preffion, and the palpable deception which had been made use of upon the occafion, I was enabled to triumph over fuch a dangerous opponent.

G. A. B.

LETTER

LXXVI.

Aug. 14, 17—

MR. Calcraft being one evening at the reprefentation of" Zara," the uncommon applause I met with revived his paffion, and induced him to make use of every method he could devife to bring about a reconciliation. Having watched. me one Sunday, he came up to me in Derbycourt, and earnestly entreated that I would favour him with half an hour's converfation. Upon my refufal, he begged that, if I would not be reconciled to him, I would attend to a proposal he had to make me, which would accommodate the difagreeable affair relative to the diamonds. This alfo I refused to do, affuring him, at the fame time, that I would not hold any correfpondence with him whatever.

Upon this he went to a tavern, the corner of York-street, and I really believe I received twenty letters from him in a fhort time. Finding me ftill inflexible, he fent Nurfe Carter to me; the

perfon

perfon I have mentioned before, who lived with me many years, and brought up all my children. This good woman, he knew, had great influence over me, and therefore he was in hopes she would remove my prepoffeffions. But they were too deeply rooted; particularly as he had offered me a frefh infult, by getting a friend to deliver me a message, of an extraordinary nature, just after my return from Ireland. This aggravation of his injuries will be fully explained in the letter already hinted at, which I shall give you, by way of Appendix to my "Apology," as I was then obliged to fupprefs the publication of it, for reafons affigned in their proper place.

Nurfe Carter executed her commiffion with great fidelity to her employer. And at last, wearied out with her importunities, I told her, that, if Mr. Calcraft would write me his propofals of accommodation, or fend his attorney to me, I would hear what they were, and confult Mr. Cracroft upon the propriety of accepting them. He accordingly fent them by one of his clerks. They contained the following articles: That he would give me money to pay off Mr. Sparks's bond for four hundred pounds: That he would compro mise all my debts with my creditors, if I would confent to go abroad till it was done, as none of them would accept of less than the whole of their demand

demand whilft I was upon the fpot: And, laftly, hc would grant me an additional annuity of one hundred pounds, which, with the twenty pounds furplus of the former, he faid, would enable me to live in Holland, or France, till the affair was finished.

Having confulted Mr. Cracroft upon the fubject, I wrote to Mr. Stubbs, fenior, who ftill lives in Parliament-ftreet, informing him that I would accept of his client's propofals. That gentleman, accordingly, waited upon me with the bond of annuity for the additional hundred a year, which was in trust to Nicholas Linwood, Efq; of Broadftreet, wine-merchant, a partner with Clermont and Co. Mr. Stubbs, at the fame time, brought with him a general release for me to fign; but this, as an honeft man, he advised me not to do. As I could not, however, have any legal demand upon Mr. Calcraft, the fuit with Mr. Davy relative to the former annuity being ftill pending, I delivered up the marriage contract given upon our union, and figned the release. Having difpofed of the hundred a year out of the former annuity to all intents and purposes, till the fum which I had received should be repaid, with fifty pounds befides, as I have already observed, it is not to be supposed that by figning the release I gave a receipt for what was not mine to difpofe of. The

release

release is now in the hands of Mr. Stubbs, junior, of Suffolk-ftreet, Charing-crofs.

The fame evening the deeds were figned, I fet off for Harwich, in my way to Holland. I have omitted to inform you, that upon the converfation I had held with my rigorous female creditor, from which I obtained a knowledge of her purpofes, I indifcreetly left my houfe, and went to my mother's in Brewer-ftreet; having first fent my plate to Alderman Cracroft's, as a fecurity for his debt. The companion of my journey was Mifs Betty Cibber, who had been left me as a legacy by her grandfather, Colley Cibber. As her intellects were rather weak, and fhe was liable to fall a prey to every designing person who flattered her, that celebrated old gentleman configned her to my care; and he left all his grand-children as legacies to different perfons. A fon of Mrs. Smith, whom I have formerly mentioned, being a furgeon, I had got him to officiate to a regiment. This young man likewise accompanied my flight.

When we got to Harwich, the wind being contrary, we were prevented from failing; and as I was apprehenfive of being purfued by my inflexible creditor, I thought it prudent to go to Manningtree, a village at fome diftance from Harwich, to remain there till the wind changed. My be

nefit was to be on the Monday following, which would render it impoffible to keep my departure any longer a fecret.

The Thursday evening, as we were at fupper, we heard a chaife and four enter the inn, and prefently, to my infinite furprize, Mr. Digges made his appearance. This, you may be affured, was not the most agreeable rencontre. He appeared to be greatly enraged, and insisted on my two companions returning to London, and on my immediately getting into another chaise, and quitting. the house. I was fo terrified by the violence of his temper, that I confented to his injuctions, on condition that he did not carry me to Edinburgh.. I had fome how or other taken an unaccountable averfion to that place. but without being able to affign any reafon for it.

We travelled, fide by fide, not in the best temper with each other, without pursuing any fixed route; and when we arrived at Cambridge, I had fresh cause of diftrefs. Some rhyming Cantab had defaced the windows of the inn, where we put up, with fome lines in my favour. One of these, figned by Mr. Bullock, an admirer of mine, of whofe attachment I have given you an account, was as follows:

Let Jove his Juno and his Nectar boast,

Champaigne's my wine, and Bellamy my toast.