desire I found him reading Tristram -- this grandee does me great honours, and gives me leave to go a private way through his apartments into the Palais Royal, to view the Duke of Orleans's collections, every day I have time. I have been at the doctors of Sorbonne. I hope in a fortnight to break through, or rather from the delights of this place, which, in the sçavoir vivre, exceeds all the places, I believe, in this section of the globe.

I am going, when this letter is wrote, with Mr. Fox and Mr. Maccartny, to Versailles the next morning I wait upon Mons. Titon, in company with Mr. Maccartny, who is known to him, to deliver your commands. I have bought you the pamphlet upon theatrical, or rather tragical, declamation; I have bought another in verse worth reading, and you will receive them, with what I can pick up this week, by a servant of Mr. Hodges, whom he is sending back to England.

-

I was last night with Mr. Fox to see Mademoiselle Clairon, in Iphigéne - she is extremely great would to God you had one or two like her what a luxury, to see you with one of such powers in the same interesting scene but 'tis too much. Ah! Preville! thou art Mercury himself. By virtue of taking a couple of boxes, we have bespoke this week, The Frenchman in London, in which Preville is to send us home to supper, all happy I mean about fifteen or sixteen English of distinction, who are now here, and live well with each other.

I am under great obligations to Mr. Pitt, who has behaved in every respect to me like a man of goodbreeding, and good-nature. In a post or two, I will write again. Foley is an honest soul. I could write

six volumes of what has past comically in this great scene, since these last fourteen days but more of this hereafter. We are all going into mourning; neither you, nor Mrs. Garrick, would know me if you met me in my remise. Bless you both! Service to Mrs. Denis. Adieu, adieu;

XXI. TO LADY D·

L. S.

London, Feb, 1, 1762.

YOUR Ladyship's kind enquiries after my health are indeed kind, and of a-piece with the rest of your character. Indeed I am very ill, having broke a vessel in my lungs - hard writing in the summer, together with preaching, which I have not strength for, is ever fatal to me but I cannot avoid the latter yet, and the former is too pleasurable to be given up I believe I shall try if the south of France will not be of service to me his G. of Y. has most humanely given me the permission for a year or two I shall set off with great hopes of its efficacy, and shall write to my wife and daughter to come and join me at Paris, else my "Le Fevre's story has stay could not be so long. beguiled your ladyship of your tears," and the thought of the accusing spirit flying up to heaven's chancery with the oath, you are kind enough to say is sublime my friend, Mr. Garrick, thinks so too, and I am most vain of his approbation your Ladyship's opinion adds not a little to my vanity.

---

--

I wish I had time to take a little excursion to Bath, were it only to thank you for all the obliging things

* This Letter, though dated from London, was evidently written at Paris.

you say in

but 'tis impossible

letter your accept at least my warmest thanks. If I could tempt my friend Mr. H. to come to France, I should be truly happy. If I can be of any service to you at Paris, command him who is, and ever will be,

Paris, March 19, 1762.

but I

THIS will be put into your hands by Dr. Shippen, a physician, who has been here some time with Miss Poyntz, and is this moment setting off for your metropolis; so I snatch the opportunity of writing to you and my kind friend Mrs. Garrick. I see nothing like her here, and yet I have been introduced to one half of their best Goddesses, and in a month more shall be admitted to the shrines of the other half neither worship -- nor fall (much) upon my knees before them; but, on the contrary, have converted many unto Shandeism for be it known, I Shandy it away fifty times more than I was ever wont, talk more nonsense than ever you heard me talk in your days and to all sorts of people. Qui le diable est cet homme la said Choiseul, t'other day ce Chevalier Shandy You'll think me as vain as a devil, was I to tell you the rest of the dialogue whether the bearer knows it or no, I know not "Twill serve up after supper, in Southampton-street, amongst other small dishes, after the fatigues of Richard the Third. 0 God! they have nothing here which gives the nerves

-

It is a

so smart a blow as those great characters in the hands of Garrick! but I forgot I am writing to the man himself The devil take (as he will) these transports of enthusiasm! Apropos the whole city of Paris is bewitch'd with the comic opera, and if it was not for the affair of the Jesuits, which takes up one half of our talk, the comic opera would have it all tragical nuisance in all companies as it is, not for some sudden starts and dashes ism, which now and then either break the entangle it so that the devil himself would be puzzled in winding it off I should die a martyr way I never will.

the

I seldom visit it

gedies

and was it of Shandethread,

or

this by

yet

I send you over some of these comic operas by the bearer, with the Sallon, a satire The French comedy, they act scarce any thing but traand the Clairon is great, and Mademoiselle Dumesnil, in some places, still greater than her I cannot bear preaching I fancy I got a surfeit of it in my younger days. There is a tragedy to be damn'd to night peace be with it, and the gentle brain which made it! I have ten thousand things to tell you; I cannot write I do a thousand things which cut no figure, but in the doing and as in London, I have the honour of having done and said a thousand things I never did or dream'd of and yet I dream abundantly. If the devil stood behind me in the shape of a courier, I could not write faster than I do, having five letters more to dispatch by the same Gentleman; he is going into another section of the globe, and when he has seen you, he will depart in peace.

The Duke of Orleans has suffered my portrait to be added to the number of some odd men in his col

lection; and a gentleman who lives with him has taken it most expressively, at full length I purpose to obtain an etching of it, and to send it you your for me of rosy health, is heard — If I stay here prayer for three or four months, I shall return more than reinstated. My love to Mrs. Garrick.

I am, my dear Garrick,

Your most humble servant,

MY DEAR GARRICK,

I SNATCH the occasion of Mr. Wilcox (the late Bishop of Rochester's son) leaving this place for England, to write to you, and I inclose it to Hall, who will put it into your hand, possibly behind the scenes. I hear no news of you, or your empire, I would have said kingdom - but here every thing is hyperbolized — and if a woman is but simply pleased 'tis Je suis charmé and if she is charmed, 'tis nothing less than she is ravi-sh'd and when ravi-sh'd (which may happen) there is nothing left for her but to fly to the other world for a metaphor, and swear, qu'elle etoit tout extasiée which mode of speaking is, by the bye, here creeping into use, and there is scarce a woman who understands the bon ton but is seven times in a day in down right extasy that is, the devil's in her by a small mistake of one world for the other Now, where am I got?

I have been these two days reading a tragedy, given me by a lady of talents to read, and conjecture if it would do for you- 'Tis from the plan of Diderot,.