ith his banker; which, he says, will be adjusted
to-morrow; and on Thursday he proposes to go down again, to take leave of
his friends; and then intends to set out directly for Italy.

I wish Mr. Lovelace could have been prevailed upon to take any other
tour, than that of France and Italy. I did propose Madrid to him; but he
laughed at me, and told me, that the proposal was in character from a
mule; and from one who was become as grave as a Spaniard of the old cut,
at ninety.

I expressed to the Colonel my apprehensions, that his cousin's dying
injunctions would not have the force upon him that were to be wished.

'They have great force upon me, Mr. Belford,' said he; 'or one world
would not have held Mr. Lovelace and me thus long. But my intention is
to go to Florence; and not to lay my bones there, as upon my cousin's
death I told you I thought to do; but to settle all my affairs in those
parts, and then to come over, and reside upon a little paternal estate in
Kent, which is strangely gone to ruin in my absence. Indeed, were I to
meet Mr. Lovelace, either here or abroad, I might not be answerable for
the consequence.'

He would have engaged me for to-morrow. But having promised to attend
Mr. Lovelace on his journey, as I have mentioned, I said, I was obliged
to go out of town, and was uncertain as to the time of my return in the
evening. And so I am to see him on Thursday morning at my own lodgings.

I will do myself the honour to write again to your Lordship to-morrow
night. Mean time, I am, my Lord,

Your Lordship's, &c.

LETTER LIII

MR. BELFORD, TO LORD M.
WEDN. NIGHT, OCT. 4.

MY LORD,

I am just returned from attending Mr. Lovelace as far as Gad's-Hill, near
Rochester. He was exceeding gay all the way. Mowbray and Tourville are
gone on with him. They will see him embark, and under sail; and promise
to follow him in a month or two; for they say, there is no living without
him, now he is once more himself.

He and I parted with great and even solemn tokens of affection; but yet
not without gay intermixtures, as I will acquaint your Lordship.

Taking me aside, and clasping his arms about me, 'Adieu, dear Belford!'
said he: 'may you proceed in the course you have entered upon!--Whatever
airs I give myself, this charming creature has fast hold of me here--
[clapping his hand upon his heart]: and I must either appear what you see
me, or be what I so lately was--O the divine creature!' li