66 66 Talking of Morat," said I, where did you find the story of Julia Alpinula? M and I searched and I searched among its archives in vain.” I took the inscription," said he, “from "an old chronicle; the stone has no existence. But to continue. You know 66 66 the story of the bear that I brought up "for a degree when I was at Trinity. I "had a great hatred of College rules, "and contempt for academical honours. "How many of their wranglers have "ever distinguished themselves in the world? There was, by the bye, rather a witty satire founded on my bear. A "friend of Shelley's made an Ourang 66 Outang (Oran Hanton, Esq.) the hero "of a novel, had him created a baronet, "and returned for the borough of One "Vote-I forget the name of the novel *. "I believe they were as glad to get rid " of me at Cambridge+ as they were at "Harrow. 66 "Another of the wild freaks I played during my mother's life-time, was to dress up Mrs. and to pass her off as my brother Gordon, in order "that my mother might not hear of my having such a female acquaintance. "You would not think me a Scipio in "those days, but I can safely say I never "seduced any woman. I will give you 66 an instance of great forbearance :-Mrs. "L. L. G wrote and offered to let me "have her daughter for 1007. 66 Can you fancy such depravity? The old lady's * Melincourt. † He remained at Cambridge till nineteen. 66 66 P. S. was excellent. With dilicaci every thing may be made asy.' But "the same post brought me a letter from "the young one deprecating my taking 66 advantage of their necessities, and ending with saying that she prized her "virtue. I respected it too, and sent her 66 some money. There are few Josephs in "the world, and many Potiphar's wives. "A curious thing happened to me shortly after the honey-moon, which was very awkward at the time, but has "since amused me much. It so hap 66 66 pened that three married women were "on a wedding visit to my wife, (and 66 66 66 66 in the same room, at the same time,) whom I had known to be all birds of the same nest. Fancy the scene of confusion that ensued! 66 66 66 I have seen a great deal of Italian society, and swum in a gondola, but nothing could equal the profligacy of 'high life in England, especially that of when I knew it. 66 “ There was a lady at that time, dou"ble my own age, the mother of several "children who were perfect angels, with “whom I had formed a liaison that conti“nued without interruption for eight "months. The autumn of a beauty like "her's is preferable to the spring in others. She told me she was never in 66 66 66 love till she was thirty; and I thought I myself so with her when she was forty. “ I never felt a stronger passion; which 66 66 she returned with equal ardour. I was as fond of, indeed more attached than "I ought to have been, to one who had "bestowed her favours on many; but I 66 was flattered at a preference that had "led her to discard another, who in 66 66 personal attractions and fashion was far my superior. She had been sacrificed, "almost before she was a woman, to one "whose mind and body were equally con temptible in the scale of creation; and "on whom she bestowed a numerous fa 66 66 mily, to which the law gave him the right to be called father. Strange as "it may seem, she gained (as all women 66 do) an influence over me so strong, 'that I had great difficulty in breaking "with her, even when I knew she had "been inconstant to me; and once was 66 on the point of going abroad with her, "—and narrowly escaped this folly. I was at this time a mere Bond-street 66 |