may imagine that we are not without dem`el`es; but for a country town I believe there never were a set of people so peaceable, and such strangers to scandal.  ’Tis the family of love, where every body is paired, and go as constantly together as paroquets.  Here nobody hangs or drowns themselves; they are not ready to cut one another’s throats about elections or parties; don’t think that wit consists in saying bold truths, or humour in getting drunk.  But I shall give you no more of their characters, because I am so unfortunate as to think that their encomium consists in being the reverse of the English, who in general are either mad, or enough to make other people so.  After telling you so fairly my sentiments, you may believe, my dear Harry, that I had rather see you here than in England.  ’Tis an evil wish for you, who should not be lost in so obscure a place as this.  I will not make you compliments, or else here is a charming opportunity for saying what I think of you.  As I am convinced you love me, and as I am conscious you have One strong reason for it, I will own to you, that for my own peace you should wish me to remain here.  I am so well within and without, that you would scarce know me:  I am younger than ever, think of nothing but diverting myself, and live in a round of pleasures.  We have operas, concerts, and balls, mornings and evenings.  I dare not tell you all One’s idleness:  you would look so grave and senatorial at hearing that one rises at eleven in the morning, goes to the opera at nine at night, to supper at one, and to bed at three!  But literally here the evenings and nights are so charming and so warm, one can’t avoid ’em.

Did I tell you Lady Mary Wortley is here?  She laughs at my Lady Walpole, scolds my Lady Pomfret, and is laughed at by the whole town. (211) Her dress, her avarice, and her impudence must amaze any one that never heard her name.  She wears a foul mob, that does not cover her greasy black locks, that hang loose, never combed or curled; an old mazarine blue wrapper, that gapes open and discovers a canvass petticoat.  Her face swelled violently on one side with the remains of a-, partly covered with a plaster, and partlv with white paint, which for cheapness she has bought so coarse, that you would not use it to wash a chimney.-In three words I will give you her picture (212) as we drew it in the Sortes Virgilianae-Insanam vatem aepicies.

I give you my honour, we did not choose it; but Mr. Gray, Mr. Cooke, (213) Sir Francis Dashwood, (214) and I, and several others, drew it fairly amongst a thousand for different people, most of which did not hit as you may imagine:  those that did I will tell you.

For our most religious and gracious-
-Dii, talem terris avertite pestem.

For one that would be our most religious and gracious. 
Purpureus veluti cum flos succisus aratro
Languescit moriens, lassove papavera collo
Demis`ere caput, pluvia cum fort`e gravantur.