but feemed to relifh his fon's wit notwithstanding. Umphraville looked fternly at him; and, had not a glance of his waistcoat fet him down as fomething beneath a man's anger, I don't know what confequences might have followed. During the rest of the entertainment, I could fee the fumet of fool and coxcomb on every morfel that Umphraville (wallowed, though Mrs. Bearskin, next whom he fat, was at great pains to help him to the nice bits of every thing within her reach.

When dinner was over, Mr. Blubber mentioned his defign of making a tour through the Highlands, to vifit Stirling, Taymouth, and Dunkeld; and applying to our landlord for fome defcription of these places, was by him referred to Mr. Umphraville and me, Mr. Umphraville was not in a communicative mood; fo I was obliged to affure Mr. Blubber, who talked with much uncertainty and apprehension of these matters, that he would find beds and bed-clothes, meat for himself, and corn for his horses, at the feveral places above mentioned; that he had no dangerous feas to crofs in getting at them; and that there were no highwaymen upon the road.

After

After this there was a confiderable interval of filence, and we were in danger of getting once more upon Mr. Edward's fine waiftcoat, when Mr. Bearfkin, informing the company that his coufin was a great lover of mufic, called on his daughter, Mifs Polly, for a fong, with which, after fome of the ufual apologies, the complied; and, in compliment to Mr. Umphraville's tafte, who she was sure muft like Italian mufie, fhe fung, or rather fqualled, a fong of Sachini's, in which there was scarce one bar in tune from beginning to end. Mifs Blubber faid, in her ufual phrafeology, that it was a monstrous fweet air-Her brother fwore it was divinely fung.-Umphraville gulped down a falfehood with a very bad grace, and faid, Mifs would be a good finger with a little more practice.-A compliment which was not more diftant from truth on one fide,' than from Mifs's expectations on the other, and I could plainly perceive, did not fet him forward in the favour of the family.

"My father is a judge of finging too," said Mr. Edward Blubber; "what is your opinion "of the fong, Sir ?"-" My opinion is," faid he," that your Italianos always fet me afleep; "English ears fhould have English fongs, F "think."" Then, fuppofe one of the la

but evidence

"dies fhould give us an English song," said I. "'Tis a good motion," said Mr. Bearskin, “I "fecond it; Mifs Betfy Blubber fings an ex"cellent English fong."-Mifs Betfy denied ftoutly that he ever fung at all; being produced against her, fhe, at laft, faid fhe would try if he could make out "The "Maid's Choice." "Ay, ay, Betfy," said her father, "a very good fong; I have heard it "before.

"if I could but find,

"Icare not for fortune-Umh!-a man to my mind.”

Mifs Betfy began the fong accordingly, and to make up for her want of voice, accompanied it with a great deal of action. Either from the accident of his being placed oppofite to her, or from a fly application to his state as an old bachelor, the chofe to perfonify the maid's choice in the figure of Umphraville, and pointed the description of the fong particularly at him. Umphraville, with all his dignity, his abilities, and his knowledge, felt him felf uneafy and ridiculous under this filly allufion of a ballad; he blushed, attempted to laugh, blushed again, and ftill looked with that aukward importance which only the more attracted the

ridicule

ridicule of the fools around him. Not long after the ladies retired; and no perfuafion of his coufin could induce him to ftay the evening, or even to enter the drawing-room where they were affembled at tea.

"Thank Heaven !" said Umphraville, when the door was shut, and we had got fairly into the street. "Amen!" I replied, fmiling, "for our good dinner and excellent wine!". "How the devil, Charles," faid he, "do you " contrive to bear all this nonfenfe with the "compofure you do?"-"Why, I have often "told you, my friend, that our earth is not "a planet fitted up only for the reception of "wife men.-Your Blubbers and Bearskins are "neceffary parts of the fyftem; they deserve

the enjoyments they are capable of feeling;" and I am not fure if he who fuffers from his own fuperiority does not deferve his fuffer"ings."

N° 35.

TUESDAY, May 25, 1779.

To the AUTHOR of the MIRROR.

SIR,

ILL I arrived at the age of twenty, my

time was divided between my books, and the fociety of a few friends, whom a fimilarity of purfuits and difpofitions recommended to me. About that period, finding that the habits of referve and retirement had acquired a power over me, which my fituation, as heir to a confiderable fortune, would render inconvenient, I was prevailed upon, partly by a fenfe of this, partly by the importunity of my relations, to make an effort for acquiring a more general acquaintance, and fashionable deportment. As I was conscious of an inclination to oblige, and a quick sense of propriety, two qualities which I efteemed the ground of good-breeding; as my wit was tolerably ready, and my figure not difadvantageous, I own to you that I entertained fome hopes of fuccefs.

I was, however, unfuccefsful. The novelty of the fcenes in which I found myself. engaged,