Madam,

HAVE heard your daughters very well spoken of;

I and tho I have very great offers in my own neigh

bourhood, and heard the fmall pox is very rife at London, I will fend my eldest fon to fee them; provided that, by your Ladyfhip's anfwer, and your liking of the rent-roll which I fend herewith, your Ladyfhip affures me he fhall have one of them; for I don't think to have

my son refused by any woman. And fo, Madam, I con

clude,

I

Wednesday, March 18.

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

Sir Harry Lizard, of the county of Northampton, fon 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 prefent in his hands is above three thoufand a-year, after payment of taxes, and all neceffary charges whatfoever. He is a man of good understanding, but not at all what is ufually called a man of thining parts. His virtues are much greater than his ac complishments, as to his converfation. But when you come to confider his conduct with relation to his man

ners 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 fhould 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 verfed in business, he is mafter of the queftion before him, and can inftantly inform himself with great exactnefs in the matter of profit or lofs that fhall arife from any thing propofed to him. The fame capacity, joined to an honeft nature, makes him very juft to other men, as well as to himfelf. His payments are very punctual; and I dare anfwer 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 deferves from his fuperior prudence, the choice of all who are most knowing and able to ferve 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 fale of fome 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, ferve his pleasures, or regale his friends. His fervants, his cattle, his goods, fpeak their mafter a rich man. Thofe about his perfon, as his bailiff, the groom of his chamber, and his butler, have a chearful, not a gay air. The fervants below them feem to live in plenty, but not in wantonnefs. As Sir Henry is a young man, and of an active difpofition, his beft figure is on horfeback. But before I fpeak of that, I fhould acquaint you, that, during his infancy, all the young gentlemen of the neighbourhood were welcome to a part of the houfe, which was called the school; where, at the charge of the family, there was a grammar malter, a plain fober man, maintained (with a falary, befides his diet, of fifty pounds a-year) to inftruct

There

all fuch 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. were always ten or twelve for the faddle in readiness to attend him and his favourites; in the choice of whom he fhewed a good difpofition, and distributed his kindness among them, by turns, with great good-nature. All horfes, both for the faddle and fwift draught, were very well bitted; and a skilful rider, with a riding-house, wherein he the riding-mafter commanded, had it in or ders to teach any gentleman's fon of the county that would please to learn that exercise. We found our account in this proceeding, as well in real profit, as in efteem and power in the country: for as the whole fhire is now poffeffed by gentlemen who owe Sir Harry a part of education, which they all value themselves upon, their horfemanship; they prefer his horfes 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 horfeback: for his ufual hours of being in the field are well known; and at those feafons the neighbouring gentlemen, his friends and school fellows, take a pleasure in giving him their company, with their fervants well behaved, and horfes well commanded:

I cannot enough applaud Sir Harry for a particular care in his horfes. He not only bitts all which are ridden, but also all which are for the coach or swift draught; for grace adds mightily to the price of ftrength and he finds his account in it at all markets, more especially for the coach or troop horfes, of which that county produces the moit strong and oftentatious. To keep up a breed for any ufe whatever, he gives plates for the best performing horfe in every way in which that animal can be ferviceable. There is fuch a prize for him that trots best, such for the best walker, fuch for the best galloper, fuch for the best pacer; then for him who draws moft in fuch a time to fuch a place; then to him that carries beft fuch a load on his back. He delights in this, and has an admirable fancy in the dress of the ri ders. 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 efteem of all who do. Sir Harry is no friend to the race-horse: he is of opinion, it is inhumane, that animals fhould be put up on their utmost strength and mettle for our diverfion 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 diftanced; and, like a good country gentleman, fays it is a fault in all ministries, that they encourage no kind of horses but thofe which are swift.

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. But good œconomy is the characteristic of the Lizards. I remember a circumftance 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 intereft, though he is fuch, to be impaired or promoted according to the state of trade. When he was but twenty years old, I took an opportunity, in his prefence, to ask an intelligent woollen draper, What he gave for his fhop, the corner of Change-alley? The fhop is, I believe, fourteen foot long, and eight broad. I was anfwered, 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, confilting of so many miles, with fo many good ports; the value of each part of the faid ifland, as it lay to fuch ports, and produced fuch com modities. The whole of his working was, to know why fo few yards near the Change, was fo much better than fo 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 eftate may do good where ever they are feated, that fo many fhould be what they are? It is certain, that the arts which purchase health or fame,

will maintain them; and I attribute the fplendor 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 fentence: There are four good mothers, of whom are often born four unhappy daughters: Truth begets Hatred; Happinefs, Pride; Security, Danger; and Fa miliarity, Contempt.'

No 7.

I

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Thursday, March 19.

-Properat curfus

Vita citato

With speedy Step life pofts away.

Senec. Trag.

This morning did myfelf the honour to vifit 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 digpity than ever any figure, either of Venus attended by the graces, Diana with her nymphs, or any other celeftial who owes her being to poetry.

The difcourfe we had there, none being prefent but our own family, confifted of private matters, which tended to the establishment of thefe young ladies in the world. My Lady, I obferved, had a mind to make mention of the propofal to Mrs Jane, of which fhe is very foad, and I as much avoided, as being equally against it. But it is by no means proper the young ladies fhould obferve we ever diffent; therefore I turned the discourse, by faying, 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 fcalded her fingers, by leaning fuddenly forward to look in my face. But my bufinefs at prefent was, to make my court to the mother: therefore, without regard