A considerable gap occurs in these letters after Boswell's direct and decided rejection by his "Princess." In 1768, the "Corsican Tour," from which he was to date his reformation, was given to the world. In the following year General Paoli arrived in London, and Boswell was occupied promenading in his train and sunning himself in the splendour of the General's reflected light. Even the journal of Dr. Johnson's conversations languished during these obsequious and complacent exhibitions of Boswell's weakness; and the editor of these letters very fairly infers that his correspondent Temple may have been neglected from the same cause. An account of the Jubilee at Stratford-upon-Avon, in the London Magazine of September, 1769, states that "one of the most remarkable masks upon the occasion was James Boswell, Esq., in the dress of an armed Corsican chief." From the prominence of his figure and the minute description of his accoutrements, and especially from the admiring strain in which his bearing is described and his poetry quoted, it may be inferred that the account was written by the armed Corsican himself. His ridiculous deportment on this occasion is, however, too familiar to be given here, and we pass on to an event of his life almost contemporaneous with his Corsican follies, an event which is fairly expected to teach a man prudence that is to say, in the same year, in his butterfly season, the susceptible Boswell was actually captured and married.

The preliminaries of this compromising and conclusive step had been just as devious and characteristic

as usual, and had shown his excitable and fickle disposition. On the 8th of February, 1768, he is writing. to Temple-" All is over between Miss Blair and me." He has come to an understanding with his rival, the nabob, and has tried the young lady again since his former rebuff; but she has told him he has no chance, so "the proud Boswell" again for a time concludes he has "had enough." On visiting her he had exclaimed, "Upon my soul a fine woman," but now again she is merely "a good Scots lass," and he can make "a Crambo song" on losing her. His mind is now "twice as enlarged as it has been for some months. You cannot say how fine a woman I may marry; perhaps a Howard, or some other of the noblest in the kingdom."

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In the following month we hear of "a charming Dutchwoman" of Utrecht, with whom he has renewed his correspondence, "and upon my soul, Temple, I must have her." But he finds that "the fair and lively Zelide (such was either her name or his designation for her) has no chance for the vote of the Rector of Mamhead." His father, also, is opposed to the match; so that he has already a fair excuse for regarding the counter-attractions of a certain "fine, healthy, young, amiable Miss Dick." It is true Zelide, who has some little failings to which his friends objected, may alter for the better, as he himself had promised to alter when. the Corsican volume was published. But he destroys the effect of this consolatory anticipation by admitting to Temple, that since his last coming to town, notwithstanding his vows, he has been as wild as ever. Ten days later he is again writing to Temple, "Your moral

lecture came to me yesterday in very good time, while I lay suffering severely for immorality. If there is any firmness at all in me, be assured that I shall never again behave in a manner so unworthy the friend of Paoli. My warm imagination looks forward with. great complacency on the sobriety, the healthfulness, and the worth of my future life." Thus far he has not given up Zolide, for he proposes to go over to Holland and see her, and encloses her letters to Temple, that he may regard her more favourably. Little more than a fortnight later, "Is she not a termagant, or, at least, will she not be one by the time she is forty and she is near thirty now. Indeed, Temple, thou reasonest well... I was eager for the Guards, I was eager for Mademoiselle, but you have happily restrained me from both."

In the same letter we have indications of the social engagements with which he diversified his matrimonial speculations

"I am really the great man now. I have had David Hume in the forenoon and Mr. Johnson in the afternoon of the same day visiting me. Sir John Pringle, Dr. Franklin, and some more company, dined with me to-day; and Mr. Johnson and General Oglethorpe one day, Mr. Garrick alone another, and David Hume and some literati another, dine with me next week. I give admirable dinners and good claret; and the moment I go abroad again, which will be in a day or two, I set up my chariot. This is enjoying the fruit of my labours and appearing like the friend of Paoli."

At the same time he is getting up a subscription for the Corsicans, and sending them arms and ammunition, and generously offering money to Temple, who has had

considerable losses by the bankruptcy of a friend. In the letter in which he thus evinces his generosity, of the 24th of August, 1768, we find that his matrimonial project has taken the following new turn :

"I am exceedingly lucky in having escaped the insensible Miss B. and the furious Zelide, for I have now seen the finest creature that ever was formed, la belle Irlandaise. Figure to yourself, Temple, a young lady just sixteen, formed like a Grecian nymph, with the sweetest countenance, full of sensibility, accomplished, with a Dublin education, always half the year in the north of Ireland, her father a counsellor-at-law, with an estate of £1,000 a year, and above £10,000 in ready money; her mother a sensible, well-bred woman; she the darling of her parents, and no other child but her sister. She is cousin to some consins of mine in this county. I was at their house while she and her father and mother and aunt were over upon a visit just last week. The counsellor is as worthy a gentleman as ever I saw. Your friend was a favourite with all of them. From morning to night I admired the charming Mary Anne. Upon my honour, I never was so much in love; I never was before in a situation to which there was not some objection; but 'here every flower is united,' and not a thorn to be found. But how shall I manage it? They were in a hurry, and are gone home to Ireland. They were sorry they could not come to see Auchinleck, of which they had heard a great deal. Mary Anne wished much to be in the grotto. It is a pity they did not come; this princely seat would have had some effect. I received the kindest invitation to come and see them in Ireland, and I promised to be there in March. In the mean time both the father and the aunt write to me. What a fortunate fellow am I! What a variety of adventures in all countries! I was allowed to walk a great deal with Miss I repeated my fervent passion to her again and again; she was pleased, and I could swear that her little heart beat. I carved the first letter of her name on a tree; I cut off a lock of her hair, malè pertinax. She promised not to forget me, nor to marry a lord before March. Her aunt said to me, Mr. Boswell, I tell you seriously there will be no fear of his succeeding but from your

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