up, DICK fent the following letter in order to alleviate the bail, which was threatened to be laid at twenty thousand pounds. "To JÓHN SHADWELL, Efq. at Buxton "Lodge, near Th-tf-d, N-rf-k. "SIR, Nh, July, 1753. "A report prevails at N -h, that you can"not, with fecurity to your own perfon, attend "the fervice of your country at the enfuing "affizes, as one of the Grand Jury, being un"der apprehenfions of my taking you by the nofe, "or caneing you, or giving you the difcipline of the horsewhip; Sir, whatever treatment your un generous conduct may deferve, I honour the "King's commiffion too much to think of commit"ing a violence of any kind against you; so "that I take this opportunity to declare, I have "no intentions of molefting you in any fhape, and you may come to the afizes without meeting any interuption from, "Sir, "Your bumble Servant, "RICHARD MERRY-FELLOW." D THIS THIS letter occafioned much converfation, and fome abufe, but Dick was a dangerous fellow to meddle with, and few dared to oppofe him at his own weapons, yet all thought him deferving the rod. "Obstructions made him eagerly afpire "All to furmount, and daring foar the higher." WE are not able to trace our hero through the variety of extraneous incidents of his life, with that perfpicuity we could wifh, nor perhaps in juft chronology; nor do we mean to reflect on his memory by pointing out the pecuniary difficulties and odd adventures in which he at different periods was unfortunately involved. His wit and convivality rendered his company defirable-by thofe fort of men who live in a file, and who were probably better able to fupport it than Dick, notwithstanding he had fo good a friend in the W-lp-le family; to whom, it has been fhrewdly faid, he bore fome Relation.* *LOVE in a Tub, an Eastern Tale. "ALGERNON, the son of a rich and powerful Vizier, "fell defperately in love with a young and hand fome virgin, daughter of a perfon far beneath the rank and dig"nity of fo great an heir apparent; his attachment was 66 "favourably IN 1751, DICK MERRY-FELLOW was abroad at an univerfity in the Electorate of Hanover, established * favourably accepted by the fair damfel, DRUSILLA, and "mutual vows of fincere affection were exchanged. In "this ftate of intrigue the happy pair continued fome "time, till the discovery made by fome officious friend to "SENECA, put an end to the joys of fecret amour. Times, ways, and means of meeting were deny'd ; 66 any "In vain did SENECA infift on his fon's not thinking "of DRUSILLA in an honourable way, but as often was " he told, that no confideration of intereft nor filial "duty should ever remove his regard for DRUSILLA into other channel than that of VIRTUE, according to "the hymeneal rites. Threats and promifes were inef"fectually tried to shake this refolution: every expedient "which craft or prudence could devife was opposed to "ALGERNON's paffion, but he ftill remained firm; nor "could the apprehenfion of being difinherited, alienate 66 one fingle thought favourable to his love! Next, nay beyond his life! he held her dear; "Thus loving and beloved, DRUSILLA was fent into "another part of the empire, and ALGERNON was pre"vailed on to fet out on his travels, with this provifo, ❝ that if he returned with the fatne fentiments of inviol "able attachment to DRUSILLA, they fhould then be "joined in the holy bans of matrimony, according to the cuftom of the country, for Thelyphthora was not yet cftablished at Gottingen, by his late Majefty George II. and flourishing with an uncommon number published. In this affurance, ALGERNON took his de-"parture, though not without evident marks of reluct- ́ 66 ance; confidering himself as fuffering an exile, arbi"trary, if not unjust. 66 66 During a tour of three or four years into foreign "countries, he figh'd many a tender wish towards the ill"fated DRUSILLA, and often, very often, committed the "dictates of a chafte paffion to paper. Letters after "letters were wrote, and fent by him for DRUSILLA, but "the politic SENECA had every letter which came to the general poft-office, directed for her, opened and deftroyed: In the fame manner was every letter from her to ALGERNON detained. Thus deceived by appear"ances of neglect and infidelity, he preffed feveral of his "friends to inform him of DRUSILLA, but these letters "were also intercepted. Various were his conjectures, "all tending rather to embarrass than quiet his mind"but he could not think DRUSILLA falfe! "Detraction, that bane of happiness! did not fail to "be employed in conveying suspicions to the ears of our "lovers-ALGERNON was told that DRUSILLA was the coquette of fashion, and DRUSILLA had accounts of "ALGERNON's intrigues with grizettes and opera girls:"that he attended the toilet of the Parifian beauties, and "revelled in the brothels of Italy:-that his Seraglio at "Conftantinople exceeded the Grand Seignor's, and that " he was the bon vivant of Spa: in fhort, that he entered "into all the follies and diffipation which temptation, 66 youth, and courts provoke. "The number of ftudents for fo early an inftitution, and abounding with the most celebrated profef fors "The watchful SENECA had provided for the iffue of "this manœuvere:-a reverend MUFTI, to whom SENECA "had promised great preferments, was introduced to "DRUSILLA as her future husband, but, notwithstand ing that her love for ALGERNON was greatly abated, "she took refuge in an apple-tree, to avoid the importuni"ties of the MUFTI. This he might well have looked 66 on as ominous, fince the fruit of that fatal tree was eaten 66 by the mother of fin, Who for an apple damn'd mankind! "However, after a few months practice of those arts, by "which the female heart is woo'd to compliance, the mar"riage of DRUSILLA and the MUFTI was celebrated, and "SENECA hugged himself in the pleafing idea of having "prevented his fon's contaminating the blood of the SENE"CA's with any thing below a hundred-thoufand pounder! “but, alas! the vanity of all human expectations is found"ed in error, for, by fruftrating a legal connection he caufed, or brought on, an adulterous one. 66 For all th' offence is in opinion plac'd, Which deems high birth by lowly choice debas'd. "ALGERNON arrived from his travels, ignorant of the means and confequences of the ftratagem fo fuccefsfully played off during his abfence, and was easily per"fuaded to enter into an alliance with a lady of great "fortune, but no fooner was he made acquainted with "the particulars of this unhappy affair, than he gave a |