October 1, 1788.

AFTER fuch an act of vigor as my first letter, compofed, finished, and dispatched within half an hour after my landing, while the dinner was fmoaking on the table, your knowledge of the animal must have taught you to expect a proportionable degree of relaxation; and you will be fatisfied to hear, that, for many Wednesdays and Saturdays, I have confumed more time than would have fufficed for the epiftle, in devising reafons for procrastinating it to the next poft. At this very moment I begin fo very late, as I am juft going to drefs, and dine in the country, that I can take only the benefit of the date, October the first, and must be content to feal and fend letter next Saturday. my

October the 4th.

SATURDAY is now arrived, and I much doubt whether I fhall have time to finish. I rofe, as usual, about feven; but as I knew I fhould have fo much time, you know it would have been ridiculous to begin any thing before breakfast. When I returned from my breakfast room to the library, unluckily I found on the table fome new and interesting books, which inftantly caught my attention; and without injuring my correfpondent, I could fafely beftow a fingle hour to gratify my curiofity. Some things which I found in them infenfibly led me to other books, and other inquiries; the morning has stolen away, and I fhall be foon fummoned to drefs and dine with the two Severys, father and fon, who are returned from the country on a disagreeable errand,

an illness of Madame, from which fhe is however recovering. Such is the faithful picture of my mind and manners, and from a fingle day difce ornnes. After having been fo long chained to the oar, in a splendid galley indeed, I freely and fairly enjoy my liberty as I promised in my preface; range without control over the wide expanfe of my library; converfe, as my fancy prompts me, with poets and hiftorians, philofophers and orators, of every age and language; and often indulge my meditations in the invention and arrangement of mighty works, which I fhall probably never find time or application to execute. My garden, berceau, and pavilion often varied the fcene of my ftudies; the beautiful weather which we have enjoyed exhilarated my fpirits, and I again tafted the wisdom and happinefs of my retirement, till that happiness was interrupted by a very serious calamity, which took from me for above a fortnight all thoughts of ftudy, of amufement, and even of correspondence. I mentioned in my first letter the uneasiness I felt at poor Deyverdun's declining health, how much the pleasure of my life was imbittered by the fight of a fuffering and languid friend. The joy of our meeting appeared at first to revive him; and though not fatisfied, I began to think, at least to hope, that he was every day gaining ground; when, alas! one morning I was fuddenly recalled from my berceau to the house, with the dreadful intelligence of an apoplectic ftroke; I found him fenfelefs the best affiftance was inftantly collected; and he had the aid of the genius and experience of Mr. Tiffot, and of the affiduous care of

another phyfician, who for fome time fcarcely quitted his bedfide either night or day. While I was in momentary dread of a relapfe, with a confeffion from his phyficians that fuch a relapse must be fatal, you will feel that I was much more to be pitied than my friend. At length, art or nature triumphed over the enemy of life. I was foon affured that all immediate danger was paft; and now for many days I have had the fatisfaction of feeing him recover, though by flow degrees, his health and ftrength, his fleep and appetite. He now walks about the garden, and receives his particular friends, but has not yet gone abroad. His future health will depend very much upon his own prudence: but, at all events, this has been a very ferious warning; and the flightest indifpofition will hereafter affume a very formidable afpect. But let us turn from this melancholy fubject.-The Man of the people escaped from the tumult, the bloody tumult of the Westminster election, to the lakes and mountains of Switzerland, and I was informed that he was arrived at the Lion d'Or. I fent a compliment; he answered it in perfon, and fettled at my house for the remainder of the day. I have eat and drank, and conversed and fat up all night with Fox in in England; but it never has happened, perhaps it never can happen again, that I fhould enjoy him as I did that day, alone, from ten in the morning till ten at night. Poor Deyverdun, before his accident, wanted fpirits to appear, and has regretted it since. Our converfation never flagged a monent; and he feemed thoroughly pleased with the place and with his company. We had little politics; though he gave me, in a few words, fuch a character of Pitt, as one

great man fhould give of another his rival: much of books, from my own, on which he flattered me very pleasantly, to Homer and the Arabian Nights: much about the country, my garden (which he understands far better than I do), and, upon the whole, I think he envies me, and would do fo were he minifter. The next morning I gave him a guide to walk him about the town and country, and invited fome company to meet him at dinner. The following day he continued his journey to Berne and Zurich, and I have heard of him by various means. The people gaze on him as a prodigy but he shows little inclination to converfe with them,&c.&c.&c. Our friend Douglas had been curious, attentive, agreeable; and in every place where he has refided fome days, he has left acquaintance who efteem and regret him: I never knew fo clear and general an impreffion.

After this long letter I have yet many things to fay, though none of any preffing confequence. I hope you are not idle in the deliverance of Beriton, though the late events and edicts in France begin to reconcile me to the poffeffion of dirty acres. What think you of Necker and the States General ? Are not the public expectations too fanguine? Adieu. I will write foon to my lady feparately, though I have not any particular fubject for her ear. Ever yours,

LAUSANNE, Nov. 29, 1788. As I have no correfpondents but yourself, fhould have been reduced to the stale and stupid

communications of the newfpapers, if you had not difpatched me an excellent fketch of the extraordinary ftate of things. In fo new a cafe the falus populi must be the first law; and any extraordinary acts of the two remaining branches of the legislature must be excufed by neceffity, and ratified by general confent. *

**. Till things are fettled, I expect a regular journal. From kingdoms 1 defcend to farms. *

*

Adieu.

LAUSANNE, Dec. 13, 1788.

* * * * * *

Of public affairs I can only

hear with curiofity and wonder; careless as you may think me, I feel myself deeply interested. You muft now write often; Make Mifs Firth copy any curious fragments; and ftir up any of my wellinformed acquaintance, Batt, Douglas, Adam, perhaps Lord Loughborough, to correfpond with me; I will answer them.

We are now cold and gay at Laufanne. The Severys came to town yesterday. I faw a good deal of Lords Malmsbury and Beauchamp, and their ladies; Ellis, of the Rolliad, was with them; I like him much I gave them a dinner.

Adieu for the present. Deyverdun is not worse.

LAUSANNE, April 25, 1789. BEFORE your letter, which I received yesterday, I was in the anxious fituation of a king, who hourly expects a courier from his general, with the news