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The feafon being far advanced, eight nights were to be the limited number of my performing, and the last was to be for my benefit. The morning of that day I was arrested by the creditor who had been the occafion of my indifcreet flight from London. I was, however, foon fet at liberty, the caption being against the laws of Scotland, which allow fome days notice to debtors before they can be taken.

Upon this occafion, the firft lawyers in the kingdom were volunteers in my caufe; particu. larly Mr. Montgomery, the prefent Chief Baron, and the Dean of the Faculty. It at length came to trial; and the letter I formerly mentioned was produced, from which it plainly appeared, that the fecurity was fraudulently obtained. And the courts of justice in Scotland being at the fame time courts of equity, a verdict was given in my favour. Having thus defeated the iniquitous defigns of my creditor, the confented to receive her debt by inftalments of two hundred pounds a year. After this my other creditors, particularly Mr. Alderman Cracroft and Doctor Baillie, to whom I was indebted in confiderable fums, joined in recommending me to that perfonal protection which they knew was to be had in Scotland.

As good frequently fprings from evil, this miffortune seemed to be the means of procuring me the 1

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the attention and civility I met with, in fo emi'nent a degree, during my refidence in this kingdom. In particular, it procured me the happiness of being admitted into the family of Mr. Montgomery, upon the most intimate footing, of which I fhall always have the moft grateful fenfe. The moft attached patroneffes I had, befides thofe of the Montgomery family, which were numerous, were the Duchefs of Douglas, and the Mifs Ruthvens, the eldeft of whom foon married Mr. Elphinstone. The latter were partial to me to a degree of enthufiafm. Lady Ruthven likewife honoured me with her fupport.

The enfuing feafon I was to have a third of the profits, with two benefits; and Mr. Digges a weekly falary. As Mr. Calcraft feemed to think that Scotland was abroad, he regularly paid my late granted annuity to Mr. Speediman, proprietor of the ftomachic pills in the Strand. Mr. Digges now took a house at Bonnington, a very pleasant village, near Edinburgh. Our fuccefs at the theatre was very great, and we could have faved money, had not the debts my gentleman had con... treted, upon account of the perfon he formerly lived with, embarraffed him greatly.

About this time I was much furprized to receive a letter from Mr. Ballard, treasurer of Covent-Garden theatre, containing a demand for å capital

capital fum. He informed me, that Mr. Rich's executors had made him account for the falary, paid me three years before, during the shutting of the house, upon account of the demife of one of the female branches of the Royal Family. My agreement was annual, and Mr. Rich had exprefsly ordered the treasurer not to make any deduction for that vacation. But as Mr. Ballard had not taken the order in writing, he was liable to pay it. As I had received the money, I could by no means confent that he should refund it. Common honefty required, in my idea, that he fhould not be the fufferer. I therefore wrote to Alderman Cracroft, defiring he would fettle it, as well as he could, to the fatisfaction of the treasurer.

At this period my mother, together with all my paraphernalia, which was returned from Holland, fent down to me a young gentlewoman that, the imagined, would make some figure upon the stage. Her name was Wordley. She had an uncommonflow of fpirits, and had received a more liberal education than is usually bestowed on English women in the middle line of life. Her father was fteward to the Earl of Powys, and he had spared no pains to cultivate the mind of this daughter, who was his favourite, and whofe genius led her to receive his inftructions with pleasure. So accomplished a young woman was to be considered

as a valuable acquifition, as well as doing honour to my mother's recommendation. I therefore requested her to take up her refidence at Bonnington.

G. A. B.

LETTER LXXVII.

August 22, 17

UPON looking forward to the number of in

cidents it will be needful yet to relate, to give you a perfect view of this checquered life of mine, and to let the world into the fources of thofe actions which in many inftances have drawn upon me unmerited cenfure; I fee they will much exceed the bounds I imagined, when I first fat down to record them.-Circumftance grows from circumfrance-and recollection receives additional vigour from the exercise of it-I therefore cannot help being apprehenfive, that, notwithstanding the affurances you have fo often given me to the contrary, the relation of them will prove tedious to you. This apprehenfion, however, will be a curb to me, and prevent me from inferting any incidents that are not immediately conducive to the purposes for which I entered upon it; namely, to fatisfy your curiofity, and to endeavour to remove

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those prejudices the public have imbibed against me, from not knowing the whole of my fiory. And I shall of course make my digreffions as short and unfrequent as poffible.

Mr. Digges did every thing in his power to make me happy. He indulged me with every pleafure he could procure for me. But my temper was so much foured by the continual demands for the debts he had contracted before my union with him, that I could not relifh any enjoyment, or behave towards him with that complacency I could have wished.

About the middle of the feafon he informed me, that he had received a letter, acquainting him that his brother, Capt. Dudley Digges, was arrived in England, and that he wished much to fee him upon fome family concerns. He therefore determined to fet off to vifit his brother, and we were obliged to manage in the theatre as well as we could. But how to procure money for the expences of his journey was the question. This Mr. Still, my attorney, and indeed my fac-totuin, upon my application to him, advanced.

When Mr. Digges arrived in London, my mother was foon reconciled to him, and he remained at her house during his ftay. Upon his return, he prefented me with a large filver repeater, to be placed at the head of my bed, as I had often

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