BUNBURY. LETTER

Ladies round the place I liv*d in. After four years I left my master according to our agreement : he is a man much esteemed in his profession and I helieve he knows somethîng 6Î it, but 1 iiad not the good fortune to find it communicated to me. My Fatbar at this time was much distressed and could not send me to London for tbe usual împrovements. I meant to serve in a shop, faut an unlucky opporUinity oifered itself at Aldbro', the Âpothecary there was become infamous by his bad cooduct, and his enemies invited me to ûx there immediately. My Fathet urged it, and my pride assented : I was credited for the sfaat^ tereâ (nmiture of an Apothecary 's shop, and the drugs that stocked it. I began to assume ray lato master*s manner, and having some conscientious scruples I began to study also : I read much, collected extraets, and translated Latin books of Physic with a view of dooble improvement : 1 studied the Materia Medica and made some progress în Botany. I dissected dogs and fancied myself an anatomist, quitting entirely poetry, novels and books of entertainment. After one year, I left my little business to the care of a neighbouring surgeon, and came to London, where I attended the lectures of Messrs. Orme and Lowder on Midwifery, and occasionally stole round the hospi* tais to observe those remarkable cases, which might indeed, but which probably never would, occur to me again. On my retum I found my substitute had contracted a close intimacy with my rival. He cheated me and lost my business. The second woman who committed herself to my care, died before the month after her delivery was expired ; and the more I became qualified for my profession, the less occasion I found for thèse qualifications. My fausiness was the most trifling and lay amongst the poor. I had a sister who starved with me ; and on her account it now pains me to say we often wanted bread ; we were unwilling to add to my father's distress by letting him see ours, and we fasted with much fortitude. Every one knew me to be poor ; l was <lunned for the most trifling sums, and compelled to pay the rent of my hut weekly, for my landlord was Justice of the Corporation and a man of authority. My druggist, a good-natured Quaker, gave me some friendly hints. My fii^ds and advisers who had been zealous for my fîxing in tnis place, entirely deserted me for this reason only, that I had not been successful bj folio wing their advice. After three years spent in the misery

of successloss struggle, I found it nccessary for me to départ, and I came tq London.

« That part of mj conduct which I am about to relate» I am afraid will be greatlj dîsapproved, and I shall be happj to find Sir» you think it not more than foolish and inconsiderate. 1 knew the wages of a journejman apothecarj were trifling, and that nothing could be saved from them towards discharging the obligations I laj under. It became me to look for something more ; I was visîonarj, and looked to hîm from whom no help cometh.

« Mj father, some years since, attended at the House of Gommons on some élection business, and he was also with the mi* nister ; I recollected to hâve heard him speak with some pleasure of Lord North's condescension and affability ; and renouncing phjsic, I resolved to applj for employment in any department that I shouid be thought qualified for ; I drew up a long and laboured account of my motives for this application, and to prove mj ignorance in the proper method of managing such applications, I accompanied mj pétition with a volume of verses, which I begged leave to submit to hb Lordship's parusal. I was admitted to Lord North on my second calling, and treated with more attention than I now shouid expect, though with none of that affability I had been led to hope for ; what I still wonder at, is the civil part of his Lordship's behavior ; my request was idle and unreasonable, he might, with the greâtest propriety hâve dismissed me instantly, but whether through want of thought, or with an inclination to punish me, he gave me hope, was sorry for my circumstances, enquired who could recommend me, and was satisfied with those I named : he ordered me to apply again and fixed a day. I am even now astonished at this unnecessary and cruel civility, it has greatlj* added to the inconveniences I now labour under, besides the anxiety of a long attendance growing daily more hopeless ; for not only on the day fixed, but on ail other days, I went regularly to Downing Street, but from my first to my last interview with his Lordship were three months. I had only a variation in the mode of answer as the porter was more or less inclined to be civil, the purport of ail was the same : I wrote and entreated his Lordship to accept or refuse me : 1 related my extrême poverty and my want of employment, but wilhout eifect. I again

BUNBUKY LETTEH 635

begged him to give some message .to his servant, by wbich I might be certain that I had nothing further to hope for : this aiso was ineffectuai. At last I had courage to offer so small a sum as half a crown, and the dif&culty vanished : His Lordship's porter was now ci\îly and His Lordship surlj; he dismissed me instantly and with some severity.

« I had now recourse to my rhymes, and sent a hasty production to Mr. Dodsley, who returned it, observing that he could give no considération for it, not because it wanted merit, but the town wanted attention ; he was very obliging in his reply, for I am now convinced it does want merit. Mr. Becket returned me a similar answer to an application of the same kind. I yet indulged a boyish opinion of my productions, and determined to pnblish ; fortunately howeve^ I had hitherto con* cealed my name, and I continued to do so. Nichols, who had printed some remains of Dryden, and other poets, was for this reason fixed upon to usher my pièce on the world ; he printed 260 copies of « An Epistle to the Authors of the Montbly Review « which I believe are now in the warehouse of Mr. Payne the bookseller, as I never heardof any sale tbey had. My patrons spoke of my poem rather favourably; but Mes^' the Gritical Reviewers trimmed me handsomely, and though I imputed this in a great measure to envy, I was very glad that I had not exposed my name on the occasion.

« I now began to think more humbly of my talents : disappointment diminished my pride and increased my prudence. I solicited a subscription. Mr. Nassau, the late Member for Malden, was well known to me, and this led me to apply to his brother for a permission to prefix his name to a dedication. Lord Rochford assented. but bade me hope more from the merit of my productions than that permission. I conveyed my proposais to my friends and obtained about i5o names, chiefly at Beccles, which arc since increased, and are something more than 200. I bave acquainted thèse people with the altération in my intention, but I am desired to send my poem in whatever manner it comes out, and this is that certainty I spoke of to Mr. Dodsley. During a long inter\'al belwixt my disappointmentatDowning Street and that necessity which compelled me to write to you, Sir, it would be painful to me, and tedious to you, to relate the distress I feit and the progress of my despair; I knew

636 APPENDIG6 I

that tny subscribors would not more thao pày for the printiog their volumes. I was contracting oew debts, and nnable to satisfy old demaods. I lived in terror, was imposed upon, and submitted lo insults and ai length so threatened, that I was wil- Kng to make use of anj expédient that would not involve me in guilt as well as vexation. I could accuse mjself but of follj and imprudence and thèse lessen*d by inexpérience, and I thought that if mj circumstances were known, there would be found some to relieve me. I looked âs well as I could into everj character that offered itself to my view, and resolved to apply where I found the most shining abililies, for I had leamed to distliist the humaoity of weak people in ail stations. You, Sir, are well acquainted with the resuit of my délibération, and I hâve in one instance at least reason to applaud my own judgment.

« It w\\l perhaps be asked how I could live near twelve nionths a stranger in London and coming without money : it is not to be supposed I was immediatel'y credited — it is not — mj support arose from another source. In the very early pari of mj life, I contracted some acquaintance, which afterw&rds became a serioxLs connexion, with the nièce of a SuSblk gentleman of large fortuné. Her mother lives with her three daughters at Beccles ; her income is but the interest of jC i 5oo, which at her decease is to be divided betwixt her children. The brother makes her annual income about X loo : he is a rigid œconomist, and thoughl hâve the pleasure of iiis approbation, I hâve not the good fortune to obtain more, nor from a prudent man could I perhaps expect so much. But from the family at Beccles, I hâve every mark of their attention, and every proof of their disinterested regard, They hâve from time to time supplied me with such sums as ihey could possibly spare, and that they hâve not done more arose from my concealing the severity of my situation, for I would not involve in my errors or misfortunes a very gênerons and very happy family by which 1 am received with unaffected sincerity, and where I am treated as a son by a mother who can hâve no prudeotial reason to rejoice that her daughter has formed such a connexion. It is this family I lately visited, and by which I am pressed to return, for they know the necessity there is for me to live with the utmost frugality, and hopeless of my succeeding in town they invite me to partake of their little fortune, and as I cannot mend my prospects, to avoid making them worse. This, Sir, is my