"two fons of the Earl of W.

"particularly attached to him.

who were

Their father

was not more envied by the ambitious for "the distinguished rank he held in the coun "cils of his Sovereign, than by the wife and "moderate for being father to two of the "moft promifing young men of the age. "They had been acquainted with Antonio "from their infancy. They had grown up "at the fame fchools, and studied under the "fame mafters. After an abfence of three

years, they happened to meet at Venice,

"where Antonio had the good fortune to ren"der them effential fervice, in extricating "them from difficulties in which the impetu

ofity of the beft-conditioned young men "will fometimes involve them, efpecially in a

foreign country. They returned together "to Britain. Their father, who knew their "former connection with Antonio, and had "heard of their recent obligation to him, ex

preffed his fenfe of it in very flattering "terms, and earnestly wished for an oppor"tunity to reward it.

"I have feen few men who were proof a"gainst the attention of minifters. Though "it does not always gratify, it feldom fails to

❝ excite

"excite three of the most powerful paffions,

vanity, ambition, and avarice. Antonio, I "am afraid, did not form an exception to the "rule. Though naturally an economist, his "mode of life had confiderably impaired his "fortune. He knew this; but he knew not "exactly to what extent. He received gentle "remonftrances on the subject from fome of "his relations in Scotland, who remembered "his virtues. In the letters of his fifter Leo"nora, (who ftill retained that affection

and attachment to her brother which his "attention to her, both before and after her "father's death, had impreffed upon her "mind), he perceived an anxiety, for which "he could not otherwife account than from "her apprehenfions about the fituation of his "affairs. The patronage of the Earl of "W presented itself as a remedy. To "him, therefore, he determined to apply. "The intimacy in which he lived with his "fons, the friendly manner in which the Earl "himself always behaved to him, made this

appear an easy matter to Antonio; but he "was unaccustomed to aik favours even from "the great. His fpirit rofe at the conscious"nefs of their having become neceffary; and

he

"he funk in his own efteem, in being reduced "to ufe the language of folicitation for fome"thing like a pecuniary favour. After feve"ral fruitless attempts, he could bring him"self no farther than to give a distant hint "to his companions, the fons of the Earl. It

was fufficient to them; and, at the next in. "terview with their father, Antonio received "the most friendly affurances of being foon " provided for in fome way fuited to his taste “and disposition.

"Elated with thefe hopes, he returned, af"ter a ten years abfence, to vifit his friends "in Scotland, and to examine into the fitua"tion of his affairs.

Of the L. 20,000 left

was little more than

'by his father, there "L. 10,0co remaining; and the half of that "fum belonged to his fifter Leonora. The

knowledge of this made no great impreffion

on his mind, as he was certain of being am

ply provided for; meanwhile, he thought "it his duty to put his fifter's fortune in fafe"ty; and, by his whole behaviour to her du

ring a nine months refidence in Scotland, "he confirmed that love and affection which "his more early conduct had justly merited."

U

N° 71.

N° 71.

A

TUESDAY, January 11. 1780.

NTONIO returned to London about the breaking out of the Spanish war "in 1739. The parties in the state ran high; "the minifter was attacked on all fides, in a "language fomewhat more decent than what

is in ufe among the patriots of the prefent "day, though it was not, on that account, lefs poignant and fevere.

Antonio's patron,

took part with the

"the Earl of W"minifter, and both he and his fons, who "were by this time in parliament, seemed fo "much occupied with the affairs of the "blic, that Antonio was unwilling to difturb "them with any private application for him

pu.

felf, until the ferment was fomewhat fubfi

"ded. In the mean time, he continued his "ufual mode of life; and, though he could "not help obferving, that many of the great 66 men with whom he had been accustomed to "converse on the most easy and familiar "terms, began to treat him with a forbidding "ceremony, more difgufting to a mind of "fenfibility

fenfibility than downright infolence, ftill "the confcioufnefs of his fituation prevented ❝him from renouncing a fociety in which the "fecret admonitions of his, heart frequently "told him he could not continue, without "forfeiting the ftrongeft fupport of virtue "and honour, a proper respect for himself.

"Sir Robert Walpole was at laft obliged to "refign, and along with him a few of his "friends who were moft obnoxious to the "leaders of the fuccessful party. The Earl "of W was not of the number; he " still preserved his place in the cabinet; and "the new and the old minifters having adjust

ed their different pretenfions, a calm tranquillity fucceeded, as the lefs powerful and "disappointed patriots, rendered fufpicious "by the defection of their principal leaders, "could not at once connect themselves into a "formidable opposition.

"Antonio thought this a proper time to re"new his application. That delicacy which "made him formerly fhrink at the idea of "afking a pecuniary favour, was now no more; his growing neceffities, and the ha"bits of fubmiffion they produced, had blunt"ed the fine feelings of independence; and VOL. II.

D d

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