LETTER

XVIII.

W. SHENSTONE, Efq. to Mifs Lowe.

Madam,

I Fancy I've been condemned a Thousand

Times, on Account of not fending the Tunes. One of them was lent out, and I had not an Opportunity of fetching it till last Week. I don't know whether this Reafon will prove fufficient, but I affure you it was the real one. I tore them out of my Book, and on that Account you have fome others with them. I was willing you fhould have them in the best Shape poffible, and dare fay, you'll improve as much upon them, as I have degenerated from them.

I want exceedingly to hear from you; but. you will scarce think it confiftent with a rural Reputation to write yourfelf. 'Tis, indeed, fcarce worth while to hazard it, to give me

ever

ever so great a Pleasure, but I could wish you would here remember the Character of a Town-Lady.-Lord! How does Mifs UTY? I did not wonder you should mutually envy each other, fince you are both fo great Objects of Envy more particularly, as Modefty has taught you to think your own Merit fmall in Comparison with that of others. Voilà la feule Source de toute Envie !-I'm furely vaftly impertinent, for I'm not pofitive you understand French: but I guess'd that a Lady, fo accomplished in all other Particulars, might. I fancy you've enjoy'd a vast deal of agreeable Gaiety fince I left you, whilft I have been wandering about Harborough's gloomy Walks and Pools, like a Shepherd "defpairing befide a clear Stream." -Oh! I want to know, whether or no, for the common Good of our Society in particular, as of our Country in general, it is, and may be lawful to admit, without the ufual Number of Members being prefent at the Solemnity; for I judge it better to lay afide fome Part of the Ceremony, than that any one fhould die uninitiated-Whether or no as in Baptifin-I was truly going too far.-I am

fafe

fafe enough, let me go what Lengths I will, in fubfcribing myself

the humbleft of

your humble Servants,

W. SHENSTONE.

LETTER XIX.

W. SHENSTONE, Efq. to Mrs. A

Dear Madam,

Promised to give you fome Account what

became of Cheltenham, after Mr. A— had pillaged it of all that was most valuable. Poffibly before this Time, you may have forgot both my Promife and me, and it may not be extremely political to renew your Remembrance of a Perfon who has been fo long feemingly neglectful. The Truth is, I can no more bear to be forgot by thofe I esteem, than I VOL. II. F

can

can be cenfured of Forgetfulness with Regard to them, and I know no Way but Writing, by which I can evade both.

Some Sort of Apology I ought to make, that I did not write before; you will therefore please to observe, that I am but just arrived at Home, though I left Cheltenham the Day after you. I ftayed, indeed, to hear Mr. B- preach a Morning Sermon; for which I find Mrs. C has allotted him the Hat, preferably to Mr. C. Perhaps you may not remember, nor did I hear till very lately, that there is a Hat given annually at Cheltenham, for the Ufe of the beft foreign Preacher, of which the Difpofal is affigned to Mrs. C-, to her and her Heirs for ever. I remember (tho' I knew nothing of this whilft I was upon the Place) I used to be a little mifdeemful, that all who preached there had some fuch Premium in their Eye. This Hat, 'tis true, is not quite fo valuable as that of a Cardinal, but while it is made a Retribution for Excellence in fo (if properly confidered) fublime a Function, it is an Object for a Preacher in any Degree. I am forry, at the fame Time,

to

tó fay, that as a common Hat, merely for its Ufes, it would be an Object to too many Country Curates, whofe Situations and flender Incomes too often excite our Blushes, as well as Compaffion. There fhould be no fuch Thing as a Journeyman Parfon; it is beneath the Dignity of the Profeffion. If we had fewer Pluralities in the Church, this Indecorum might, in a great Measure, be abolished.

Mr. N (Squire N-) I hear is fitting up his Castle at L for the Reception of the little Widow; and the Mercer at Cheltenham has completed his grand Arcade, for the better Dif pofition of his Crapes and Callimancos.

I am an ill Relater of Matters of Fact, and as I faid before, did not continue above four and twenty Hours and fome odd Minutes upon the Place longer than you that enquire after it but I furvived long enough to hear very frequent Mention of Mrs. A—- Mifs CARTER, &c. and fuch Mention, as has confirmed me in an Opinion, that Perfons of real Merit, without any Expence of Airs, &c. will by Degrees engross the Admiration of any

F 2

Place

they