" theft."

Mrs. Pilkington very sternly, he was sure she had stolen it. She afirmed very seriously, she had not. Upon which he looked for it, and found it where he himself had laid it : “ 'Tis well for you,” said he, " that I “: have got it, or I would have charged you with

Why; pray, Sir," said the, « should I “ be suspected more than any other person in the com

pany ? “ For a very good reason,” said he, " be“ cause you are the poorest.”

At their going away, the Dean handed Mrs. Pilo kington down all the steps to the coach, thanking them for the honour of their company, at the fame time slipping into her hand as much money as Mr. Pilkington and she had given at the offering in the morning, and coach-hire also ; which she durft not refufe, left she should have been deemed as great a blockhead as the parson who refused the thick wine.

In one of the Dean's periodical fits of deafness he nt for Mrs Pilkington; who having come, he brought out to her a large book; finely bound in Turkey lea ther, and handsomely gilt; “ This,” said he, * is a

, a ** tranflation of the epistles of Horace, a prefent to

me from the author; 'tis a special good cover; “ but I have a mind there should be fomething valu“6 able within fide of it.” So, taking out his penknife, he cut out all the leaves close to the inner margin. Now,” said he, “ I will give thefe what they ·

greatly want;" and put them all into the fire. . “ Your task, Madam, is to paste in these letters in « this cover, in the order I shall give them to you: " I intended to do it myself, but that I thought it "might be a pretty amusement for a child ; fo I fent " for you." She told him the was extremely proud to be honoured with his commands ; but requested to have leave to read the letters as she went on. * Why, faid the Dean, “ provided you will acknow- ..

ledge yourself amply rewarded for your trouble, I *** don't much care if I indulge you so far.”.

In reading the letters, fhe could not avoid remarking to the Dean, that, notwithstanding the friendship Mr. Pope profeffed for Mr. Gay, he could not forbear a great many fatirical, or, if she might be allowed to

fay

lv Y Ples, PILKINGTON,

fay sợ, envious remarks on the success of the Beggar's Opera. The Dean very frankly owned, he did not think Mr. Pope was so candid to the merit of other writers as he ought to be. She then ventured to ask the Dean, whether he thought the lines Mr. Pope adadresses him with in the beginnivg of the Dunciad, were any compliment to him? viz.

O thou! wbatever title please thine car. « I believe,” faid be, they were meant as sich, “but they are very diff.”, “Indeed, Sir," said she , " he is fo perfectly a malter of harmonious numbers, " that, had his heart been the least affected with the 5 subject, he must have writ better, How cold, how « forced, are his lines to you, compared with your's « to him?"

Hail, batny Pope, whose generous mind, &e. ! " Here we see the masterly poet, and the warm, fin. scere - generous friend, while he, according to the " character he gives of Mr. Addison, damns with faint spraife." Well,” replied the Dean, " I'u shew . “ you a late letter of his."" He did fo; and Mrs. Pil. kington was surprised to find it filled with low and ungentleman-like reflections, both on Mr. Gay, and the two, poble persons who honoured him with their. patronage after his disappointment at court, “ Well, "Madam," said the Dean, “ what do you think of “ that letter ?” (seeing she had gone quite through it), "Indeed, Sir," (replied the). I am sorry I have read. cit; for it gives me reason to think, there is no" fuch thing as a linçere friend to be met with in «, the world." Why," replied he, "authors.

” " are as jealous of their prerogative as kings and can " no more bear a rival in the empire of wit, than a. “ morarch could in his dominions. Mrs., Pilkington then observing a Latin fentence writ in Italics, delired the Dean to explain it." No," replied he, smiling, “I'll leave that for your husband to do. I'll send

to dine with us, and, in the mean “ we'll go and take a walk in Naboth's vineyard."--" Where may that be, pray, Sir?” said the. Why,

, ?

“ for him.

ime,

66

60 "a garden,” said the Dean, “ I cheated one of my " neighbours out of.” When they entered the garden, or rather the field, which was square, and inclosed with a stone-wall, the Dean asked her how she: liked it ? " Why, pray, Sir," said the, “where is

' " the garden?" “Look behind you,” said he. Shedid fo; and observed the fouth wall was lined with brick, and a great number of fruit-trees planted against it, which being tben in blossom, looked very beautiful, What are you. fo intent on?” said the. Dean. “ The opening bloom," replied she ; which brought: Waller's lines to her remembrance.

Hope waits upon the florv'ry primo. “ Oh !" replied he, “ you are in a poetical vein ; I.

thought you had been taking notice of my wall.. “ 'Tis the best in Ireland. When the masons were “ building it, (as most tradesmen are rogues) I watch "-ed them very close, and as often as they coald, they " put in a rotten stone; of which, however, I took “ no notice, till they had built three or four perches, • beyond it. Now, as I am an absolute monarch in: " the liberties, and king of the mob, my way with "6 them was, to have the wall thrown down to the “ place where I observed the rotten fone; and by do.

ing fo five or fix times, the workmen were at last “ convinced it was their interest to be honest.”. " Or elfe, Sir," faid Mrs: Pilkington, “your wall " would have been as tedious a piece of work as Peo: "- nelope's web, if all that was done in the day was to « be undone at might." Svo Well," answered the. Dean, I find you have poetry for every occasion • but as you cannot keep pace with me in walking; I * would have you fit down on that little bank, till *** you are refted, or I tired, to put us more upon a

She feated herself, and away the Dean walked, or rather trotted as hard as ever he could drive. She could not help smiling at his odd gait; for the thought to herselfg=he had written so much in praise of horles, that he was trefolved to imitate them as nearly as he couldio As fhe was indulging this fancy, the Dean

o par.

I must

a

returned to her, and gave her a strong confirmation of his partiality to those animals. “I have been con'

' <fidering, Madam, as I walked,” said he, what

a fool Mr. Pilkington was to marry you: for bo ccould have afforded to keep a horse for less mos

ney than you cost him; and that, you must confess; ** would have given him better, exercise and more

pleafure than a wife, Why, you laugh, and *** don't answer me is it not truth ?” .“ answer you, Sir, replied fhe, with another ques “ ftion; Pray, how can a bachelor judge of this mat: ** ter ?” ir I find,” said he,“ you are vain enough “ to give yourself the preference." " I do, Sir," replied fhe, “ to that species here ; to a Honyhn+ hnm, I would, as becomes me, give preference. * But, Sir, 'tis going to rain.”

" I hope not, faid he, ". for that will cost me fixpence for a coach for

you," (the garden being at some distance from the house), f. Come, haste; O how the tester trembles " in my pocket !" She obeyed, and they got in a doors just time enough to escape à heavy shower. ** Thank God,” said the Dean, “I have saved my

money. Here, you fellow,” (to the servant) “ cara ry this fixpence to the lame old man that sells gingerbread in the corner, because he tries to do fomething, and does not beg." 2

Mrs. Pilkington was shewed into a little street-parHour, where was Mrs. Brent, his house-keeper. " Here, says he, “ Mrs, Brent, take care of this child, while I “ take my walk out within doors” The Dean then

the

great stairs, down one pair of back-stairs; up another, in fo violent a manner, that Mrs. Pilking: ton could not help expreffing her uneasiness to Mrs. Brent, left he should fall, and be hurted, Mrs. Brent faid, it was a customary exercise

with him, when the weather did not permit him to walk abroad.

Mrs. Brent then told Mrs. Pilkington of the Deau's charity; of his giving above half of his yearly income. » in private pensions to decayed families, and keeping sool. in the constant service of industrious poort which he lent out 5. 1. at a time, and took the payinenti: back at is, a-week, which, the observed, did them.

ran up

a

more service than if he gave it them entirely, as it obliged them to work, and at the same time kept up his charitable fund for the allistance of many. "You

cannot imagine,” said she, “ what numbers of poor (radesmen, who have even wanted proper tools to

carry on their work, have, by this small loan, been " put into a prosperous way, and brought up their ** families in credit. The Dean," added she,

66 has e found out a new method of being charitable, in on which, however, I believe, he will have but few “ followers; which is, to debar himself of what he “ calls the superfluities of life, in order to administer o the necessities of the distressed. You just now faw “ an instance of it, the money a coach would have " cost him, he gave to a poor man unable to walk. " When he dines alone, he drinks a pint of beer, and “ gires away the price of a pint of wine. And thus 4 he acts in numberless instances,"

The Dean came to dine with Mr. and Mrs. Pil. kington at their Lilliputian palace, as he called it; and, who would have thought it ? he just looked into the parlour, and ran up into the garret, then into Mrs, Pilkington's bed.chamber and library, and from thence down to the kitchen; and the house being very clean, he coinplimented her upon it, and told her that was his custom; and that it was from the cleanliness of the garret and kitchen, he judged of the house wifery of the mistress of the house; for no doubt but a flut would have the room clean where the guests were to be entertained.

He was fometimes very rude, even to his superiors.; of which the following story, related to Mrs. Pilkington by himself, may serve as one instance amongst a thousand others,

The last time he was in London, he went to dine with the Earl of Burlington, who was then but newly married. The Earl being willing, 'tis supposed, to have some diversion, did not introduce him to his lady, nor mention his name. It is to be observed, that his gown was generally very rusty, and his person no way extraordinary. After dinner, faid the Dean, “ Lady “ Burlington, I hear you can fing; fing me a song."

The