external ceremonials of refpect; and though fhe never did a kind or goodnatured thing in her life, the low temperature of her paffions, affifts her in preferving that refemblance of placidity, often very improperly, called fweetness, which at all times appears in her coun

tenance.

*

"With a better understanding, fhe might, perhaps, have directed the effervefcence of her husband's difpofition to fome useful purpose, and reftrained it within the limits of common fenfe. As it is, fhe contents herself, if, by the affiftance of a little cunning, in which women of this clafs of intellect are never deficient, fhe can work out any little end, to which her little felfifh mind inclines her.

"It would be too tedious," continued Severan, "to follow the Baronet through all the various whims and fancies, in which his reftlefs fpirits have discharged themselves.

"The only period in which I ever knew reading to occupy much of his time, was, foon after his marriage, when he took to ftudying books of education; and had actually from thefe compofed a Treatife, for the inftruction of his expected heir; which however, was forgot before the child had learned to fpeak, for then he had turned improver,

"It was then, that the fine grove of oaks and chefnuts, the maffy richness of whose foliage, ferved equally to fhelter and adorn his ftately manfion, was levelled to the ground: and every spot within fight of the windows, metamorphofed into a dry fmooth-fhaven green, awkwardly fprinkled with knarled fapplings, and ill-formed clumps of shrubbery. How far this fpirit of improve ment might have led him, it is impoffible to conjecture, for it was ftill at its height, when a piece of filver ore, found by one of the workmen, in digging a canal, intended to meander through the grounds, gave a new object to his ever ardent mind.

"For three fleepless nights, his fancy revelled in all the riches of Peru. Miners were brought from various parts of the kingdom, and the greatest encouragement offered to thofe who fhould be fuccessful in difcovering the vein, of the exiftence of which he could not entertain a doubt. Huge excavations were made in various directions, all begun in hope, and ending in difappointment; the miners, ftrictly followed the ufual example of our British minifters of ftate; who, when they have plunged the nation into an unneceffary and unfuccefsful war, take care, when the account of defeat comes

from one quarter, to amuse the attention of the public, with the profpect of better fuccefs in another; and Sir Caprice, like the honeft British people was too willing to be deceived, to fuffer himself to dif cover the trick. At length, finding his miners grow rich, in proportion as he grew poor, his patience became entirely exhaufted; and with many execrations on their knavery, and his own folly, he fuddenly difmiffed them all, and set himself diligently to repair the devaftations they had committed on the face of his eftate. It was this circumftance, which, perhaps, turned his thoughts to agriculture, which, as he contrived to manage it, was as unproductive a folly, as any in which he has ever yet engaged. With fuch avidity, however, did he enter into it, that I well remember him walking about the fields, with a filver fpoon in his hand, to tafte the different compofts, into the fpecific qualities of which, he thought it neceffary to examine; and, ignorant of chemical procefs, he trufted to his palate, for a difcovery of the acids or alkalis they contained. It would feem, that, in this particular, it had proved a deceitful guide; for, notwithstanding his delicacy of tafte, and although he had laid out his fields in the beft method, that the best theoretical writers had pointed out, he

had the worft crops that were known in the country; he was, at length, contented to replace the old tenants in their farms; and finding his eftate confiderably incumbered, by his various schemes of fortunemaking (avarice having now become the paffion which chiefly predominated in his heart) he refolved for a few years, to try the economical plan of travelling. He accordingly fet out for the continent, with his Lady, leaving his eldeft daughter at the most fashionable boardingschool in London; his fecond, who had been adopted from the hour of her birth by his fifter, Mifs Ardent, remained with her; and the youngeft, had the happinefs of being received under the roof of her excellent Aunt, Lady Grey.

"Sir Caprice Ardent and his Lady remained abroad for fix years, in the courfe of which period, his Lady brought him three fons; only one of whom furvives; a poor puny boy, fo completely fpoiled by indulgence, that there is no bearing his petulance and prate. During the refidence of our Baronet in Italy, he gave fufficient proofs to his friends, that the change of atmosphere, had no effect on the temperament of his mind. Antiques, Mufic, Pictures, Statues, Intaglios, and even Butterflies, were, in their turns, the exclufive objects of his atten

tion. The death of a relation, who be queathed him a large legacy, brought him at length back to his country, just as the rage for building had begun to occupy his mind. With its effects, you are fufficiently acquainted; and you will, probably before the conclufion of the fummer, fee it give place to fome other abfurdity, which will be entered on with equal skill, and ultimately abandoned with equal facility."

Alas! cried I, I find, that folly is a plant which flourishes in every climate; it only differs in the colouring. But if it is not intruding too far upon your time and patience, I fhould be glad to know, what hue it affumed in the Young Lady who was educated by the fame

Autor.

My friend willingly gratified my curiofity, and thus proceeded:

"To the eldeft fifter of Sir Caprice, who inherited from nature a stronger intellect, and quicker perception than her brother, the tuition of Doctor Ergo was attended with more beneficial confequences. The ancient authors, whofe works were by him put into her hands, merely as exercifes in the dead languages, attracted her attention. She acquired a tafte for their beauties, and foon be