1 I N° 86. SATURDAY, August 12, 1786. To the AUTHOR of the Lounger. Die mihi cras iftud, Pofthume, quando venit? SIR, MART. Flatter myself you will not think me unworthy of your correspondence. Moft of the members of my family have taken the liberty of communicating the particulars of their fituation, or of praying redress of their grievances from the authors of the periodical works of the time; and a certain dark-complexioned relation of mine has had a petition to yourself laid before the public in your 53d number. I think, Mr. Lounger, I may fay without much arrogance, I am not lefs deferving of your favour than her. She, I know, pretends to have sometimes affifted you in your labours; but it is to me you look for their reward. Of that relation, Mr. Lounger, fince I have mentioned her, I may firft complain. She was naturally of a serious and rather melancholy F5 caft. which fhe was unable to repay, this circumftance furnishes, at prefent, an excufe for allowing her and her family to ftarve. The other having the misfortune to be married to a fpendthrift and a drunkard, it would be an unworthy ufe of her Ladyship's money, to fupply his extravagance and debaucheries. Thus, while in my Lady's repofitories I have counted the complete furnishings of twenty beds, her two fiflers have scarce a blanket to cover them: and while there are, to my knowledge, in one fingle cheft, thirty pieces of uncut nankeen, there are fix of her nephews at this moment running the ftreets without breeches. Thefe, however, are her Ladyship's heirs, unless fupplanted by fome favourite like myself. For fhe has repeatedly affured me, I fhall find a proof of the ftrength of her affection in her will.-Silly girl that I am, to forego thofe brilliant expectations! Yet fuch is the misfortune of fome feelings, with which I believe I was born, and fome principles, which have been ftrengthened in me by an erroneous fyftem of education. N° 80. SATURDAY, August 12, 1786. To the AUTHOR of the Lounger. Die mihi cras iftud, Pofthume, quando venit? SIR, MART. Flatter myself you will not think me unworthy of your correfpondence. Moft of the members of my family have taken the liberty of com-. municating the particulars of their fituation, or of praying redrefs of their grievances from the authors of the periodical works of the time; and a certain dark-complexioned relation of mine has had a petition to yourfelf laid before the public in your 53d number. I think, Mr. Lounger, I may fay without much arrogance, I am not lefs deferving of your favour than her. She, I know, pretends to have fometimes affifted you i Tabours; but it is to 1 caft. But of late a fashionable life has quite altered her difpofition. She has become intolerably light-headed, gay, as her friends call it, and allows her affairs to get into the greatest confufion and diforder; all of which it falls upon me to re-establish and put to rights again. Her gaiety, when carried the ridiculous length to which in town fhe frequently pushes it, is the occafion of much fadness to me; her festivity gives me many a headach; her extravagance has frequently threatened me with a jail; and her impertinence brought me in danger of my life. I am, generally speaking indeed, the most unfortunate person in the world in regard to my predeceffors. They got a thousand things upon truft, which they have left me to answer for. With all ranks and conditions of men, I am conftantly the Scape-goat for every thing that is amifs, the Bail for all misdemeanors, the Security in all obligations. My burdens are now become fo intolerable, that I am refolved (through your channel, if you will allow me) to rid myself of them at once, and to take out a Commiffion of Bankruptcy in the Lounger. What fort of division my circumstances will allow, you will please fignify to the principal claffes of my creditors in your next paper. Tell Tell fuch of them as may look for me at court, that I do not hold myself bound for above one fhilling in the pound of the promises and notes of hand of my ancestors. With some people in place there, I have pretty long accounts to settle; but to these I know they do not pay much attention, for a very good reafon indeed, that the' balance is generally against them. Let that clafs who frequent courts of law know, that I will not pretend to clear above a tenth part of the incumbrances that are there laid upon me. In all the courts, I must leave the other nine parts to be fettled by my fucceffors. In chancery, I don't know whether my greatgreat-grandfon will be able to discharge them. Be fo kind as acquaint the Projectors of various denominations, who are fo deep in my books, that I cannot answer above one in a thoufand of the draughts they will probably make upon me. Nay, I will frankly tell them, that it is likely they may lofe more than even the money they were made to advance for me. But as moft of them expected ufurious intereft, their loffes do not touch me very nearly. I must inform thofe Lovers who have trusted me, that they are of all my creditors the moft likely to be offended with me. They are indeed in a very fingular fituation with regard to the fecurities of mine in their poffeffion. If they |