently supported. The family who know how long, had I not been awa- were settled in Deyverdun's house kened by the anxiety which you ex- started some unexpected difficulties, press in your last letter. and will not leave it till the spring; so that you must not yet expect any From this base subject I ascend poetical, or even historical, descripto one which more seriously and tion of the beauties of my habitation. strongly engages your thoughts, the During the dull months of winter, we consideration of my health and hap- are satisfied with a very comfortable piness. And you will give me cre- apartment in the middle of the town, dit when I assure you with sincerity, and even derive some advantage from that I have not repented a single this delay: as it gives us time to armoment of the step which I have ta- range some plans of alteration and furken, and that I only regret the not niture, which will embellish our future having executed the same design and more elegant dwelling. In this two, or five, or even ten years ago. season I rise (not at four in the mornBy this time, I might have returned ing) but, a little before eight; at nine, independent and rich to my native I am called from my study to breakcountry; I should have escaped many fast, which I always perform alone, disagreeable events, that have hap- in the English style; and, with the pened in the mean while, and I aid of Caplin, I perceive no differshould have avoided the parliamen-ence between Lausanne and Bentary life, which experience has prov- tinck Street. Our mornings are usued to be neither suitable to my tem- ally passed in separate studies; we per, nor conducive to my fortune. never approach each other's door In speaking of the happiness which without a previous message, or thrice I enjoy, you will agree with me, in knocking, and my apartment is algiving the preference to a sincere ready sacred and formidable to stranand sensible friend: and though you gers. I dress at half past one, and cannot discern the full extent of his at two (an early hour, to which I am merit, you will easily believe that not perfectly reconciled) we sit down Deyverdun is the man. Perhaps two to dinner. We have hired a female persons so perfectly fitted to live to- cook, well skilled in her profession, gether, were never formed by nature and accustomed to the taste of every and education. We have both read nation; as for instance, we had exand seen a great variety of objects; cellent mince-pies yesterday. After the lights and shades of our differ- dinner, and the departure of our * * * * ** company, one, two, or three friends, than five nights in the week passed we read together some amusing book, in the House of Commons, or five or play at chess, or retire to our mornings spent at the custom-house. rooms, or make visits, or go to the Send me, in return, a fair account of coffee-house. Between six and seven your own situation in mind and the assemblies begin, and I am op- body. I am satisfied your own good pressed only with their number and sense would have reconciled you to variety. Whist, at shillings or half inevitable separation; but there necrowns, is the game I generally play, ver was a more suitable diversion than and I play three rubbers with plea- your visit to Sheffield Place. Among sure. Between nine and ten we the innumerable proofs of friendship withdraw to our bread and cheese, which I have received from that faand friendly converse, which sends mily, there are none which affect me us to bed at eleven; but these sober more sensibly than their kind civilihours are too often interrupted by ties to you, though I am persuaded private or numerous suppers, which that they are at least as much on your I have not the courage to resist, account as on mine. At length mathough I practise a laudable absti- dame de is delinence at the best furnished tables. vered by her tyrant's death h; her Such is the skeleton of my life; it daughter, a valuable woman of this is impossible to communicate a per-place, has made some inquiries, and fect idea of the vital and substantial though her own circumstances are parts, the characters of the men and narrow, she will not suffer her father's women, with whom I have very easi-widow to be left totally destitute. I ly connected myself in looser and am glad you derived so much melancloser bonds, according to their incli- choly pleasure from the letters, yet had nation and my own. If I do not de- I known it, I should have withheld ceive myself, and if Deyverdun does * not flatter me, I am already a general favourite; and as our likings and dislikes are commonly mutual, I am equally satisfied with the freedom and elegance of manners, and (after proper allowances and exceptions) with the worthy and amiable qualities of many individuals. The auLausanne, August, 1789. tumn has been beautiful, and the AFTER receiving and despatching winter hitherto mild, but in January the power of attorney, last Wedneswe must expect some severe frost. day, I opened with some palpitation, Instead of rolling in a coach, I walk the unexpected missive which arrivthe streets, wrapped up in a fur cloak; ed this morning. The perusal of but this exercise is wholesome, and, the contents spoiled my breakfast. except an accidental fit of the gout They are disagreeable in themselves, of a few days, I never enjoyed better alarming in their consequences, and health. I am no longer in Pavil- peculiarly unpleasant at the present lard's house, where I was almost moment, when I hoped to have formstarved with cold and hunger, and ed and completed the arrangements you may be assured I now enjoy eve-of my future life. I do not perfectly ry benefit of comfort, plenty, and understand what are these deeds even decent luxury. You wish me which are so inflexibly required; the happy; acknowledge that such a wills and marriage settlements I have life is more conducive to happiness, sufficiently answered. But your ar * LETTER XC. Edward Gibbon, Esq. to the Right |