"readily and solemnly assured, and promised him, "would never be their case.

"That, notwithstanding their promise aforesaid, "they have, to a man, deserted your Petitioner, and, "to use the words of no celebrated Poet, hid them"selves behind their wives.

"That, moreover, within the period of three years, "divers of your Petitioner's friends have arrived in "succession to the dignity of Peers in Great Britain, "or in Ireland, or have otherwise acquired the title "of my Lord.

"That, immediately upon, or soon after, the said "succession, or acquisition, they have ceased to asso"ciate, or to correspond with your Petitioner, who is "the more surprized at this conduct on their part, "inasmuch as he has been always punctual, both in "speaking, and in writing, to give them their several, "and respective titles.

"That, by these accidents, the number of your "Petitioner's friends has been so reduced, that, "unless an early stop is put to such proceedings, "he must look out for new friendships, at a time of "life when he ought in reason to sit down, and "enjoy the old ones.

"That he therefore humbly hopes, from your "Lordship's known equity and candour, that you "will, by your authority, and your example, dis66 courage the mal-practices aforesaid; and continue "to know your Petitioner, though you should get "as many wives as Solomon, and as many titles as "the Czar.

"And your Petitioner shall ever pray, &c. (Signed) " DANIEL WRAY." The following is a comic picture of an Election: it is dated Cambridge, Jan. 19, 1743.

"The Election of a Provost of King's is over."Dr. George is the man.

"The Fellows went into Chapel on Monday, "before noon in the morning, as the Statute directs.

"After

"After prayers, and sacrament they began to vote. "-22 for George; 16 for Thackeray; 10 for Chapman.

"Thus they continued, scrutinizing, and walking "about, eating, and sleeping; some of them smoaking. Still the same numbers for each candidate ; "till yesterday about noon (for they held that in "the 48 hours allowed for the Election no adjourn"ment could be made); when the Tories, Chapman's "friends, refusing absolutely to concur with either "of the two other parties, Thackeray's votes went "over to George by agreement, and he was declared.

"A friend of mine, a curious man, tells me, he "took a survey of his brothers at the hour of two "in the morning; and that never was a more "curious, or a more diverting spectacle.

"Some, wrapped in blankets, erect in their stalls "like mummies: others, asleep on cushions, like so many Gothic tombs. Here a red cap over a wig; "there a face lost in the cape of a rug. of a rug. One blow❝ing a chafing-dish with a surplice sleeve; another "warming a little negus, or sipping Coke upon Littleton, i. e. tent and brandy. Thus did they "combat the cold of that frosty night; which has "not killed any one of them, to my infinite sur"prize."

66

I do not see more wit, or livelier badinage in Swift and Co. than in the following jeu d'esprit:

"You were in a fit of desperate humility when you answered my Letter. Whether the genius "of Charles, which rises, and soars above those with "whom he converses, oppressed you, or your labours "in Re Rustica had sunk your spirits to the bottom "of a canal, your distrust of your composition "before the merciful tribunal of my wit, had no "colour for it. You had written, as you observe, "according to the sage prescription, at proper inter"vals, in detached paragraphs, like the Ana; and I "never knew that method fail.

"Besides,

"Besides, I do not allow the imparity of congress between us which you have taken into your "head; and I do not make the point of being more " ingenious than your common run of correspon"dents. If I do, now and then, cast up the end of "a thought into a conceit, it is merely to supply the "want of those materials, and of that better enter "tainment, which your other friends are in the habit "of supplying to your board.

66

"I cannot, like B. watch the birth of news, and "send it piping hot before it grows false. Much less "have I, like Horace, and Charles, those hints from great men, which give such a foundation to their "political reasonings; or such materials for Eccle"siastical History, as the vicariat of Mr. Gage fur"nishes to John *.

"Answer me, I entreat you, in the manner of "those great writers. Give me original papers, and "authentic details of your transactions, whether as "a parish reformer, a reader of giant folios, or, "above all, as planter of pear and fig-trees, in whose growth I am so deeply interested, and whose deli"cious fruit I already taste in the mind's palate.

"The Doctor never looked so well in his life. How "indeed should he do otherwise? He was invited "this summer to Houghton; was conveyed by old "Montford; picked up the Duke of Grafton in his way, and met Lord Townshend upon the road

66

"Cum magnis vixisse.

"I should have been put entirely down by this greatness, had it not been my good fortune to have "lived, in the same identical summer, with Lady "Marchioness Grey, and with his Grace of York; to have travelled with Lord Chancellor téte " à téte.

nay,

«*** I cannot but smile at the old Duchess's "most critical interdict against versifying any part

*John Yorke.

+ Sarah Duchess of Marlborough.

VOL. I.

H

"of

"of the Duke's life.

ઃઃ

She appears to have been aware that her Biographer's lofty eloquence, and "the desired Overseer's flowery taste, would be in "danger of sliding into poetry. You remember "that Livy, who, it must be confessed, had less of "that spirit, is guilty once, or twice; and how whim"sical a difficulty would be imposed upon the exe"cutors, if they, who are to license the work, and pay the reward, should find such a verse in the "Battle of Blenheim, as there is in that of Cannæ." The following Letter is not inferior to this:

"Queen's College, Cambridge, Jan. 5, 1745. "You were in a most humble, and mortified state "of mind, when you seated yourself to the good "work of sending news to me.

"Never did Raphael dispose a subject with better "judgment, or execute it with more spirit, than you have done your History-piece of the late "Revolution.

"A rough, an imperfect sketch, do you call it? "Why it could hang in a Dilettante's closet, as a "companion to Vertot's Portugal, the Venice of "St. Real, or the Genoa of Mascardi.

I

"Besides, your cabinet courier arrived at a time, "and place, as opportune, as could be wished. "was gone with Lord Cornwallis's family over to

my friend Wollaston's; and wonderful it is to "relate, what a thirst of advices from Court pos"sessed us all when Monday morning, and all the "letters, came. I should have made an ignoble 66 figure, to have owed all my information to their correspondents. By your favour I knew the "whole affair before I left my bed-chamber, and "marched in to breakfast with a letter in my hand "fuller of History than all, or any one of theirs. "Not that I let them into the deeper abyss of your. politics, your reflections de summâ rerum, and "the reasons which induced our friends to open the

"" door.

"door. These I keep charily, to regulate my own "conduct by them in slippery times like these, "when I begin to think at last que c'est un mauvais "métier que celui de médire; and that the Roman "maxim is very sound wisdom, 'not to speak ill of any man, for who can tell but he may one day "come to be Pope ?'"

Upon the 5th of June, 1746, he alludes humourously, but gracefully, to all his obligations:

"Believe me, every tour, every new pleasure, "brings you and your partialities fresh into the

"mind.

"Totum muneris hoc tui est,

"Quod monstrer digito prætereuntium,

"on a long-tailed Hungarian, with spruce accou"trements; and, what is more flattering, all my "acquaintances are become friends to me, and fine "men out of number allow me for an acquaintance, ever since it appeared that I had the honour to "be your friend.

"Yet still there are, whom I cannot but envy. "Nothing makes up, to those who have enjoyed "Wrest, the loss of it: and it vexes me that I can"not hate Lord Willoughby, as being my successor. "But I scouted my Lord's acquaintance, Mr. " Mauduit *, the other day, who feared that he was "out of order, as he was not returned. I told him, "it was almost as impossible to be sick at Wrest, as "of it, except from the inordinate use of strawber"ries and cream cheese, against which the philo'sophy of that Peer would sufficiently guard him."

I cannot forbear to copy another admirable vein of criticism. It is on The Beauties, a favourite Poem of Horace Walpole; and is followed by a neat satire upon it in arch and pleasant rhyme.

* Israel Mauduit, the well-known Political Writer.

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"All