directly to the officer to acquaint him with the soldier's inhumanity; but he, who was about fifteen years of age, gave the sergeant a great curse, and said the soldier had done very well; for that idle boys ought to be corrected. This, however, did not satisfy poor Atkinson, who, the next day, as soon as the guard was relieved, beat the fellow most unmercifully, and told him he would remember him as long as he stayed in the regiment.

Thus ended this trifling adventure, which some readers will, perhaps, be pleased with seeing related at full length. None, I think, can fail drawing one observation from it; namely, how capable the most insignificant accident is of disturbing human happiness, and of producing the most unexpected and dreadful events. A reflexion which may serve to many moral and religious uses.

This accident produced the first acquaintance between the mistress of the house and her lodgers; for hitherto they had scarce exchanged a word together. But the great concern which the good woman had shewn on Amelia's account at this time, was not likely to pass unobserved or unthanked either by the husband or wife. Amelia, therefore as soon as she was able to go up stairs, invited Mrs. Ellison (for that was her name) to her apartment, and desired the favour of her to stay to supper. She readily complied; and they past a very agreeable evening together, in which the two women seemed to have conceived a most extraordinary liking to each other.

Though beauty in general doth not greatly recommend one woman to another, as it is too apt to create envy; yet, in cases where this passion doth not interfere, a fine woman is often a pleasing object even to some of her own sex; especially when her beauty is attended with a certain air of affability, as was that of Amelia in the highest degree. She was, indeed, a most charming wo

man; and I know not whether the little scar on her nose did not rather add to, than diminish her beauty.

Mrs. Ellison, therefore, was as much charmed with the loveliness of her fair lodger, as with all her other engaging qualities. She was, indeed, so taken with Amelia's beauty that she could not refrain from crying out in a kind of transport of admiration,Upon my word, Captain Booth, you are the happiest man in the world! Your lady is so extremely handsome, that one cannot look at her without pleasure.'

This good woman herself had none of these attractive charms to the eye. Her person was short, and immoderately fat; her features were none of the most regular; and her complexion (if indeed she ever had a good one) had considerably suffered by time.

Her good humour and complaisance, however, were highly pleasing to Amelia. Nay, why should we conceal the secret satisfaction which that lady felt from the compliments paid to her person? since such of my readers as like her best, will not be sorry to find that she was a woman.

CHAP. VIII.

Containing various Matters.

A FORTNIGHT had now passed, since Booth

had seen or heard from the colonel; which did not a little surprise him, as they had parted so good friends, and as he had so cordially undertaken his cause concerning the memorial, on which all his hopes depended.

The uneasiness which this gave him, farther increased on finding that his friend refused to see him; for he had paid the colonel a visit at nine in the morning, and was told he was not stirring;

and at his return back an hour afterwards, the servant said his master was gone out; of which Booth was certain of the falsehood; for he had, during that whole hour, walked backwards and forwards within sight of the colonel's door, and must have seen him, if he had gone out within that time.

The good colonel, however, did not long suffer his friend to continue in the deplorable state of anxiety; for the very next morning Booth received his memorial inclosed in a letter, acquainting him that Mr. James had mentioned his affair to the person he proposed; but that the great man had so many engagements on his hands, that it was impossible for him to make any further promises at this time.

The cold and distant style of this letter, and, indeed, the whole behaviour of James, so different from what it had been formerly, had something so mysterious in it, that it greatly puzzled and perplexed poor Booth; and it was so long before he was able to solve it, that the reader's curiosity will, perhaps, be obliged to us for not leaving him so long in the dark as to this matter. The true reason, then, of the colonel's conduct was this: His unbounded generosity, together with the unbounded extravagance, and consequently the great necessity of Miss Matthews, had, at length, overcome the cruelty of that lady, with whom he likewise had luckily no rival. Above all, the desire of being revenged on Booth, with whom she was, to the highest degree, enraged, had, perhaps, contributed not a little to his success; for she had no sooner condescended to a familiarity with her new lover, and discovered that Captain James, of whom she had heard so much from Booth, was no other than the identical colonel, than she employed every art of which she was mistress, to make an utter breach of friendship between these two. For this purpose, she did not scruple to insinuate, that the

colonel was not at all obliged to the character given of him by his friend; and to the account of this latter she placed most of the cruelty which she had shewn to the former.

Had the colonel made a proper use of his reason, and fairly examined the probability of the fact, he could scarce have been imposed upon to believe a matter so inconsistent with all he knew of Booth, and in which that gentleman must have sinned against all the laws of honour without any visible temptation. But in solemn fact, the colonel was so intoxicated with his love, that it was in the power of his mistress to have persuaded him of any thing; besides, he had an interest in giving her credit; for he was not a little pleased with finding a reason for hating the man, whom he could not help hating without any reason, at least, without any which he durst fairly assign even to himself. Henceforth, therefore, he abandoned all friendship for Booth, and was more inclined to put him out of the world, than to endeavour any longer at supporting him in it.

Booth communicated this letter to his wife, who endeavoured, as usual, to the utmost of her power, to console him under one of the greatest afflictions which, I think, can befal a man, namely, the unkindness of a friend; but he had luckily at the same time the greatest blessing in his possession, the kindness of a faithful and beloved wife. A blessing however, which, though it compensates most of the evils of life, rather serves to aggravate the misfortune of distressed circumstances, from the consideration of the share which she is to bear in them.

This afternoon Amelia received a second visit from Mrs. Ellison, who acquainted her that she had a present of a ticket for the oratorio, which would carry two persons into the gallery; and therefore begged the favour of her company thither.

Amelia, with many thanks, acknowledged the civility of Mrs. Ellison, but declined accepting her offer; upon which Booth very strenuously insisted on her going, and said to her, My dear, 'if you knew the satisfaction I have in any of your pleasures, I am convinced you would not 'refuse the favour Mrs. Ellison is so kind to offer 'you; for as you are a lover of music, you, who have never been at an oratorio, cannot conceive how you will be delighted.'-'I well know 'your goodness, my dear,' answered Amelia, but I cannot think of leaving my children without some person more proper to take care of them than this poor girl.' Mrs. Ellison removed this objection by offering her own servant, a very discreet matron, to attend them; but notwithstanding this, and all she could say, with the assistance of Booth, and of the children themselves, Amelia still persisted in her refusal; and the mistress of the house, who knew how far good breeding, allows persons to be pressing on these occasions, took her leave,

6

She was no sooner departed, than Amelia, looking tenderly on her husband, said, 'How can you, my dear creature, think that music hath any charms for me at this time--Or indeed, do you believe that I am capable of any sensation worthy 'the name of pleasure, when neither you nor my children are present, or bear any part of it?'

An officer of the regiment to which Booth had formerly belonged, hearing from Atkinson where he lodged, now came to pay him a visit. He told him that several of their old acquaintance were to meet the next Wednesday at a tavern, and very strongly pressed him to be one of the company. Booth was, in truth, what is called a hearty fellow, and loved now and then to take a cheerful glass with his friends; but he excused himself at this time. His friend declared he would take no denial, and he growing very importunate, Amelia at