you.  You should have seen his face when they would accept no fee at all for the beauty!  Some wag has writ a verse about it, which was printed, and has set the whole pump-room laughing this morning.

“She was led out by Wells in the Seasons last night.  As Spring she is too bewildering for my pen,—­all primrose and white, with the flowers in her blue-black hair.  Had Sir Joshua seen her, he would never rest content till he should have another portrait.  The Duc de Lauzun, who contrived to get two dances, might give you a description in a more suitable language than English.  And there was a prodigious deal of jealousy among the fair ones on the benches, you may be sure, and much jaundiced comment.

“Some half dozen of us adorers have a mess at the Bear, and have offered up a prize for the most appropriate toast on the beauty.  This is in competition with Mrs. Miller.  Have you not heard of her among your tobacco-hills?  Horry calls her Mrs.  ‘Calliope’ Miller.  At her place near here, Bath Easton Villa, she has set up a Roman vase bedecked with myrtle, and into this we drop our bouts-rimes.  Mrs. Calliope has a ball every Thursday, when the victors are crowned.  T’other day the theme was ‘A Buttered Muffin,’ and her Grace of Northumberland was graciously awarded the prize.  In faith, that theme taxed our wits at the Bear,—­how to weave Miss Dolly’s charms into a verse on a buttered muffin.  I shall not tire you with mine.  Storer’s deserved to win, and we whisper that Mrs. Calliope ruled it out through spite.  ‘When Phyllis eats,’ so it began, and I vow ’twas devilish ingenious.

“We do nothing but play lasquenet and tennis, and go to the assembly, and follow Miss Dolly into Gill’s, the pastry-cook’s, where she goes every morning to take a jelly.  The ubiquitous Wells does not give us much chance.  He writes ‘vers de societe’ with the rest, is high in Mr. Marmaduke’s favour, which alone is enough to damn his progress.  I think she is ill of the sight of him.

“Albeit she does not mourn herself into a tree, I’ll take oath your
Phyllis is true to you, Richard, and would live with you gladly in a
thatched hut and you asked her.  Write me more news of yourself.

                  “Your ever affectionate
                         “Comyn

“P.S.  I have had news of you through Mr. Worthington, of your colony, who is just arrived here.  He tells me that you have gained a vast reputation for your plantation, and likewise that you are thought much of by the Whig wiseacres, and that you hold many seditious offices.  He does not call them so.  Since your modesty will not permit you to write me any of these things, I have been imagining you driving slaves with a rawhide, and seeding runaway convicts to the mines.  Mr. W. is even now paying his respects to Miss Manners, and I doubt not trumpeting your praises there, for he seems to like you.  So I have asked him