I; "faith you have miffed already; for I ftaid at "home, and let the girls poach for me. That's 86 my way I take a fine woman as fome animals "do their prey; ftand ftill, and fwoop they fall into my mouth."

“Ah, Tibbs, thou art an happy fellow," cried myfcompanion, with looks of infinite pity, "I hope "your fortune is as much improved as your under"standing, in fuch company." "Improved?" replied the other; "you fhall know-but let it go no "farther a great secret-five hundred a year to be66 gin with. My Lord's word of honour for it."His Lordship took me down in his own chariot "yesterday, and we had a tete-a-tete dinner in the "country, where we talked of nothing elfe." "1 "fancy you forgot, Sir," eried I, "you told us but "this moment of your dining yesterday in town." "Did I fay fo? replied he coolly. "To be fure, "if I faid fo, it was fo.-Dined in town? egad, now I do remember, I did dine in town; but I "dined in the country too: for, you must know, "my boys, I eat two dinners. By the by, I am 66 grown as nice as the devil in my eating. I'll tell 66 you a pleasant affair about that: we were a felect 66 party of us to dine at Lady Grogram's, an affect"ed piece; but let it go no farther-a fecret :

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Well, fays I, I'll hold a thousand guineas, and "fay done first, that-But, dear Charles, you are "an honest creature; lend me half-a-crown for a "minute or two, or so, just till-But hark'e, ask 66 me for it the next time we meet, or it may twenty to one but I forget to pay you."

be

"When

When he left us, our converfation naturally turned upon fo extraordinary a character. "His

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very drefs," cries my friend, "is not lefs ex“traordinary than his conduct. If you meet him "this day, you find him in rags; if the next, in "embroidery. With thofe perfons of diftinétion, "of whom he talks fo familiarly, he has fcarce a

coffee-house acquaintance. However, both for "the intereft of fociety, and perhaps for his own, “heaven has made him poor; and, while all the

world perceives his wants, he fancies them con❝cealed from every eye. An agreeable companion, "because he understands flattery; and all must be "pleafed with the first part of his converfation,

though all are fure of its ending with a demand " on their purse. While his youth countenances "the levity of his conduct, he may thus earn a

precarious fubfiftence; but when age comes on, "the gravity of which is incompatible with buf"foonery, then will he find himself forsaken by all;

condemned, in the decline of life, to hang upon "fome rich family, whom he once despised, there "to undergo all the ingenuity of studied contempt;

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to be employed only as a fpy upon the fervants, "or a bugbear to fright children into duty."

Mr. and Mrs. Tibbs., Lodging. Dinner, &c.

THE

HERE are fome acquaintances whom it is no eafy matter to shake off. My little beau yesterday overtook me again in one of the public walks, and, flapping me on the fhoulder, faluted

D

me with an air of the most perfect familiarity. His drefs was the fame as ufual, except that he had more powder in his hair, wore a dirtier fhirt, and had on a pair of temple spectacles, with his hat under his arm.

As I knew him to be an harmless amufing little thing, I could not return his fimile with any degree of intimacy, and in a few minutes difcuffed all the ufual topics of a general conversation.

The oddities that marked his character, however, foon began to appear: he bowed to feveral welldreffed perfons, who, by their manner of returning the compliment appeared perfect strangers. At intervals he drew out a pocket-book, feeming to take memorandums before all the company, with much importance and affiduity. In this manner he led me through the length of the whole Mall, fretting at his abfurdities, and fancying myself laughed at, as well as he by every spectator.

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where there is fuch a

When we were got to the end of our proceffion, "Blaft me," cries he, with an air of vivacity, "I never faw the Park so thin in my life before; there is no company at all-to-day, not a fingle face to be feen." "No company!" interrupted I, peevishly; no company * crowd! Why, man, there is too much. What "are the thousands that have been laughing at us, "but company!" "Lord, my dear," returned he with the utmost good humour, " you feem immeafely chagrined; but, blaft me, when the +❝ world laughs at me, I laugh at the world, and

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fo

fo we are even. My Lord Trip, Bill Squash the "Creolian, and I, fometimes make a party at being "ridiculous; and fo we say and do a thousand "things for the joke's fake. But I fee you are grave; fo if you are for a fine grave fentimental "companion, you shall dine with my wife to-day;

I must infift on't, I'll introduce you to Mrs.Tibbs, "a lady of as elegant qualifications as any in na"ture: she was bred (but that's between ourselves) "under the inspection of the Countess of Shore. "ditch. A charming body of voice! But no more "of that; fhe fhall give us a fong. You fhall fee -46 my little girl too, Carolina Wilhelmina Amelia "Tibbs, a fweet pretty creature. I defign her for 46 my Lord Drumstick's eldeft fon : but that's in 66 friendship, let it go no farther: fhe's but fix years "old, and yet fhe walks a minuet, and plays on the guitar immenfely already. I intend fhe fhall be "as perfect as poffible in every accomplishment. In "the first place, I'll make her a fcholar; I'll teach her Greek myfelf, and I intend to learn that language purposely to inftruct her; but let that be a fecret.'

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Thus faying, without waiting for a reply, he took me by the arın, and hauled me along. We paffed through many dark alleys and winding ways; for, from fome motive, to me unknown, he seemed to have a particular averfion to every frequented street at last, however, we got to the door of a difinal looking house in the outlets of the town, where he informed me he chofe to refide for the benefit of the air.

We entered the lower door, which fee ly most hofpitably open; and I began t old and creaking ftair-cafe; when, as he fhew me the way, he demanded, whether in profpects? to which anfwering in the "Then," fays he, "I fhall fhow you "noft charming out of my windows; w "the fhips failing, and the whole country "miles round, tip-top quite high. My Lo "would give ten thousand guineas for su "but, as I sometimes pleasantly tell him "love to keep my prospects at home, that i 66 may come to see me the oftener."

By this time, we were arrived as high as would permit us to afcend, till we came t was facetioufly pleafed to call the first floor chimney; and, knocking at the door, a voi Scotch accent, from within, demanded, "there?" My conductor answered, tha him. But this not fatisfying the querift, again repeated the demand; to which he louder than before, and now the door wa by an old maid fervant with cautious reluc

When we were got in, he welcomed m houfe with great ceremony, and, turning to woman, aíked where her lady was. "Good replied the in the northern dialect, "fhe's

your twa fhirts at the next door, because th "taken an oath against lending out the "longer." "My two fhirts!" cries he, in that faltered with confufion, "what does th