favourites with some people than other people are.

You must know, that our society in Edinburgh had latterly become much more agreeable to me, from our intimacy with Mrs Rattle, who came lately from Spa, where she had gone for the recovery of her health, being vastly subject to low spirits whenever she remains long in this climate. Mrs Rattle was pleased to take very particular notice of me, being delighted, she said, with a certain naïveté, of which I was possessed; though Mrs Mushroom, who was jealous of her attention to me, said it was only because I was the best hearer of her acquaintance. Be that as it may, she was always remarkably civil and obliging to me; declared she looked upon me as her particular protegée; and that, except one or two gentlemen with whom she had been acquainted abroad, I was the only person to whom she gave the constant en

trée to her boudoir. I was invited to most of her parties, which made the town appear quite a different thing to me from what it did when I wrote to you last. Unfortunately these pleasant days did not last long; my dear Mrs Rattle was suddenly taken ill soon after her husband's arrival in Edinburgh, (for he did not come till some time after,) and was obliged to leave town without being able to see even me. My brother and Mrs Mushroom, as I mentioned before, have set off for London with Miss Gusto; and so, Mr Lounger, I am come back to the country again.

I had but a very disagreeable journey of it, though my maid, (who was my sisterin-law's, till she got a gentlewoman of Miss Gusto's recommending,) and a very good sort of a young man, to whom my brother has promised a church on an estate he has bought lately, took all possible care of me by the way. But the roads

VOL. VI.

were miserably bad, and the post-chaises terribly jolting and uneasy.Though we talk so much of improvements, there must certainly be a great change to the worse in that article; for I remember travelling part of that road once before, along with my mother, in the diligence, which we found a very comfortable, easy sort of machine; and the roads were then remarkably smooth, and well made. Nor is the accommodation at the inns less fallen off from what it was at that time.

The weather has been dreadful since my arrival; and I have been perfectly starved with cold ever since I reached my father's; yet they tell me it was still colder some weeks before, though I am sure it was not so with us in town. Except one night at the play, when it was a very thin house, most of the fashionable company having gone to the dancing dogs; and one other time when I waited a great while in the lobby of the assem

bly-room for my sister and another lady, who had dined at Mrs Midnight's, I don't recollect having felt it disagreeably cold all the time I was in Edinburgh. On that last occasion I caught a little cold, which, however, has been infinitely worse since I removed to the country; though they say change of air is good for a cough, I have found mine much more troublesome here than in Edinburgh. Indeed, one cannot stir out of doors without wetting one's feet; and I was the other day over the shoes in dirt going to see my brother's Temple of Venus, which, one of his improving advisers, Dr, planned for him last autumn. Yet the doctor was at no small pains making a walk to it, which consumed, as he told us, Lord knows how many waggon-loads of gravel; but unfortunately one of the twists led into a bog; for it is so artfully twisted, that I have heard the doctor say, the temple, which is scarce 200 yards from

the house as the crow flies, is a good half mile off by the serpentine. I am sure I thought it far enough when they would needs have me go and visit it. Besides, one meets cattle in this field, and dogs in that; and they are certainly grown much worse-natured since I left the country.

I am glad, however, to take a long walk, though it should be somewhat dirty and disagreeable, to pass off a while of the morning, (afternoon they call it here,) from one to three, as well as to get a little wearied, that I may be able to sleep when we go to bed by eleven. My cough plagues me so all the night long, and then I hear some of the outof-door servants getting up when I have scarce slept a wink. It was but this very morning they broke off one of the charmingest dreams!-Methought I was at the masquerade, (what a cross thing it was, Mr Lounger, to give up the mas