I

Madam,

HAVE heard your daughters very well spoken of; and tho' I have very great offers in my own neighbourhood, and heard the small pox is very rife at London, I will send my eldest son to see them; provided that, by your Ladyship's answer, and your liking of the rent-roll which I fend herewith, your Ladyship assures me he shall have one of them; for I don't think to have my fon refused by any woman. And so, Madam, I conclude,

Your most humble fervant,

HENRY PAND OLF.

*

N° 6.

I

Wednesday, March 18.

HAVE dispatched my young women, and the town has them among them. It is necessary for the elucidation of my future discourses, which I desire may be denominated, as they are the precepts of a guardian, Mr Ironfide's precautions: I say. it is, after what has been already declared, in the next place, necessary to give an account of the males of this worthy family, whose annals I am writing. The affairs of women being chiefly domeftic, and not made up of so many circumstances as the duties of men are, I fear I cannot dispatch the account of the males under my care in so few words as I did the explanation which regarded my women.

Sir Harry Lizard, of the county of Northampton, son and heir of the late Sir Marmaduke, is now entered upon the twenty-fixth year of his age, and is now at his feat in the country.

The estate at present in his hands is above three thousand a-year, after payment of taxes, and all necessary charges whatsoever. He is a man of good understanding, but not at all what is usually called a man of shining parts. His virtues are much greater than his ac complishments, as to his conversation. But when you come to confider his conduct with relation to his manners and fortune, it would be a very great injury not to allow him a very fine gentleman. It has been carefully provided in his education, that he should be very ready at calculations. This gives him a quick alarm inwardly upon all undertakings; and in a much shorter time than is ufual with men who are not versed in business, he is mafter of the question before him, and can instantly inform himself with great exactness in the matter of profit or lofs that shall arise from any thing proposed to him. The same capacity, joined to an honest nature, makes him very just to other men, as well as to himfelf. His payments are very punctual; and I dare answer he never did, or ever will undertake any piece of building, or any ornamental improvement of his house, garden, park, or lands, before the money is in his own pocket, wherewith he is to pay for such undertaking. He is too good to purchase labourers or artificers (as by this means he certainly could) at an under rate; but he has by this means, what I think he deserves from his superior prudence, the choice of all who are most knowing and able to serve him. With his ready money, the builder, mason, and capenter, are enabled to make their market of gentleman in his neighbourhood, who inconfiderately employ them; and often pay their un. dertakers by sale of some of their land: whereas, were the lands on which those improvements are made, fold to the artificers, the buildings would be rated but as lumber in the purchase. Sir Harry has for ever a year's income, to extend his charity, serve his pleasures, or regale his friends. His fervants, his cattle, his goods, speak their master a rich man. Those about his person, as his bailiff, the groom of his chamber, and his butler, have a chearful, not a gay air. The servants below them seem to live in plenty, but not in wantonness. As Sir Henry is a young man, and of an active disposition, his best figure is on horseback. But before I speak of that, I should acquaint you, that, during his infancy, all the young gentlemen of the neighbourhood were welcome to a part of the house, which was called the school; where, at the charge of the family, there was a grammar master, a plain fober man, maintained (with a falary, besides his diet, of fifty pounds a-year) to instruct all such children of gentlemen, or lower people, as would partake of his education. As they grew up, they were allowed to ride out with him upon his horfes. There were always ten or twelve for the saddle in readiness to attend him and his favourites; in the choice of whom he shewed a good disposition, and distributed his kindness among them, by turns, with great good-nature. All horses, both for the saddle and swift draught, were very well bitted; and a skilfulrider, with a riding-house, wherein he the riding-master commanded, had it in orders to teach any gentleman's son of the county that would please to learn that exercise. We found our account in this proceeding, as well in real profit, as in esteem and power in the country: for as the whole shire is now poffefsed by gentlemen who owe Sir Harry a part of education, which they all value themselves upon, their horsemanship; they prefer his horses to all others; and it is 10 per cent. in the price of a steed, which ap. pears to come out of his riding house.

By this means it is, that Sir Harry, as I was going to fay, makes the best figure on horseback: for his ufual hours of being in the field are well known; and at those seasons the neighbouring gentlemen, his friends and school fellows, take a pleasure in giving him their company, with their servants well behaved, and horses well commanded.

I cannot enough applaud Sir Harry for a particular care in his horses. He not only bitts all which are ridden, but alfo all which are for the coach or swift draught; for grace adds mightily to the price of strength: and he finds his account in it at all markets, more especially for the coach or troop horses, of which that county produces the most strong and oftentatious. To keep up a breed for any use whatever, he gives plates for the best performing horse in every way in which that animal can be serviceable. There is such a prize for him that trots best, such for the best walker, fuch for the best galloper, such for the best pacer; then for him who draws most in such a time to such a place; then to him that carries best such a load on his back. He delights in this, and has an admirable fancy in the dress of the riders. Some admired country-girl is to hold the prize, her lovers to trot, and not to mend their pace into a gallop when they are out trotted by a rival; fome known country-wit to come upon the best pacer. Thefe, and the like little joyful arts gain him the love of alt who do not know his worth, and the esteem of all who do. Sir Harry is no friend to the race-horse: he is of opinion, it is inhumane, that animals frould be put up on their utmost strength and mettle for our diversion only. However, not to be particular, he puts in for the Queen's plate every year, with orders to his rider never to win or be distanced; and, like a good country gentleman, says it is a fault in all ministries, that they encourage no kind of horses but those which are swift.

But

As I write lives, I dwell upon small matters; being of opinion, with Plutarch, that little circumftances show the real men better than things of greater moment. good economy is the characteristic of the Lizards. I remember a circumstance about fix years ago, that gives me hopes he would one time or other make a figure in parliament; for he is a landed man, and confiders his interest, though he is such, to be impaired or promoted according to the state of trade. When he was but twenty years old, I took an opportunity, in his presence, to ask an intelligent woollen draper, What he gave for his shop, the corner of Change-alley? The shop is, I believe, fourteen foot long, and eight broad. I was answered, Ninety pound a year. I took no notice: but the thought defcended into the breast of Sir Harry; and I faw on his table the next morning a computation of the value of land in an island, confiiting of so many miles, with fo many good ports; the value of each part of the faid island, as it lay to fuch ports, and produced such.commodities. The whole of his working was, to know why so few yards near the Change, was fo much better than so many acres in Northamptonshire; and what those acres in Northamptonshire would be worth, were there no trade at all in this island.

It makes my heart ake, when I think of this young man, and confider upon what plain maxims, and in what ordinary methods men of estate may do good where ever they are seated, that so many should be what they are? It is certain, that the arts which purchase health or fame, will maintain them; and I attribute the splendor and long continuance of this family, to the felicity of having the genius of the founder of it run through all his male line. Old Sir Harry, the great-grandfather of this gentleman, has written in his own hand, upon all the deeds which he ever figned, in the humour of that fententious age, this sentence: 'There are four good mothers, of whom are often born four unhappy daughters: Truth begets Hatred; Happiness, Pride; Security, Danger; and Fa miliarity, Contempt.'

I

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Thursday, March 19.

Vita citato

Properat curfu

With speedy step life posts away.

Senec. Trag.

This morning did myself the honour to visit Lady Lizard, and took my chair at the tea-table; at the upper end of which, that graceful woman, with her daughters about her, appeared to me with greater dig pity than ever any figure, either of Venus attended by the graces, Diana with her nymphs, or any other celestial who owes her being to poetry.

The difcourse we had there, none being present but our own family, consisted of private matters, which tended to the establishment of these young ladies in the world. My Lady, I observed, had a mind to make mention of the proposal to Mrs Jane, of which she is very foad, and I as much avoided, as being equally against it. But it is by no means proper the young ladies should observe we ever dissent; therefore I turned the discourse, by saying, it was time enough to think of marrying a young lady who was but three and twenty, ten years hence. The whole table was alarmed at the affertion; and the Sparkler scalded her fingers, by leaning suddenly forward to look in my face. But my business at present was, to make my court to the mother: therefore, without regard