"Houfe of Commons to be fure; there is

-

"no living out of parliament now; it is the "ton for a gentleman to be in it, and it is the pleasantest thing in the world. There are Lord

"Jack —

Dick

"and I, are always together. At first, we "ufed to tire confoundedly of their late

nights, and long debates; but now the mi"nifter is fo obliging as to tell us when he "thinks the queftion will be put, and away "we go to dinner, to the opera, or fomewhere, "and contrive to return juft in time to vote, "or, as Lord calls it, to be in at the "death."

Hitherto Umphraville's countenance had dif covered no emotion but that of contempt; now he could not conceal his aftonishment and indignation. Recollecting himfelt, howver, he asked the Baronet, if he never thought of his conftituents, and of the purposes for which they fent him to parliament?" As to "that," said he, "there is no man fo atten "tive to his conftituents as I a I fpend

am.

"fome months among them every fummer, "where I keep open houfe for the favages, "and make love to their wives and daughters. "Befides, I am always making prefents to the

women

women of fome little fashionable trinket. "The last time I came from London, I brought down a parcel of Spring garters, "that coft me thirty fhillings a pair, by Gad! "which I diftributed among them, taking "care, at the fame time, to tell each of them, "that nothing fhowed a fine ancle to fuch ad"vantage as a spring garter."

In the evening after our vifitors had left us, I found Umphraville fitting in his elbow-chair, in a graver mood than usual.

"I am think

"ing, my friend," faid he, "of the ftrange "times we live in. You know I am not "much of a politician; and living retired as "I do, abftracted from the world, I have little "accefs to be acquainted with the fprings that

move the wheels of government, or the "caufes of national profperity or adverfity. "For fome time paft, however, I have been "endeavouring in vain to inveftigate the la

tent fources of the fudden and almoft in"ftantaneous decline of our empire, unexam"pled, I believe, in the hiftory of nations. "The scene you have this day witneffed, has

given me more light on that fubject than a

་ ny thing I have yet met with. If fuch men are to conduct and to regulate the great af

་་

"fairs of state, are we to wonder at our want "of fuccefs? If our fenate is to be filled with

beings mean as they are worthless, alike "deftitute of public virtue and of private ho6.6 nour, we may ceafe to be furprised at any "calamity that befalls us. Of fuch creatures "I prefume the Roman fenate was compofed, "when, by the groundless jealousy of an em 6.6 peror, (Gallienus, if I miftake not), the fe "nators were prohibited from holding any 66 military employment: and they confidered "the exemption as a favour, not as an af"front; fo loft. were they to every principle "of honour, fo void of every generous and "manly feeling. But what aftonishes me most "is, that, in times like thefe, when the em"pire is shook to its foundation, the people "fhould be fo infatuated, as to truft their "beft, their dearest rights, in fuch hands. "Had the Congress been compofed of Bobby "Buttons, would America ever have made "fuch a ftand against us?"

How long this Philippic might have lafted, I cannot fay, had not Mifs Umphraville come in, and put an end to it, by challenging me to play a game at backgammon.

E

N° 69.

N° 69.

TUESDAY, January 4. 1780.

I

To the AUTHOR of the MIRROR.

SIR,

AM a pretty conftant reader of your pu

blications, by what means you shall know before I have finifhed this letter. Among o

ther papers of your publishing, I have read

one marked N° 65. written by a lady, who fubfcribes herself S. M. That lady is pleased to complain of her fituation, and to reprefent herself as unfortunate. I cannot think the

has the least title to do fo. She was received and entertained by a kind brother; but, forfooth, fhe took it into her head to quarrel with him, because he married, and feemed to like his wife better than her, and to be dif pleased with the lady, because she appeared to have more vanity than fhe ought to have had. Pray, what right had fhe to find fault with those who fo hofpitably entertained her; or, how did she show fuperior fenfe by thus quarrelling with her bread and butter?

I am,

Sir,

Sir, the younger brother of Sir George Fielding. I live comfortably and contentedly in his houfe; and yet, I could lay a wager, were Madam S. M. in my fituation, fhe would be fretful and difcontented; but I shall appeal to you, Sir, if she would have any reason for her difcontent.

My father, Sir Robert, fent me, when a young man, to the univerfity; but, as I had no taste for study, I spent most of my time at the billiard table, at cards, in hunting, playing at golf, or in public diverfions. I was more gaily dreffed than any of my companions, and I united many of the qualities of a beau and a buck. During the vacation I refided at my father's houfe; and the elegant and expenfive manner in which he lived, increased my turn for pleasure and amusement.

I was in my twentieth year, when my father, who had supplied me liberally with money, died, leaving me the small patrimony of L. 1000. Fifty pounds a-year could not fupport the expence of one who had been in use to fpend four times that fum. In this fituation, it was thought neceffary that I fhould do fomething for myself. Amidft, the various fchemes that were propofed, it was determi

ned