night-time), his spectacles, and his pocket-book. The
pocket-book, among other things, contains a receipt for a cough, and
some verses cut out of an odd sheet of an old magazine, on the lovely
Duchess of A., beginning--

"When beauteous Mira walks the plain."

He intends this for a common-place book which he keeps, consisting of
passages in verse and prose, cut out of newspapers and magazines, and
pasted in columns; some of them rather gay. His principal other books
are Shakespeare's Plays and Milton's Paradise Lost; the Spectator, the
History of England, the Works of Lady M. W. Montagu, Pope and
Churchill; Middleton's Geography; the Gentleman's Magazine; Sir John
Sinclair on Longevity; several plays with portraits in character;
Account of Elizabeth Canning, Memoirs of George Ann Bellamy, Poetical
Amusements at Bath-Easton, Blair's Works, Elegant Extracts; Junius as
originally published; a few pamphlets on the American War and Lord
George Gordon, etc., and one on the French Revolution. In his
sitting-rooms are some engravings from Hogarth and Sir Joshua; an
engraved portrait of the Marquis of Granby; ditto of M. le Comte de
Grasse surrendering to Admiral Rodney; a humorous piece after Penny;
and a portrait of himself, painted by Sir Joshua. His wife's portrait
is in his chamber, looking upon his bed. She is a little girl,
stepping forward with a smile, and a pointed toe, as if going to
dance. He lost her when she was sixty.

The Old Gentleman is an early riser, because he intends to live at
least twenty years longer. He continues to take tea for breakfast, in
spite of what is said against its nervous effects; having been
satisfied on that point some years ago by Dr. Johnson's criticism on
Hanway, and a great liking for tea previously. His china cups and
saucers have been broken since his wife's death, all but one, which is
religiously kept for his use. He passes his morning in walking or
riding, looking in at auctions, looking after his India bonds or some
such money securities, furthering some subscription set on foot by his
excellent friend Sir John, or cheapening a new old print for his
portfolio. He also hears of the newspapers; not caring to see them
till after dinner at the coffee-house. He may also cheapen a fish or
so; the fishmonger soliciting his doubting eye as he passes, with a
profound bow of recognition. He eats a pear before dinner.

His dinner at the coffee-house is served up to him at the accust