noon I went to lord Oxford's ball at Mary-le-bone. It was very agreeable; I will give you the list of company as they danced.-The duchess and lord Foley, the duke and Mrs. Pendarvis*, lord Dupplin and Dasht, lord George and Fidget‡, lord Howard and miss Cæsar, Mr. Granville and miss Tatton, Mr. Hay and another miss Cæsar. The partners were chosen by their fans, but with a little supercherie in the case. I believe one of our dancers failed, so our worthy cousin, sir T—, was invited and came; but when he had drawn miss -'s fan, he would not dance with her; but Mr. Hay, who, as the more canonical diversion, had chosen cards, danced with the poor forsaken lady. The knight bore the roast with great fortitude, and to make amends, promises his neglected fair a ball at his house. It did not end till two in the morning. The earl and countess behaved very graciously my lord desired his compliments to my father. Pray give him my duty, and tell him I propose doing myself the honour of writing to him very soon. I sat for my picture this morning to Zinck; I believe it will be like. I am in Anne Boleyn's dress. I had the pleasure of hearing to-day that our dear Robert had succeeded in obtaining a ship. I am sorry he will go out with the first feet, for your sake and mine, two respects very dear to me. I tremble too, for fear

The widow of Alex. Pendarvis, esq. of Roscrow, in Cornwall, afterwards married to Dr. Delany, the friend of Swift. See her letters in Swift's Correspondence.

+ Miss Catherine Dashwood, the Delia of Hammond the poet.

he should have any engagement with the Spaniards. Mrs. Dewes desires to recommend herself to you, being of the party of loving sisters.

I hope the ill news of Vernon is not true. My duty to my mamma.

My dearest sister, I am yours most affectionately,

You will think me the most idly busy of any person in the world; I have got a little interval between vanity and ceremony to write to you, but must soon leave you, to dress and visit, the grand occupations of a woman's life. I was at Mrs.

-'s; we were both so courteous, complaisant, and something so like loving, it would have surprised you. What farces, what puppet-shows do

we act! some little machine behind the scene moves us, and makes the same puppet act Scrub, or strut Alexander the Great. Madam, contrary to her usual manner, acted the part of the obliging; I, as much against my former sentiments, personated the obliged. Alas! I fear the first mover in the one case was not generosity, nor in the other gratitude. She went over head and ears in promises, and I went as deep in thanks. The evening was concluded, and the farce ended, with a scene more sincere and affectionate between Mor

ris, Robert, and myself. I bave taken leave of Robert; alas! what a painful word is farewell! Lord Dunsinane came from Cambridge this morning: he says my brother Matt is better in health than he has been a great while. I am reading doctor Swift's and Mr. Pope's letters; I like them much, and find great marks of friendship, goodness, and affection, between these people, whom the world think too wise to be honest, and too witty to he affectionate. Butvice is the child of folly rather than of wisdom; and for insensibility of heart, Jike that of the head, it belongeth unto fools. Lord Bolingbroke's letters shine much in the collection. We are reading Dr. Middleton's new edition of his Letter from Rome, with the additions; but have not yet reached the postscript to Warburton. The answer to the Roman Catholic is full, and I doubt not but the Protestant Divine will be as happily silenced. Truth will maintain its ground against all opposition. The dedication to Dr. G- is modest enough; the doctor commends his hospitality and table, but does not tell us his friend was careful not to over-eat himself, which is an omission. I am, my dear sister, most affectionately yours,

E. ROBINSON.

LETTER IX.

FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME.

DEAR SISTER,

Whitehall,

-

1 PROPOSE to entertain you with some poetry, therefore you will excuse a lack of prose for this post. I am pretty well in health, but at this pre

sent instant not in high spirits; a key below im. pertinence and talkativeness. However the Muses, fair ladies, and Mr. Lyttleton, a fine gentleman, will entertain you more agreeably. The verses were written at lord Westmoreland's: I think they are pretty. Either I am very partial to the writer, or Mr. Lyttleton has something of an elegance in all his compositions, let the subject be ever so trifling. I believe what he says in praise of solitude and the country is to please Apollo, who, of all employments, preferred that of a shepherd. To Juno he puts up petitions of more pride and ambition; and from Minerva he has not unsuccessfully asked wisdom and the arts of policy. Happy is the genius that can drink inspiration at every stream, and gather similes with every nosegay!

Does the world want odd people, or do we want strange cousins, that the St-nes must increase and multiply? No folly ever becomes extinct, fools do so establish posterity. Mr. Shas a living of 100l. a year, with a prospect of better preferment. He was a great rake, but having been japanned and married, his character is new varnished. I do not comprehend what my cousin means by their little desires; if she had said their little stomachs, it had been some help to their economy. But when people have not sufficient for the necessaries of life, what avails it that they can do without its pomps and superfluities? Mr. B- came up in the park to me to-day, and asked me if I would give A-leave to beg my pardon, for that he had ordered him to do it. I desired he would tell him that he was as safe in

my contempt as he could be in my forgiveness, and that I had rather not be troubled with him. I thought the valorous captain would put him upon his penitentials; and if A—n's sword was no sharper than his satire, and his courage no greater than his wit, the challenge would not be dangerous. But he is well aware of

"the perils that environ

The man that meddles with cold iron."

I really think this fright will give him such a terror of steel, that he will hardly endure the blade of a knife this twelvemonth. I hope in his repentance he will not turn his hand to commendation; for though I am not vexed at the spattering of his abuse, I could never endure the daub of his panegyric.

The duchess has presented me with a very fine lace head and ruffles. My duty to papa and In great haste yours,

mamma.

E. R.

LETTER X.

FROM MRS. ELIZABETH MONTAGU TO THE REV. W.

FREIND*.

SIR, I HAD the pleasure of your letter on Saturday, at my return from Ranelagh Gardens; I was glad to

• Afterwards dean of Canterbury, son of Dr. Robert Freind, head master of Westminster school, and nephew of Dr. John Freind, M. D. who was committed to the Tower on account of Atterbury's conspiracy. He married miss Grace Robinson, sister of sir Thomas Robinson, and of the primate of Ireland.