He had a pleasing talent at narrative, and when animated by the cheering attention of his friends, he would give full scope to it.  Anecdotes of times past, incidents and scenes of his eventful life, and occurrences which had passed under his observation, when detailed by him at length, and set off with his amusing episodical remarks and illustrations, made him a most entertaining chronicler.  These were sometimes enlivened with a sportive humor that gave a charm to the social hour, and contributed to the amusement of his guests and friends.  If in his extreme old age he indulged in egotisms or loquacity, still his observations were those of one who had seen and read much, and was willing to communicate his acquired knowledge and the results of his observation and experience; and few who attended to him, did so without receiving information and entertainment.  Even his old stories of his own acting, served to confirm what he said, and he made them better in the telling; so that he was rarely troublesome with the same tale told again, for he gave it an air of freshness.

Polite in his address and graceful in his manners, the gallant veteran was a favorite visiter in the parties of accomplished ladies that occasionally met at the house of Mrs. Montague, Mrs. Garrick, Mrs. Boscawen, and Mrs. Carter.—­Hannah More, in a letter to her sister, in 1784, says, “I have got a new admirer; it is the famous General Oglethorpe, perhaps the most remarkable man of his time.  He was foster-brother to the Pretender; and is much above ninety years old; the finest figure you ever saw.  He perfectly realizes all my ideas of Nestor.  His literature is great; his knowledge of the world extensive; and his faculties as bright as ever.  He is one of the three persons still living who were mentioned by Pope; Lord Mansfield and Lord Marchmont are the other two.  He was the intimate friend of Southern, the tragic poet, and all the wits of that time.  He is, perhaps, the oldest man of a Gentleman living.  I went to see him the other day, and he would have entertained me by repeating passages from Sir Eldred.  He is quite a preux chevalier, heroic, romantic, and full of the old gallantry."[1] In another letter, she mentions being in company with the General at Mrs. Vesey’s, where the Dutchess of Portland and Mrs. Delany were present, and where “Mr. Burke talked a great deal of politics with General Oglethorpe.  He told him, with great truth, that he looked upon him as a more extraordinary person than any he had ever read of, for he had founded the province of Georgia; had absolutely called it into existence, and had lived to see it severed from the Empire which created it, and become an independent State."[2]

[Footnote 1:  Life and Letters, Vol.  I. p. 181.]

[Footnote 2:  Ibid. 204.]