monies, into the hands of Mr. Ingraham, his lawyer, and his youngeft fon, John Elwes, cfq, who had been his chief agent for fome time. Indeed, the aft was by no means improper. The lapfes of his memory had now become frequent and glaring. All recent occurrences he forgot entirely, and as he never committed any thing to writing, the confufion he made was inexpreffible. As an inftance of this, the following anecdote may serve. He had one evening given a draft upon Meffrs. Hoares, his bankers, for 20l. and having taken it into his head during the night, that he had overdrawn his account, his anxiety was unceafing. He left his bed, and walking about his room with that little feverifh irritation that always diftinguish ed him, waited with the utmost impatience till morning came, when, on going to his banker with an apology for the great liberty he had taken he was affured there was no occafion for his apology, as he happened to have in their hands at that time, the fmall fum of fourteen thoufand feven hundred pounds! However fingulár this act of for. getfulness may appear, it will yet ferve to mark, amidst all his anxiety about money, that extreme confcioufnefs, which was to the honour of his character. If accident placed him in debt to any perfon, even in the most trivial manner, he was never eafy till it was paid; and it fhould be noted, that never was he known on any occafion to fail in what he faid. Of the punctuality of his word, he was fo fcrupuloufly tenacicus, that no perfon ever requested better fecurity and he was fo particular in every thing of promife, that in any appointment of meeting, or the hour of it, he exceeded even military exactness. The fummer of 1788, Mr. Elwes paffed at his houfe in Welbeck-ftreet, London, and he paffed that fummer withou than that of two maid fervants, for he had now given up the expence of keeping any male domeftic. His chief employment used to be that of getting up early in a morning to vifit fome of his houfes in Mary-le-bone, which, during the fummer, were repairing. As he was there generally at four o'clock in a morning, he was of courfe, on the fpot before the work. men-and he used contentedly to fit down on the fteps before the door, to fcold them when they did come. The neighbours who used to fee him appear thus regularly every morn ing, and who concluded from his apparel, he was one of the workmen, obferved, "that never was fo punctual a man as the old carpenter.” During the whole morning, he would continue to run up and down stairs, to fee the men were not idle for an inflant, with the fame anxiety as if his whole happiness in life had been centred in the finishing this house.Regardless of the greater property he had at ftake in various places, and for ever employed in the minutiæ only of affairs. Indeed fuch was his anxiety about this housethe rent of which, was not above 50l. a year-that it brought on a tever which nearly coft him his life, But the fate which dragged him, on thus ftrangely, to bury him under the load of his own wealth, feemned as refiftless as it was unaccountable. In the mufcular and unencumbered frame of Mr. Elwes there was every thing that promifed extreme length of life; and he lived to above feventy years of age, without any natural disorder attacking him.But, as lord Bacon has well obferved "the minds of fome men are a lamp that is burning continually;" and fuch was the mind of Mr. Elwes, Removed from those loccafional public avocations which had once engaged his attention, money was now his only thought, He rofe upon money-upon money he lay down to reft; and as his ca. The Life of the late John Elwes, Efq. pacity funk away from him by degrees, he dwindled from the real 37 cares of his property, into the puerile concealment of a few guineas. This little ftore he would carefully wrap up in varions papers, and depofiting them in different corners, would amufe himself with running from one to the other, to fee whe. ther they were all fafe. Then forgetting, perhaps, where he had concealed fome of them, he would be. come as seriously afflicted as a man might be who had loft all his property. Nor was the day alone thus fpeat-he would frequently rife in the middle of the night, and be heard walking about different parts of the house, looking after what he had thus hidden and forgotten. 131 engaged in this painful mode of cure, he frequently loft himself in the ftreets, the names of which he no longer remembered, and was as frequently brought home by fome errand boy, or ftranger, of whom he had enquired his way. On these occafions he would bow and thank them, at the door, with great civility; but he never indulged them with a fight of the infide of the house. During the winter of 1789, the laft winter Mr. Elwes was fated to fee, his memory visibly weakened every day; and from the unceafing wif to fave money, he now began to apprehend he should die in want of it. Mr. Gibfon had been appointed his builder, in the room of Mr. Adams; and one day, when this gentleman Reft, thou perturbed fpirit, reft! waited upon him, he faid, with apis an apostrophe that here would parent concern" fir, pray confider have met real caufe for its addrefs- in what a wretched ftate I am; you not in the wild fancy of the bard, fee in what a good houfe I am living bodying forth ideal forms and phan--and here are five guincas, which is toms of the brain, but in the fettled all I have at prefent; and how I shall thirst after one object, for ever prey-go on with fuch a fum of money puzing upon the mind, and getting zles me to death-I dare fay you ftrange mastership over it. Ther, thought I was rich; now you see how as memory wore away, and reafon became weaker and weaker, ftill ex- In the fpring of this year, the hibiting a wondrous picture of ava-eldeft fon of Mr. Elwes, Mr. George rice rifing over the ruins of the un- Elwes, married a young lady, not derstanding; the mind all laid waste lefs diftinguished for her engaging before it, and the body at length manners than for her beauty. falling a facrifice to feverish imagi- was a mifs Alt, of Northamptonnation. Prepofterous paffion! that fhire, and is the god-daughter of "feemed to grow by what it fed on," Mr. Haftings. She is a lady of ftill more unfated when defire could whom any father might be proud; have no room for want, and when but pride, or even concern, in these the powers of enjoyment were all matters, were not paffions likely to closed! affect Mr. Elwes, as a circumstance, which happened a few years before, in a cafe not diffimilar, will prove. it is !" She It was at this period, and at feventy-fix years old, or upwards, that Mr. Elwes began to feel, for Mr. George Elwes bad, at that the first time, fome bodily infirmi- time, paid his addreffes to a niece of ties from age. He now experienced doctor Noel, of Oxford, who, of occafional attacks from the gout; on courfe, thought it proper. to wait which, with his ufual perfeverance, upon old Mr. Elwes, to apprize and with all his accustomed antipa-him of the circumftance, and to afk thy to apothecaries, and their bills, his confent. Old Mr. Elwes had he would fet out to walk as far and not the leaft objection. Doctor as fast as he could, While he was Noel was very happy to hear it, as S 2 a mar. tleman. པ་ 66 " mounting to almost a million of money-thus clofed his extraordinary life by a marriage in the kitchen, it would, indeed, have added one fea riage betwixt the young people, years of age, and with property a might be productive of happiness to both. Old Mr. Elwes had not the leaft objection to any body marrying whatever. "This ready acquiefcence is fo obliging!" faid the doctor-ture more to that fingular memoir, "but, doubtless, you feel for the which the life of this gentleman has mutual wishes of the parties. "I prefented to the public! and which, dare fay I do," replied the old gen- fince the beginning of time, certainThen, fir," faid doctor ly never had a parallel ! Noel, you have no objection to an immediate union ?-you fee I talk freely on the fubject." Old Mr. Elwes had no objection to any thing. "Now then, fir," observed doctor Noel, "we have only one thing to fettle, and you are fo kind, there can be no difficulty about the matter, as I Shall behave liberally to my niecewhat do you mean to give your fon ?" "Give!" faid old Elwes, "Sure I did not fay any thing about giving; but if you wish it fo much, I will give my confent." The word give, having stuck in the throat of the Elwes family for two generations-the tranfaction ended altogether. That the above anecdote is literally a fact, doctor Noel can testify, who that day difcovered there was more than one bort word in the English language, to which, there is no reply. The clofe of Mr. Elwes's life was flill referved for one fingularity more, and which will not be held lefs fingular than all that has paffed before it, when his difpofition and his advanced age are confidered. He gave away his affections: he conceived the tender paion.In plain terms, having been accustomed for fome time to pafs his hours, out of oeconomy, with the two maid fervants in the kitchen-one of them had the art to induce him to fall in love with her, and it is matter of doubt, had it not been difcovered, whether he would not have had the power over him to have made him marry her. Had Mr. Elwes, at neatly eighty 8 At But good fortune, and the attention of his friends, faved him from this laft act-in which, perhaps, the pitiable infirmity of natures weakened and worn down by age and perpetual anxiety, is in fome meafure to be called to account. thofe moments, when the cares of money left him fomewhat of eafe, he had no domeftic fcene of happiness to which he could fly-and therefore felt with more fenfibility, any act of kindness that might come from any quarter: and thus when his fons were abfent, having no one near him whom principle made affiduous those who might be interefied, too frequently gained his attention. Mr. George Elwes having now fettled at his feat, at Marcham, in Berkshire, he was naturally defirous, that, in the affiduities of his wife, his father might, at length, find a comfortable home. In London he was certainly most uncomfortable: but ftill, with these temptations before and behind him, a journey, with any expence annexed to it, was infurmountable. This, however, was luckily obviated by an offer from Mr. Partis, a gentleman of the law, to take him to his ancient feat in Berkshirs, with his purfe perfectly whole-a circumftance fo pleafing, that the general intelligence which renders this gen. tleman fo entertaining, was not adequate to it in the opinion of Mr. Elwes. But there was one circumftance ftill very diftreffing-the old gentleman had now nearly worn out his last coat, and he would not buy a new one; his for, therefore, with a pious The Life of the late John Elwes, Efq. 133 mediate decay, was his inability to enjoy his reft at night.-Frequently would he be heard at midnight, as if struggling with fome one in his chamber, and crying out "I will keep my money, I will, nobody shall a plous fraud that did him honour, contrived to get Mr. Partis to buy him a coat, and make him a present of it. Thus, formerly having had a good coat, then a bad one, and, at laft, no coat at all-he was kind enough to accept one from a neigh-rob me of my property." On any one bour. On the day before Mr. Elwes took his gratuitous journey into Berkfhire-he delivered to Mr. Partis, that copy of his laft wiri and teftament, which he himself had kept to be carried to Meffrs. Hoares, his bankers. Mr. Partis punctually fulfilled his request, and this was the copy proved in Doctors Commons after the death of Mr. Elwes. Mr. Elwes carried with him into Berkshire, five guineas and a half, and half a crown.-Left the mention of this fum may appear fingular, it fhould be faid, that previous to his journey, he had carefully wrapped it up in various folds of paper, that no part of it might be loft. On the arrival of the old gentleman, Mr. George Elwes and his wife, whofe good temper might well be expected to charm away the irritations of avarice and age, did every thing she could to make the country a fcene of quiet to him. But," he had that within," which baffled every effort of this kind. Of his heart it might be faid, "there was no peace in If rael." His mind, caft away upon the vast and troubled ocean of his property, extending beyond the bounds of his calculation, returned to amuse itself with fetching and carrying about a few guineas, which in that ocean was indeed a drop. But nature had now carried on life nearly as far as fhe was able.-The fand was almost run out for against fuch ceafelefs inquietudes, what power of body could resist ? His very fingular appetite Mr. Elwes retained till within a few days of his diffolution, and walked on foot twelve miles but a fortnight before he died. The first fymptoms of more im of the family going into his room, he would start from this fever of anxiety, and, as if waking from a troubled dream, again hurry into bed, and feem unconscious of what had happened. At other times, when perfectly awake, he would walk to the fpot where he had hidden his money, to fee if it was fafe. One night, while in this waking ftate, he miffed his treafure-that great fum of five gui neas and a half, and half a crown! That great fum, which he carried down into Berkshire as his last deareft pleafure! That great fum. which at times folaced and distracted the laft moments of a man-whose property, nearly reaching to a million, extended itfelf almost through every county in England! The circumstances of the lofs were thefe. Mr. Partis, who was then with him in Berkshire, was waked one morning, about two o'clock by the noife of a naked foot, feemingly walking about his bed-chamber, with great caution. Somewhat alarmed at the circumftance, he naturally afked "who is there?" on which a perfon coming up towards the bed, faid, with great civility" fir, my name is Elwes, I have been unfor tunate enough to be robbed in this houfe, which, I believe, is mine, of all the money I have in the world: of five guineas and a half, and half a crown!"-" Dear fir," replied Mr. Partis-"I hope your are mistaken : do not make yourself uneafy."— "O! no, no," rejoined the old gentleman-" It's all true: and really, Mr. Partis, with fuch a fum. I should have liked to kare feen the end of it." Th This unfortunate fum was found a few days after in a corner behind the window-fhutter. It was now the autumn of the year, 1789, and the progrefs of each day took fomething away from his understanding. His memory was gone entirely his perception of things was decreafing very rapidly, and as the mind became unfettled, gufts of the most violent paffion ufurped the place of his former command of temper. That courtesy once fo amiable in his manners and his addrefs, was now confpicuous no longer and there appeared no particle of his mental qualities that did not feem to have furvived themfelves. For fix weeks, previous to his death, he had got a cuftom of going to reft in his cloaths, as perfectly dreffed as during the day. He was one morning found faft afleep betwixt the fleets, with his fhoes on his feet, his flick in his hand, and an old torn hat upon his head. On this circumftance being difcovered, a fervant was fet to watch, and take care that he undreffed himfelf: yet, so defirous was he of continuing this cuftom, that he told the fervant, with his ufual providence about money, that if he would not take any notice of him, he would leave him fomething in his will. On the 18th day of November, 1789, Mr. Elwes difcovered figns of that utter and total weaknefs, which, in eight days, carried him to his grave. On the evening of the first day he was conveyed to bedfrom which he rofe no more. His appetite was gone-he had but a faint recollection of any thing about him; and his laft coherent words were addreffed to his fon, Mr. John Elwes, in hoping" he had left him hat he wished." On the morning the 26th of November, he exed without a figh!-with the ease which an infant goes to fleep breaft of its mother, worn out with the "rattles and the toys" of a long day! One ftrange circumstance I cannot here omit to mention :-Some days previous to the death of the father, Mr. John Elwes was returning from an eftate he had juft purchafed in Glou cefterfhire, with a clergyman, to whom he had given the living. On his journey a ftrange prefentiment came acrofs his mind, that he fhould fee his father but once again. The idea was fo ftrongly impreffed upon his thoughts, that he fet out in the middle of the night to reach Marcham : he did reach it, and was in time to be witness of that fight which moft afflicts a good fon, on the fubject of a father he beheld him expire. Thus died Mr. Elwes, fortunate in efcaping from a world he had lived in too long for his own peace! HISTORY OF Mr. AND Mrs. RESTLESS. CHAPTER III. [Concluded from p. 27.] Conclufion of the Hiftory-Mrs. Reftlefs carries her ftrange defign into execution is unexpectedly furprised by a friend-and cured of her jealoufy by cfcaping the danger it brought her into. Reflefs and his friend in conN our last chapter we left Mr. fultation how to effectually get rid of a plague which threatened ferious confequences to all the parties concerned. "I have no doubt," added Mr. Moreton again, "but that we fhall be able to end this business happily-were it not an objection which just now occurs to me, that my coufin Reftlefs is a lady of fuch a peculiar temper as to "Aye, there is the rub, Charles; were my wife of a reasonable caft like other women, I should have no difficulty |