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tleman's coach, that proceeded from London to York, or from York to London, or from any part of that line to the seat of the Earl of Bellenden.

This summer-house had been a very fine thing in its time, and was built by old Sir Hildebrand Homestead, with a profusion of red brick, white stone copings, white pilasters, and carved cornices; and here, of a summer evening, Sir Hildebrand used always to cool himself with a pipe. His son, who forty years before the time we speak of, and indeed for some years afterwards, was called young Sir Hildebrand, succeeded to the estate; and though he left off smoking, as smoking went out of fashion, yet he used the summer-house as much as his father.

This gentleman was remarkable for the most insatiable curiosity. Not a tale or an anecdote-not a marriage, a courtship, or bastardy-not a sale or mortgage of an estate-not a trial in civil court or crown court-not a dinner, or even what was eaten for dinner, within fifty miles,-I might almost add, within fifty years, of him, but he knew in all the exactness of verity, and could repeat with all its various readings, as he had it from different relators. And yet for the last five-and-thirty years he had never stirred from his own gate. His powers both of talking and of listening were inexhaustible, and, as we may suppose, were well exercised by the idle gossiping people in the neighbourhood, and by almost all

travellers that came near the summer-house, at one or other window of which he was to be found planted generally from breakfast till dinner, which was still always at two o'clock, and from dinner till the evening closed in-when, in summer, he always retired to bed.

The only inconvenience attending this pleasure was, that as talking is a thirsty employment, it occasioned, among the lower orders especially, (who were always observed to be most kind in their communications) a considerable tax upon his ale and beer. This, however, was not minded by Mr. Jerome the butler, and, to do him justice, not much more by the Baronet himself.

It may be thought, perhaps, that he had a vacant mind, or broken down body, and that this was his mode of amusing them. But no! he had considerable reading, had studied, and seen the world when young, and had even been elected a bencher of one of the inns of court; while on the other hand, he had never known an hour's illness from his birth to this time, when, in his seventy-sixth year, he was still hale and hearty.

Why he had retired so early, or why at all, except because it was his humour, and that an Englishman, especially if rich, has a right to his humour, never could be exactly ascertained. It was said indeed in the neighbourhood, that an early disappointment with lady who had made another choice, (in vulgar lan

guage jilted him,) first drove him from London; when for a long time he let his beard grow, and lived n his nightcap, with no companions but his books and servants, the latter of whom were all of the male kind:-for such for many years was his resentment against the sex, that not a female was admitted into his household. This, however, went off, and it was supposed that he might have returned to the world, and even married, had he not, as was also supposed, bound himself by a vow never to stir from his own house; while his shyness towards ladies of his own rank was never to be conquered. It was indeed confidently reported that in his sixty-fifth year he had made an offer to his cook maid; who, taking him for a conjuror from his fondness for mathematical instruments, was afraid to accept him. ‹

It may be supposed that a public dinner at a great man's, and that so close to him, was an occasion too agreeable to his temper to be neglected. It was, in fact, a sort of gala; an event to interest both himself and his whole house; who accordingly, on these occasions, generally assembled upon the lawn before his door, for some time before my lord's hour of dining, or the first carriage had given the signal that the company had begun to assemble. On these occasions too, he thought to give additional importance to the day, by assuming a sort of costume, only known at these times. Thus, for the last twenty years, he had

appeared in a white, or rather stone coloured coat, with a pink silk lining; his grey curls were taken out of rollers, and a little bag placed on his short queu; the whole giving him an air and manner, by no means other than that of a gentleman.

On these days the summer-house was abandoned, and he was generally seen attended by his butler, leaning over the gate that opened into the road, in order the better to converse with, or receive the compliments of, such friends as were still left him, and who usually made a point of stopping for a few moments to shew that they were alive, and to ascertain that he was so too; a ceremony not at all less necessary in their opinion, from its being utterly unknown to whom he meant to leave his fortune.

Such conferences, particularly if there was any thing beyond the very commonest topics to communicate, rendered these days the happiest in the old man's life.

This gentleman was known to Dr. Evelyn, who never came near his gate without making him happy, as Sir Hildebrand said, by telling him where he had been, and where he was going; and having some time before acquainted him with Tremaine's arrival, and seclusion at Woodington, so as to excite much of his curiosity, he knew he could not do him a greater benefit than by bringing about a visit, if visit it could be called for Sir Hildebrand never suffered his

guests, particularly if there were ladies among them, to proceed farther than the lawn, or at most, into the summer-house.

During the mile or two before they came to Homestead Hall, Evelyn had informed Tremaine of all these particulars; " and if you have a mind to make a harmless old man very happy," said Evelyn, "you will give him a call."

"Good Heavens! for what!" exclaimed Tremaine: "are we not going to be overwhelmed enough, at a great country dinner, without the addition of an old quiz, who from your account, can scarcely derive respectability even from his age."

"Odd fish, you know, are my game,” replied Evelyn.

"But not mine," said Tremaine: "I am quite satisfied with your history, and have no curiosity to see the subject of it.”

"I believe," retorted Evelyn, "you would be satisfied with Buffon's history of the whale, and not go to see one, if it were even to be thrown on the shores of the Humber."

"Not if it smelt like its own Greenlanders," answered Tremaine.

"Well, but Sir Hildebrand is a subject for a philosopher, and you are a philosopher; he supplies food to the mind," said Evelyn.

"As much as your whale, to the body," rejoined

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