I have not yet been at any of the public diversions. Mr. B has carried me, by gentle turns, out of his workmen's way, ten miles round this overgrown capital, and through the principal of its numerous streets. The villages that lie spangled about this vast circumference, as well on the other side the noble Thames (which I had before a notion of, from Sir John Denham's celebrated 'Cooper's Hill"), as on the Middlesex side, are beautiful, both by buildings and situation, beyond what I had imagined; and several of them seem larger than many of our country towns of note. But it would be impertinent to trouble your ladyship with these matters, who are no stranger to what is worthy of notice in London. But I was surprised when Mr. B-- observed to me, that this whole county, and the two cities of London and Westminster, are represented by no more than eight members of parliament, when so many borough towns in England are inferior to the meanest villages about London. I am in daily expectation of the arrival of Miss Darnford, and then I shall wish (accompanied by a young lady of so polite a taste) to see a good play. Mr. B― has already shown me the opera-house, and the two playhouses, though silent, as I may say; that, as he was pleased to observe, they should not be new to me, and that the sight might not take off my attention to the performance, when I went to the play: so that I can conceive a tolerable notion of everything, from the disposition of the seats, the boxes, the galleries, the pit, the music, the scenes, and the stage; and so shall have no occasion to gaze about me like a country novice, whereby I might attract a notice that I should not wish, either for my own credit, or your dear brother's honour. I have had a pleasure which I had not in Bedfordshire; and that is, that on Sunday I was at church, without gaping crowds to attend us, and blessings too loud for my wishes. Yet I was more gazed at (and so was Mr. B—) than I expected, considering there were so many welldressed gentry, and some nobility there; and they stared as much as anybody; but will not do so, I hope, when we cease to be a novelty. We have already had several visitors to welcome Mr. B― to town, and to congratulate him on his marriage; -but some, no doubt, to see and to find fault with his rustic; for it is impossible, you know, madam, that a gentleman, so distinguished by his merit and fortune, should have taken a step of such consequence to himself and family, and not be known by everybody so to have done. Sir Thomas Atkyns is in town, and has taken apartments in the new-built stately pile of edifices, called Hanover Square; and he brought with him a younger brother of Mr. Arthur's, who, it seems, is a merchant. Lord F has been to pay his respects to Mr. Blikewise, whose school-fellow he was at Eton the little time Mr. B was there. His lordship promises that his lady shall make me a visit, and accompany me to the opera as soon as we are fully settled. A gentleman of the Temple, Mr. Turner by name, and Mr. Fanshaw of Gray's Inn, both lawyers, and of Mr. B's former acquaintance, very sprightly and modish gentlemen, have also welcomed us to town, and made Mr. B― abundance of gay compliments on my account, to my face, all in the common frothy run. They may be polite gentlemen, but I can't say I overmuch like them. There is something so forward, so opinionated, so seemingly insensible of rebuke, either from within or without, and yet not promising to avoid deserving one occasionally, that I could as lieve wish Mr. Band they would not renew their former acquaintance. I am very bold, your ladyship will say-but you command me to write freely: yet I would not be thought to be uneasy with regard to your dear brother's morals, from these gentlemen; for, oh! madam, I am a blessed creature, and am hourly happier and happier in the confidence I have as to that particular: but I imagine they will force themselves upon him, more than he himself may wish, or would permit, were the acquaintance now to begin; for they are not of his turn of mind, as it seems to me; being, by a sentence or two that dropt from them, very free and very frothy in their conversation; and by their laughing at what they say themselves, taking that for wit, which will not stand the test, if I may be allowed to say so. But they have heard, no doubt, what a person Mr. B's goodness to me has lifted into notice; and they think themselves warranted to say anything before his country girl. He was pleased to ask me, when they were gone, how I liked his two lawyers? And said, they were persons of family and fortune. I am glad of it, sir, said I, for their own sakes. They are your friends, sir; and I cannot have any dislike to them. They say good things sometimes, returned he. I don't doubt it, sir: but you say good things always. 'Tis happy for me, my dear, you think so. what think you of 'em? But tell me, I shall be better able, sir, to answer your question, if I see them a second time. But we form notions of persons at first sight, sometimes, my dear; and you are seldom mistaken in yours. I only think, sir, that they have neither of them any diffidence but their profession, perhaps, may set them above that. They don't practise, my dear; their fortunes enable them to live without it; and they are too studious of their pleasures, to give themselves any trouble they are not obliged to take. They seem to me, sir, to be qualified for practice: they would make great figures at the bar, I fancy. Why so? Only because they seem prepared to think well of what they shall say themselves; and lightly of what other people say, or may think of them. That, indeed, my dear, is the necessary qualification of a public speaker, be he lawyer or what he will. The man who cannot doubt himself, and can think meanly of his auditors, never fails to speak with self-applause at least. But you'll pardon me, good sir, for speaking my mind so freely, and so early, of these your friends. I never, my love, ask you a question I wish you not to answer; and always expect your answer should be without reserve; for many times I may ask your opinion, as a corrective, or a confirmation of my own judgment. How kind, how indulgent was this, my good lady! But you know how generously your dear brother treats me on all occasions; and this makes me so bold as I often am. It may be necessary, my dear lady, to give you an account of our visitors, in order to make the future parts of my writing the more intelligible; because what I may have to write may turn sometimes upon the company we see: for which reason I shall also just mention Sir George Stuart, a Scottish gentleman, with whom Mr. Bcame acquainted in his travels, who seems to be a polite, and (Mr. B—— says, is) a learned man, and a virtuoso: He, and a nephew of his, of the same name, a bashful gentleman, and who, for that reason, I imagine, has a merit that lies deeper than a first observation can reach, are just gone from us, and were received with so much civility by Mr. B-, as entitles them to my respectful regard. Thus, madam, do I run on, in a manner, without materials; and only to show you the pleasure I take in obeying you. I hope my good Lord Davers enjoys his health, and continues me in his favour; which I value extremely, as well as your ladyship's. Mr. H, I hope, likewise enjoys his health. But let me not forget my particular and thankful respects to the countess, for her ladyship's favour and goodness to me, which I shall ever place next, in my grateful esteem, to the honours I have received from your ladyship on so many occasions; and which bind me to be, with the greatest respect, my dear lady, Your faithful and obliged servant, P. B LETTER XLV. Mrs. B to her Parents. MY DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,-I write to you both, at this time, for your advice in a particular dispute, which is the only one I have had, or I hope ever shall have, with my dear benefactor; and as he is pleased to insist upon his way, and it is a point of conscience with me, I must resolve to be determined by your joint advice; for, if my father and mother, and husband, are of one opinion, I must, I think, yield up my own. This is the subject:-I think a mother ought, if she can, to be the nurse to her own children. Mr. B―― says, he will not permit it. It is the first will not I have heard from him, or given occasion for: and I tell him, that as it is a point of conscience with me, I hope he will indulge me: But the dear gentleman has an odd way of arguing, that sometimes puzzles me. He pretends to answer me from scripture; but I have some doubts of his exposition; and he gives me leave to write to you, though yet he won't promise to be determined by your opinions, if they are not the same with his own; and I say to him, Is this fair, my dearest Mr. B-? Is it? He has got the dean's opinion with him; for our debate began before we came to town: but then he would not let me state the case; but did it himself; and yet 'tis but an half opinion, as I may say, neither. For it is, that if the husband is set upon it, it is a wife's duty to obey. But I can't see how that is; for if it be the natural duty |