the whole of my furniture both in Brewerftreet and Chapel-ftreet, in order to exonerate me from those two debts. After this was done, there was fome balance arifing from the fale, but it was not very confiderable; for as it happened to be the dead part of fummer. when the goods were difpofed of, and moft of the genteel people out of town, they were fold to manifeft difadvantage.

During the first year after the deceafe of Mr. Woodward, I received at different times from Mr. Cornish, fifty-nine pounds, which was all I ever benefited by the kind intentions of my deceased friend; and even part of that was the produce of my own effects. This comparatively fmall fum I was obliged to be fatisfied with, notwithstanding the money at Meffrs. Drummond's was immediately called in, as well as all the other monies which were due to him, to the amount of seventeen or eighteen hundred pounds. Nor were the debts of Mr. Woodward paid immediately, according to the letter of the will; it was at least a year and a quarter after his decease before they were fettled. Mrs. Crawford has likewife been left in quiet poffeffion of Crow-ftreet Theatre, without a fhilling being paid of the ftipulated two hundred pounds a year; though by a proper mode of procedure, the regular payment of it might have been enforced.

Thus

Thus by the refufal of the executors to comply with their deceased friend's dying requeft, and the ftrange conduct of Mr. Willet the attorney, have I been driven to diftreffes, even greater than those which are felt by a mendicant in the street. And this, notwithstanding I might have been furnished with a comfortable fubfiftence by the enjoyment of that property I had a right to expect. But I refer you to what I have already faid upon the subject.

The first year after Mr. Woodward's deceafe, I was tolerably eafy; fuppofing that, at the ufual time, the executors would fettle the affairs. In lieu of which, through the inftigations of the attorney, whofe views need no elucidating, they commenced a fuit, without rhyme or reafon, as the faying is, against Mr. Woodward's brother. Among the papers of the deceased, they found a bond and note of his, which, from having been given long ago, had many years intereft upon it. It amounted, together, to a fum that would nearly fwallow up the legacy left him.

I am well affured, from the knowledge I have of my friend's humane difpofition, and great diflike to every fpecies of duplicity, that the bond was never intended to be put in force; and Mr. Cornish fo far coincided with me in opinion, that he promised me it should be given up; but this was over

ruled

ruled by the perfon, who forefaw the advantages that would arife from a law-fuit. I apprebend the reafon of the bond's being kept by Mr. Woodward was, to prevent, in cafe of his brother's death, his wife or heirs from being benefited; for his brother had married a perfon whom he much difliked. And fo greatly had his marriage offended him, that it was with the utmost difficulty I could prevail upon him ever to fee or fpeak to him.

It certainly could not be meant, as the will was fo recently made, that the legacy fhould be only a nominal one, as it would have been, had fo large a fum been deducted out of it. Mr. Woodward was above fuch duplicity and vain oftentation. And I must add, that I cannot help thinking, though I am not converfant in the law, that as I was the only legatee, and who alone could be injured by it, my defire of giving up the bond and note, would have been a fufficient inducement for the executors to confent to it, and a fufficient authority for their doing it. But this mode of fettling it, would not have been fo advantageous to Mr. Willet. The fweets of a fuit of law would have been nipped in the bud; and he could have found no excufe to prevent his refunding; a term which grates upon the ear of most of the gentlemen of his profeffion.

I lived a year and a quarter at WalcotPlace, in the lodging that had been provided for me, and a very expenfive one it was, exclufive of my man and maid-servant. To fupport this, I borrowed money upon my plate, and difpofed of the few jewels I had left. As I had long fecluded myself from the world, the only acquaintance I kept up, was one female intimate, who refided in town, and the family where I lodged.

Thus ftep by step, with more or lefs celerity, according as circumftances vary, do thofe, who by their own imprudence, the villainy of others, or the wanton attacks of fortune, are driven from the elevated brow of profperity, defcend into the vale of adverfity-Steep and flippery is the road; and feldom, very feldom, are the priftine heights to be recovered. And the uncertainty of when we have reached the bottom, adds to the horror of the defcent.

G. A. B.

LETTER XCV.

January 29, 17

M

Y youngest fon now came from
France upon his being of age;
age; and

my eldeft fon got leave of

abfence, in order

to

to return to England upon the fame occafion. When they met, and took into confideration the fettlement of fome of the debts they were mutually engaged for, an unhappy dif agreement arofe between them. My fon Calcraft infifted that he would not pay one of the contracts, because it was ufurious: he would only agree to return the principal with five per cent. intereft. It was in vain that Captain Metham argued its being the ufual mode of lending money in fuch cases of exigence, and urged the neceffity there was for fubmitting to the terms, however grating. Their difpute on the fubject arose to fuch a height, that a duel was nearly the confequence; and nothing but my tears and entreaties could have prevented it. What a dreadful fituation for a mother, who doated upon her fons, and whofe happiness couldalone afford her any confolation.

Will you pardon me (yet why do I afk the question? I know you will) if I repeat a few lines from a part 1 have often performed, and when I performed have moft fufceptibly felt? But never do I recollect, that they ftruck me with greater force than on the prefent occafion. They are part of the wailings of Conftance, when fhe laments the lofs of her beloved fon. For the whole of the beautiful and affecting scenes, I refer you to the piece. And not much short of her's would have been my grief, had I been robbed

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