LETTER S.

FROM Dr. Moore to Mrs. Moore, on going abroad with the Duke of Hamilton; John Moore, then a boy, accompanying them :

Calais, April 17th, 1772.

'My dear Jane,-I wrote to you, from Dover, that the wind would not allow us to

pass over on the 15th; yet it changed a

little in our favour, and we got here that 'night late. I found Jane' (his only daughter, who was educated in a convent at Calais)

in good health. She speaks French with 'much facility, and is improved in many respects. Upon reflecting fully upon everything, I thought the best thing I could do 'was to send her immediately to London, ' and thence to Glasgow.

Madame

and Monsieur Mollien have taken infinite

'pains with Jane, and shown her much kind

ness, as have, also, many families in this ' place. I hope she will prove

' a comfort and an amusement to you in your

present situation, and may save you much 'trouble; and I believe she will, for she has 'the best disposition in the world.

'We did not see her till the morning after 'we came; she came into Dessein's (inn) 'while we were at breakfast. I had been 'with her early in the morning, but had not ' mentioned Johnie. After the Duke of Ha

'milton and Colonel Livingston had saluted

6

her, she began to eye Jack. However, the Duke kept her in conversation on purpose,

though she still fixed her eyes on Jack.

'At length she said, with emotion, "Papa,

Papa! who is that?"

"He is a young

'boy, a page of my Lord Duke.” "Good

Heavens! how much he resembles my 'brother Jack."

66

Yes," (coldly,) "there is a

' resemblance." Then, turning to the Duke,

"she said, "I beg pardon, my Lord, but your

young page has a striking likeness to my eldest brother." Upon this Jack fell a 'laughing, and so did we all. "Then I "I believe he is my

6

declare," says she,

'sir, you shall tell me,-Are you not my 'brother? Is not that your Papa?" "No;" 'cries Johnnie, with harshness. "Yet," says

she, in French, "he had your brusque man

ner." And so, upon my changing the dis'course, she was convinced he was not her 'brother, and she apologised to the Duke for the freedom she had used with his page.

In twenty minutes after we told her who Jack was; and then there was a fine kissing scene: she took him out of the room with her, and they have been constantly together for these two days. She is now preparing

everything for her voyage to-morrow.

'God Almighty bless you, my dear Jane. This charming young Duke fills me with inquietude; God grant my fears for his health may be groundless, and I hope they will. This day I shall write my thoughts

'to the Duke of Argyll, and remain at Paris

'till I hear from him.

I am always yours,

'J. MOORE.'

Dr. Moore to Mrs. Moore.

'Geneva, July 17th, 1772.

My dearest,-I received the melancholy ' account of ' (the bankruptcy of a mercantile house, in which a large portion of Dr. Moore's fortune was entrusted,) by

You will believe that I would have 'been sufficiently affected with the misfor'tune of my worthy and regarded friends S. ' and B., although I myself had not been ' involved in the calamity; indeed, their fate, independent of every other circumstance, 'would have cut me to the heart. There is 6 no consideration in the whole that affects me 'more than the thoughts of what you must 'suffer, and the effect this may have upon 'you in your present situation; and I never 'regretted the necessity which obliges me to ' remain at a distance from you so much as

6 now, when

you

have so much occasion for

'comfort and support.

'I beg it of you, my dear Jane, that you ' will call up all your courage and resolution, and do not allow your mind to be over'whelmed, and your reason overcome, by ' this affair, however black an aspect it may

wear, Consider, my dear, our young and numerous family have more need of our 'care and protection; and, for my own part,

I shall never think myself unhappy while you and they are preserved, and I am able,

by every effort of mind and body, to support 'you. But if I lose you, I shall indeed lose courage; and heaven knows how long I might keep from despair. I conjure you, 'therefore, with the utmost earnestness, that 'you will take all proper care of your health, particularly when the time of your confine

'ment comes on.

'I wrote to you, in my last, that I would like the child, whether male or female, to 'be named Hamilton, for the Duke.

In the midst of so much bad news, I am