Colonel O'Shannon carried us to some sights, such as they were; he showed us the Tower, St. Paul's, Bedlam, and the three Bridges; took us to the city Pantheon, the Dog and Duck, and the Swearinghouse at Highgate. As for genteel company, he regretted exceedingly that almost all his acquaintance were in the country; but promised that when we came again he would introduce us to a director of the Bank, a lord of the Treasury, and the master-general of the Ordnance, which last, he assured us, had a very particular friendship for him; but, in his absence, he made us acquainted with a young gentleman, who, he said, was one of that great man's first favourites, and a secretary in his office; an appointment which the colonel had procured for him. My wife was very solicitous to cultivate Mr. M'Phelim's acquaintance, on account of two nephews of hers who are in the army, to whom the colonel and he have promised their interest; and we have the greater reason to rely on their friendship, as the colonel and his friend did us the honour of accepting a loan of 2007. from me, which Mr. M'Phelim wanted, to make up a sum in the absence of the master-general of the Ordnance, on their joint security.

"Not long after this transaction we left London, and I found it some comfort, after all my distresses and disturbances, to find myself again safe and sound in my native country. Not that I am free of the disquiet of my journey; it rings in my ears still in the narration of my wife, who has such talents for description, that if I had not witnessed the circumstances, I should have supposed Sir D. Dumplin to be a Knight of the Garter, Colonel O'Shannon a Lieutenant-general, and his friend, Mr. M'Phelim, a Privy-counsellor. She makes all our

acquaintance take notice how much better I am for Harrowgate, though, in fact, I never drank a drop of the water, and, except the company of Mrs. Rasp, took no sort of drug whatever. I must confess, however, that I am no worse on the whole, and am not near so much afraid of dying as before I was married. I am, &c.,

J

"JEREMIAH DY-SOON."

No. 46. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1785.

My readers may have observed that the office of The Lounger has of late been almost a sinecure, his correspondents having saved him the trouble of composition. The paper of to-day is also a communication, which, from the sex and accomplishments of the author, as well as the flattering manner in which she expresses herself, gratifies my vanity, as much as my indolence.

"TO THE AUTHOR OF THE LOUNGER.

66 SIR,

"The genteel but pointed irony with which you mention the follies of our sex, and the pains you take, in your admired Essays, for our instruction and improvement, will, I make no doubt, have some influence on the minds of those who are thoughtless, but not dissipated; and who, though hurried down the stream of pleasure, are not yet enough hardened to disregard the admonitions of virtue.

66

Among young people of this description, many ladies may be led to the attainment of mental accomplishments, in hopes of recommending themselves to the notice of the other sex; who, from their superior education and more solid judgment, would, one might presume, be more guided by the dictates of good sense, than led by the blind caprices of Fashion. But methinks, Sir, it would not be altogether fair to mislead your inexperienced female readers with such fallacious hopes. Tell them as much as you please of the internal rewards that belong to virtue; that to embellish, in early life, their minds with taste, and to enlighten their understandings with some degree of knowledge, will prove to them an inexhaustible source of delight in the lonely hours of solitude, and procure veneration and respect to their declining years; but let them know, that, on the fine fellows, who, in our days, deign to mingle in the female world, such accomplishments will have as much influence, as the harmonious compositions of Handel on the deaf pupils of Mr. Braidwood.

"To be distinguished by your sex, is more or less the wish of every female heart. To solicit that distinction, fancy is put to the torture to dress out the votaries of fashion; and to deserve it, the more judicious endeavour to adorn their minds with knowledge, taste, and sentiment. Which of these most frequently attain their end, you, Sir, who frequent the circles of the great and gay, can be at no loss to determine.

"As I was early taught to mark the characters, and make reflections on the events that passed before me in life, short as that life has been, and few and simple as have been its tranquil scenes, perhaps a sketch of it may not be altogether unworthy your perusal.

"I am the daughter of a clergyman, whose virtues adorn humanity, and whose character in every respect, does honour to his profession. A long attachment had subsisted between him and my mother, before the pride of her relations, who piqued themselves on their high descent, would consent to her being made happy forever by an union with one whom those relations considered as her inferior; but the constancy of their affection at length subdued every obstacle; and their life has ever since been one continued scene of domestic felicity. As I was their only child, my education was the prime object of their attention. To procure me the more elegant accomplishments, they appropriated the savings of their economy; while, with the tenderest solicitude, they themselves endeavoured to form my manners, to cultivate my understanding, and to cherish the virtues of my heart.

"The friendly terms on which we lived with the patron of our parish, whose lady took a particular liking to me, gave me frequent opportunities of mixing with polite company. The natural gayety of my temper, and steady sincerity of my heart, gained me the good will of all my companions; with some of whom I early contracted the most tender friendship, — a friendship which has increased with our increasing years, and received strength from every incident of pain or pleasure that has befallen us in life.

"By the gentlemen, I found myself almost invariably treated according to their ideas of my rank and consequence. Of all the numbers who came to Castle excepting an old naval officer, many traits of whose character, though cast in somewhat of a rougher mould, bore a strong resemblance to that of your worthy friend Colonel Caustic, I do not

remember to have met with one who thought it possible the daughter of a country parson could be as well informed upon any subject as the heiress of a baronet; and after I have, by Lady 's desire played on her forte piano, some of the finest concertos of Bach and Abel to an unlistening audience, I have heard the same gentlemen applaud, with every mark of rapture, the fashionable Miss Fanny Flirter, rattling over some insipid fragment of a new opera tune.

"At the earnest solicitation of a sister of my father's, married to a respectable merchant in the capital, I, one winter, spent a few months with her in town. I had here a more ample opportunity of observing that universal passion, for what is called style in life, than I had hitherto met with. The notice taken of me by our patroness Lady who always passed the winter in the metropolis, and to whose parties, either at home or at public places, I had a general invitation, made me esteemed quite the ton by the set of men who visited my uncle. I was often distressed by their civilities, and put out of countenance by their eagerness to show me attention; while, by the gentlemen in her ladyship's suit, I was considered of no more importance than any other piece of furniture in the drawing-room; but, like yourself, Sir, though silent, I was not always idle; and, while unthought of, and unspoke to, made such remarks on the scene before me, as I hope will be of service to me through life.

"From Edinburgh, at the request of my mother's relations, I went to the county of These great relations had taken no notice of her since her marriage, but now received me in the most cordial manner. I was immediately introduced by them to their acquaintances in a genteel and populous