so proves his benevolence to be greater than that of your

I MIGHT have been with you by the time you will receive this, had I not been tempted to remain two days for the conveniency of a passage in Captain's frigate, which he offered me in the frankest manner. He seems to possess all the good sense, benevolence, and military ardour that I so much admired in his brother, with whom I was so intimate at Corsica; to which he joins much original humour. When I mentioned the marchioness, he said, 'that a passage in his frigate, instead of going in the packet, was of more importance to her than to me; because the chance of her being taken by any French cruisers would be less and that, even with regard to myself, I ought not to consider the event of being taken by the French in the same light now as formerly, when prisoners of war were certain of being treated with humanity, and often with politeness; that the reverse was the case now. He spoke with great indignation of the insults which General O'Hara and Sir Sidney Smith had undergone to palliate which, the directory had accused the British government of cruelty to its prisoners; a calumny that was not credited, even in France, and is contradicted by the united voice of the prisoners themselves. Captain -declared, at the same time, that if he should have the good fortune to come in sight of an enemy's frigate, during the passage, we might rely on being entertained with a chase, and probably an engagement, before he could land us: this, he knew, would be an additional motive with me for giving him the pleasure of my company; adding, that it would be so also to the French lady, if she happened to be of the same disposi

tion with a countrywoman of his, of very high rank, who, with her husband and some other company, came on board his frigate, when he was cruising off Cherbourg, from another vessel, in which they had been sailing for pleasure, but to which they were prevented from returning, for two days, by the violence of the weather. During this interval, there was at one time reason to expect that they would have an engagement with a French frigate of equal force. This lady, so far from betraying any fear, when she saw the crew in high spirits from the hope of a victory, expressed as much satisfaction as any of them, saying— She wished to have the pleasure of seeing French colours strike to the British; which, though it often happened, she had never witnessed, except at the theatres.'

This town is at present swarming with strangers; French, in particular, abound, and form a striking contrast with the natives: two meagre emigrants might, by a good carver, be easily cut out of one well-fed burgher of Hamburg. Sour-crout and smoked-beef are undoubtedly the most nourishing of all food. How the French were 'ever able to get the better, in the field, of the portly Germans, I do not comprehend; yet, notwithstanding their full living, the Hamburgers look as serious and sad as if they were under the terror of a revolutionary tribunal; whereas the emigrants frisk about, as gay and elastic as squirrels in a chesnut-grove.

There is nothing for which the French were ever so greatly to be envied as their good spirits, and the cheerfulness they display under misfortune; and they never had such an opportunity of manifesting this enviable quali ty as since their revolution. The inhabitants of every country of Europe have reason to complain of its consequences, surely, in a much less degree than the French emigrants; yet I have found the most cheerful and agreeable society among them, in every country through which I have passed.

I am sorry to hear that the dread of invasion still depresses the spirits of any friend of England. The brilli

ant state of our navy alone ought to remove every fear of that nature. France, under no form of government, and by no efforts, can create a navy equal to that of Great Britain; and now, when the whole island is armed, and in the way of being well-disciplined, that navy may be employed in every quarter of the globe. The idea of an invasion of England, in its present condition, fully armed, and unanimous against the public enemy, must be more terrible to the invaders than to the invaded. For my own. part, I am a little ashamed to be out of the island, when such a thing is in contemplation; and nothing would have kept me abroad so long, except my fear of disobliging my brother, on a subject which I find interests more now than ever. His ill health has at last determined him to renounce all thoughts of marriage; which makes him wonderfully anxious that I should submit my neck to the yoke without loss of time to encourage me to this, he either personally, or by proxy, has taken the trouble, as I do very much suspect, to court for me. I am given to understand, as I formerly hinted to you, that I have a very advantageous match, as they call it, in my power. The rank and fortune of the damsel are vaunted: neither are my lures. Indeed I know not what is

'Non sum qualis eram bonæ

Sub regno Cynaræ ;'

that is, I am not such a child as I was when I first met that jade the comtessina. I never can be fonder of a woman than I was of her; and what a pretty situation should I be in at present had I married her: this thought has occurred to me a thousand times since. By your assistance, my good friend, I escaped from her snares; this reflection, joined to the experience I have since had of my own mutability, inspires me with as great a reluctance to matrimony as my brother can possibly have: yet I have received various letters from him of late, urging me to this measure in the most earnest terms; stating the advantages that will-result to myself, the comfort it will be to him to know that his title and estate are secured to the

• Horace.

family, and to descend to my posterity. He is more careful of my posterity, you see, than I am myself. He hates the person to whom his title and estate would go, failing his own and my children; and cannot bear the thought of their being transmitted to him or his descendants: this, I am convinced, more than any other consideration, moves him to press me so earnestly. Am I to give up the freedom I love, and wear fetters all my life, to prevent an event which gives me no concern, merely because the chance of it fills another person with uneasiness. Since he has so great a dread of such a catastrophe, I wish to the Lord he would take the trouble of securing against it, by begetting his own heirs. If he did, you will tell me that I should be cut from the view of ever possessing his title and estate. I do assure you, Sommers, that idea gives me no pain; I am persuaded of nothing more fully, than that more riches would not increase my happiness; and, as for the peerage, if ever I shall have the good fortune to perform services to my country, worthy of such an honour, I should receive it from his majesty with gratitude and gladness: but a peerage, obtained by the death of my brother, would fill me with sorrow-and one conferred for no other merit than that of commanding a few votes for a minister could not in the least gratify my vanity. You perceive, therefore, that I have no inducement to change my condition, unless to gratify my brother. I should think that inducement sufficient, if I did not consider his motive as a little whimsical, and if what he requests did not overset all my notions of happiness. As for the particular lady he has in his eye, I am still in the dark; he has certainly given no hint to any of my relations, otherwise I should have received it among my last dispatches; some of them are the most communicative people I ever had any experience of. My aunt, Lady Susan, could not have omitted an article of so much importance: she writes to me all she knows, often more than I wish to know, and a great deal of what she knows nothing. The lady his lordship has chosen for me is comprehended in the last article: I have not the least curi

osity to be better informed, being fully resolved to remain the most obedient humble servant of the whole sex. I have too much affection for the sweet creatures ever to marry any of them: not that I do not envy many who do, particularly yourself. I am fully convinced, from your account of your Juliet, and my knowledge of your cha racter, that you are one of the happiest men of my ac quaintance. Long may it be so, my dear Sommers. You were always a steady fellow; but what has a wavering animal like me to do with such a lasting business as matrimony. No; any thing to oblige you but that, my dear brother in this resolution, at least, I shall be invariable, Let this, however, remain a secret between you and me, colonel; for, though I shall endeavour to wave, evade, and procrastinate my brother's favourite plan of matrimonizing me, I will not afflict him with the idea that it never shall take place. I have still hopes that his own health will be so much re-established, as to induce him to follow the advice he gives me.

I shall inform you of my arrival in London; and, as soon as the marchioness shall be settled in somewhat of a comfortable style, I will endeavour to persuade Travers to accompany me to Hampshire. When I shall have suc ceeded in tranquillizing my brother's mind on the grand point, I will return to the capital, endeavour to be of what farther service to the marchioness may be in my power, and then set out for your happy retreat. I wish to know, with all her love, whether your Juliet has more friendship for her husband than I have for my old schoolfellow? Adieu!

J. MORDAUNT.

LETTER XXXI.

From the Same to the Same,

London.

WE arrived on Tuesday, without having been stopped by a single highwayman between Portsmouth and London.