had formerly lived in the ftricteft intimacy. Mr. Woodward's feeming partiality towards me confequently involved me in Mr. Beard's displeasure. Another circumftance tended to augment this unmerited impreffion: The manager had lately married Mr. Rich's daughter, with whom, as I have informed you, I was fome years back fo intimate. This lady, however, having indifcreetly repeated fome converfation which paffed at Mr. Calcraft's table, he defired I would decline receiving her vifits. A great coolnefs was the refult, and we neveri after were upon friendly terms. I can account no other way for this alteration in the behaviour of the manager, which had always been cordial till that event took place."

Sir George Metham at length came to town; and, foon after his arrival, he defired I would invite Mr. Alderman Cracroft and Mr. Forrest to dinner, in order to fettle the preliminary steps towards the difpofal of the eftate he proposed to fell He, upon this occafion, repeated the promise he had made me, when at Cave, of discharging all my debts as foon' as he received the purchase money. But ill fortune was ftill to purfue me. Mr. Cracroft was not able, among all his connections, to get any one to purchase the estate at the price fet upon it. The hopes I had indulged, and with so good a profpect of their completion,

were

were confequently fruftrated; for a coolnefs foon after took place, which obliterated all these profeffions; and the money I expected went to purchafe an annuity for a lady he afterwards formed a connection with.

When my benefit came to be fixed, the manager and myself had fome words relative to Mifs Wordley's performing on the occafion.. That young lady wished to try her fortune upon the London stage. I defired much to indulge her, as I was at this time fo attached to her, that I feared The would be obliged to enter into fome country company, or go to Ireland, if fhe could not get an engagement in town. The play performed on my night, was "Romeo and Juliet ;" and the after-piece was, "Mifs in her Teens;" in which fle was to make her entré in Tag.

『,』

I fucceeded in carrying my point as to the introduction of my friend, and the receipt was the greatest that had ever been known. My great gold tickets, however, failed; for I received but one hundred from Lord Holderness; fifty a-piece from General Monkton, Lord Granby, and Lord Pigot; and one fifty in a blank cover, which I have often fufpected came from Mr. Woodward.

G. A. B.

LET

LETTER LXXXII.

Sept. 30, 17

THE day after, Sir George Metham fent to inform me that my fon was much indifpofed, and requested me to come to Palace-yard. Having a vifitant with me, that was just come from Scotland, I could not obey the fummons till after dinner. I then went, with a promife of returning as foon as poffible; having been informed, by the fervant who brought the message, that my dear George had only a flight cold.

When I arrived, I found Mr. Macklin tête-à-tête with Sir George; who had informed the baronet that I was going to be married to Mr. Woodward. The abfurdity of fuch a report could only be laughed at, on its being mentioned to me; and anfwered with, "Yes, to be fure!" After the veteran was departed, Sir George preffed me much to stay the evening. I told him I could not poffibly comply with his requeft, as I had left company at home, to whom I had promised, and good manners obliged me to return. Notwithftanding this, forgetting his ufual politeness, he entreated me again to ftay; and, in fpite of all his ufual non-chalence, I verily believe, had I been

been d'accord, he would not now have been a rigid obferver of thofe folemn oaths which had given him fo much pain at Cave.

Upon my ftill perfifting in going, he hinted at the report relative to Mr. Woodward, which, I own, displeased me much; for it could not really be fuppofed, that a perfon of that gentleman's age and prudence, especially as he had loft a fortune, and was endeavouring to fave another, would marry a woman, even if the were inclinable, who was fo much involved as myself, and was not the best oeconomist in the world. Whether Sir George affected to believe the report, in order to serve as a plea for his not fulfilling the repeated promifes he had made me, or whether he was really jealous, I will not pretend to determine; but such a coolness immediately took place, that I never faw him from this time till within these laft feven years, when he called upon me to render me fome affiftance.

I have often regretted, that a man and woman cannot live in that unimpaffioned friendship with each other, which fubfifts between two perfons of the fame fex, without being fufpected by the world of a connection of a more tender nature, and acquiring cenfure thereby. I fcarcely ever knew an instance, except in the intimacy between the amiable Jemmy Moor, whofe untimely fate I have

recorded,

recorded, and myself, which lafted unchangeable, and unreproached, till death fevered the band of friendship which united us.

I hope my fex will excufe the declaration, but I freely acknowledge, that I generally prefer the conversation of the men to that of females. The topics of the latter usually turn upon fashions or fcandal, both of which I am now a ftranger to. Scandal in particular I have always held in the highest deteftation, and I have made it the subject of my reprehenfion in one of my preceding letters. Though I am now confined to a plain coif, I fhall ever retain the fame contempt for that hypocrify, which this part of the female attire too often covers. On the contrary, I have every reason to admire fincerity; for, by walking hand in hand with that celeftial visitor, it has procured for me the friendship of many persons of the best understanding, as well as the best hearts.

As I fhall have occafion to mention Mr. Woodward frequently in my subsequent letters, I shall endeavour to draw a portrait of him in private life. His merit as an actor was fo uni verfally known, and justly admired, as to render all eulogiums on that head unneceffary. He was educated at Merchant-Taylors-fchool, where he foon attracted the notice of the mafters, by the rapid progrefs he made in his ftudies. I have

often