ong, the Subsidy Treaty being now out, and the Wyndham topic new
again, London Society reads, in the same Newspaper, a Documentary Piece,
calculated to help in its commentaries. There is good likelihood of
guess, though no certainty now attainable, that the "English Lady"
referred to may be Miss Bab. herself;--of whose long-vanished biography,
and brisk, airy, nomadic ways, we catch hereby a faint shadow,
momentary, but conceivable, and sufficient for us:--

"TO THE AUTHORS OF THE LONDON CHRONICLE. _London Chronicle,_ of
13th-15th April, 1758.

"The following Account, which is a real fact, will serve to show with
what punctuality and exactness the King of Prussia attends to the most
minute affairs, and how open he is to applications from all persons.

"An English Lady being possessed of actions [shares] in the Embden
Company, and having occasion to raise money on them, repaired to Antwerp
[some two years ago, as will be seen], and made application for that
purpose to a Director of the Company, established there by the King of
Prussia for the managing all affairs relative thereto. This person," Van
Erthorn the name of him, "very willingly entered into treaty with her;
but the sum he offered to lend being far short of what the actions would
bring, and he also insisting on forfeiture of her right in them, if not
redeemed in twelve months,--she broke off with him, and had recourse to
some merchants at Antwerp, who were inclinable to treat with her on much
more equitable terms. The proceeding necessarily brought the parties
before this Director for receiving his sanction, which was essential to
the solidity of the agreement; and he, finding he was like to lose the
advantage he had flattered himself with, disputed the authenticity of
the actions, and thereby threw her into such discredit, as to render all
attempts to raise money on them ineffectual. Upon this the Lady wrote a
Letter by the common post to his Majesty of Prussia, accompanied with
a Memorial complaining of the treatment she had received from the
Director; and she likewise enclosed the actions themselves in another
letter to a friend at Berlin. By the return of the post, his Majesty
condescended to answer her Letter; and the actions were returned
authenticated; which so restored her credit, that in a few hours all
difficulties were removed relating to the transaction she had in
hand; and it is more than probable the Director has felt his Majesty's
resentment