LETTERS TO MBS. ANNE GOLDSMITH.

" begged to borrow a single guinea, which I assured him should be repaid with

'' thanks. < And you know, sir,' said I, ' it is no more than I have often done for

« < you.' To which he firmly answered, 'Whylook you, Mr. Goldsmith that is

«' ' neither here nor there. I have paid you all you ever lent me, and this sick-

" ' ness of mine has left me bare of cash. But I have bethought myself of a

'' < conveyance for you ; sell your horse and I will furnish you with a much better

« ' one to ride on.1 I readily grasped at his proposal, and begged to see the nag,

" on which he led me to his bedchamber, and from under the bed he pulled out a

" stout oak stick. ' Here he is,' said he; 'take this in your hand, and it will

'' ' carry you to your mother's with more safety than such a horse as you ride.' I

" was in doubt, when I got it into my hand, whether I should not, in the first

" place, apply it to Ms pate; but a rap at the street-door made the wretch fly to

" it, and when I returned to the parlour, he introduced me, as if nothing of the

' kind had happened, to the gentleman who entered, as Mr. Goldsmith, his most

' ingenious and worthy friend, of whom he had so often heard him speak with

' rapture. I could scarcely compose myself; and must have betrayed indignation

' in my mien to the stranger, who was a counsellor at law in the neighbourhood,

' a man of engaging aspect and polite address.

" After spending an hour, he asked my friend and me to dine with him at his

" house. This I declined at first, as I wished to have no further communication

" with my hospitable friend ; but at the solicitation of both I at last consented,

" determined as I was by two motives ; one, that I was prejudiced in favour of

" the looks and manner of the counsellor : and the other, that I stood in need of

4 a comfortable dinner. And there indeed I found everything that I could wish,

' abundance without profusion, and elegance without affectation. In the evening,

' when my old friend, who had eaten very plentifully at his neighbour's table,

' but talked again of lying down with the lamb, made a motion to me for retiring,

' our generous host requested I should take a bed with him, upon which I plainly

' told my old friend that he might go home and take care of the horse he had given

' me, but that I should never re-enter his doors. He went away with a laugh,

" leaving me to add this to the other little things the counsellor already knew of

" his plausible neighbour.

" And now, my dear mother, I found sufficient to reconcile me to all my follies;
" for here I spent three whole days. The counsellor had two sweet girls to his
" daughters, who played enchantingly on the harpsichord; and yet it was but a
" melancholy pleasure I felt the first time I heard them; for that being the first
" time also that either of them had touched the instrument since their mother's
'' death, I saw the tears in silence trickle down their father's cheeks. I every day
1 '' endeavoured to go away, but every day was pressed and obliged to stay. On my
" going, the counsellor offered me his purse, with a horse and servant to convey
" me home ; but the latter I declined, and only took a guinea to bear my necessary

" expenses on the road. „ .

" OMVEK GOLDSMITH.

" To MKS. ANNE GOLDSMITH, JBattymaJion."sibly they are already afflicted at hearing of this foolish expedition you