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RS. Eally had promis'd to give me a defcription of her gucfts, as they pafs'd by, where we fat; and which she did fo much to their difcredit, that I

began to defpife mankind.

The gay Florio was the first who came `in; he, it seems, had marry'd a young lady, of a very good family, but fix months before. It was a match of love, yet in three weeks after wedlock, he grew tir'd of his wife, came to this houfe, and here diverts himself, with having a fet of creatures about him, pick'd from the loweft dregs of the people; the more abandon'd, the more vulgar the women, the more agreeable to his tafte.

Old C was the next we faw, with both feet lapp'd about in flannel; by the help of two crutch'd sticks, hobbled from his chair, in purfait of prostitute Beauty.

As foon as Mrs. Eally faw him, fhe turn'd to me, faying, my dear, this gentleman I will introduce you to; you'll find it vastly worth your while, and immediately rung the bell, order'd a fervant to wait upon his honour, with her compliments, and let his honour know, that the wou'd attend upon his honour prefently, with fomething, she hop'd, very much to his honour's fatisfaction.'

But the wou'd not ufher me to this gouty gallant, until he had told me his hiftory; which was as follows.

His father had been bred up from an errand boy, tapfter at one of the largest inns at York; there he marry'd one of the chambermaids, and they fet up a pot-houfe; and in a little time after they were marry'd, fhe was deliver'd of the very perfon we faw juft now; who was fo richly drefs'd, and fo infirm. He was taken by a fquire to he a stablehelper, and runner of errands, and with his mafter he came up to London postilion.

He had a common country free-fchool education, and was, by means of his mafter's fifter, for whom he managed feveral intrigues, recommended by her, on her marriage with lord —— D— B-. By my lord's intereft he was placd an under clerk in one of our public offices.

There, by his bearing every thing from his fuperiors, telling every thing to them, never refufing any thing they afk'd him to do, and convincing them that he had no regard to any one moral, focial, or grateful tie, contradictory to what they fhould approve, he was foon rais'd to a station, which brought him 300l. per annum.

He boarded all this time along with a widow, whole only daughter, by his hypocritical behaviour, and from want of her ever being us'd to converfe with the world, he had brought to look upon him with affection. Her figure was amazingly beautiful, about 17 years of VOL. II. I i age,

age, and the amiablenefs of her temper even fuperior to the loveliness of her perion.

He intended marrying the daughter, although his fpirit was too daftardly to think of any fatisfaction, which might arife from the poffeffion of fuch a treafure. He only confider'd, from the number of examples, which he, by this time, had opportunities of being an ere or ear witness to, that a handsome wife is the fureft recommendation for a hufband to make his fortune by.

But one evening, after her mother's confent, as well as her's, was obtain`d, and the wedding fix'd for the following week; as he was walking with her in Vauxhall gardens, my L- B- met them; and feeing fo lovely a creature, was immediately ftruck with her; and knowing her fpoufe, that was to be, join'd company with them.

This nobleman, who never knew what it was to check any of his wifhes, that expence and ftratagem could fulfil, and confcious of the paffive obedience, the venality of his man, look'd upon this young creature as his own; and in a very little time fhe became fo. She was marry'd to this very man, who came in here just now, and who put his lordship to bed to her in his own ftead, and for which he obtain'd a in America, whither he went the week following. In a few years, he accumulated a large fum of money, and hearing from England his first wife was dead, he marry'd a rich Creolian's daughter, the greatest beauty in that

country.

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With her and her fortune he arriv'd fafe in England; it was just before the war, and appear'd with his lady in all public places; prefently fo fhowy a figure cou'd not fail of admirers; and as he then began to affect hofpitality, his table feldom wanted guefts. For fuch is the prefent noble fpirited difpofition of thefe times, that every man is fure of a prodigious number of friends, provided he has but any thing, they think, worth their itealing from lim; for example,

The young gentleman of much ready money, as foon as his taste is known to be for play, is continually furrounded by gamblers; who, with all the seenting affiduities of fervice, are every day picking his pocket.

Any man of great intereft has his table furrounded with a fet of hungry Parafites, Informers, Pimps, and proud Beggars they wait open mouth'd, like children at Bob-Cherry, in hopes each to fnatch dependant preferment.

If a gentleman has a handsome wife, has he not immediately an infinite num. ber of friends start up, like fo many Dæ. mons, by the power of incantation, ready to do him any fervice-This was the cafe with the perfon, whose story I am relating: but he had meanness enough to fuffer his wife to commit any actions the pleas'd, provided they tended to one point; the point of felf-intereft.

Whether it was, or was not concerted between them, I can't be pofitive; but he furpris'd a very great man, one afternoon, in a very familiar converfation with his wife. Instead of alarming the neighbourhood, or bringing his caufe into Wettminster-hall, he compromis'd the affair-forgave his spouse, upon her fubmiffion; and accepted of a commiffary's poft, as a retaliation for the injury he receiv'd from the great man; let out for in a few days, as the war was upon the point of breaking out, and returned upon the figning the preliminary articles; and now lives happy with his lady, and enjoys a fortune, and all of his own getting, of above 20,000l. per annum.

'Tis true, he loves to recreate himfelf now and then here, and his wife don't grumble, because he allows her the fame liberty; and he is the moit generous creature to any lady he likes ; and therefore I will introduce you to him. Upon which Mrs. Ealfy, taking me by the hand, led me down to his honour.

[To be continued.]

The

know to be literally true) makes me greatly wonder, at the numbers of neat and elegant houfes that now ftand empty here; and it may tend greatly to the fatisfaction of thofe who may hereafter fettle here, as well as to the amusement of your readers. I shall be glad if you will infert it in your next Magazine, by which you'll oblige

Your humble fervant,

An INHABITANT.

a

Epfom takes its name from Ebba, Saxon queen; and is a village in the county of Surry, much frequented for its healthy air, and excellent mineral waters. Thefe waters are the property of Mr. JOHN TOD, who makes no public ufe of them; tho' they are thought to be the best in England for the cure of all Scorbutick cafes; which his friends have often experienced. There is another pring, much the fame in quality, on the common, half a mile diftance from the town, and at a mile and a half diftante is Jefup's well, now fo much in vogue. The Epfom waters, above-mentioned, are found very beneficial in gently cleanfing the body, in cooling the head, and purifying the blood; and the falt that is chy. mically prepar'd from them is famous all over Europe. Epfom is diftant a bout fourteen meafur'd miles from London bridge, and twelve from Vauxhall.

It is deliciously fituated in a warm even bottom, anciently called Flower Dale, between the fine Downs on one fide, and clay hills on the other, which are variously chequer'd with woods and groves, of oak, afh, elm, and beech, &c. &c.

The Downs are covered with grafs; and run thirty miles in length, tho' under different appellations, from Croydon to Farnham; and for fheep, walks, riding, hunting, racing, fhooting, with games of moit forts for exercife of the body, or recreation of the mind, and a perpetual chain of villages within a mile of each other beneath.

Epfom never miffes of the eastern or western fun, and is about a mile in length; the Area, within the bending of the bow or half moon, being a spacious plain of corn fields, fown with every grain, and opening full to the Downs to thefe, evergreen mountains of chalk, you may, out of every house infenfibly afcend, without as much as a hedge to obítruct the air,

The rifings are many times fo easy, that you find yourself got to the top without perceiving you were mounting. From the circumference of the femicircle, there branch out two or three pleafant lanes, being the extreinities of the roads which lead to the town, from the flow declivities of the neighbouring hills; these are preferr'd to the principal ftreet, by fuch as are lovers of filence and retirement, and are known by the names of Clay Hill, New Inn Lane, and Woodcote Green. There are other outlets, viz. the avenue leading up the hill to Durdan's, the property of Charles Dolbiac, Efq; Hudfon's Lane, which I remember for the fake of Eplom Court, that antient Saxon feat (long fince converted into a farm) the mother and original of our fubject. These bye places are fo feparated from each other by fields, meadows, hedge rows, plantations, orchards, and the like, that they feem to be fo many diftinct little vil lages, uniting in one confiderable town. At the large ftreet, in the middle of which ftands the watch-house, at the head of a large pond or canal, beautifully fenc'd round with Chinese rails, feveral perfons who have chofen this place of Epfom for their conftant abode, are diftinguished from the reft by their habitations, as they are by their births and fortunes; as Mr. Kaipe's and Mr. Foreman's, on Clay Hill; Mr. Northey's, on Woodcote Green; Mr. Sharp's, in New Inn Lane; whose canal on the top of a hill, with the foft walks on both fides, and the green mounts at each end, are very delightful. But among feveral other fuch houfes, I fhall make particular mention of only two; the first of these is Durdan's;