two years (May 1758-May 1760,) between my return to England and
the embodying of the Hampshire militia, I passed about nine months in
London, and the remainder in the country. The metropolis affords many
amusements, which are open to all. It is itself an astonishing and
perpetual spectacle to the curious eye; and each taste, each sense may
be gratified by the variety of objects which will occur in the long
circuit of a morning walk. I assiduously frequented the theatres at a
very propitious aera of the stage, when a constellation of excellent
actors, both in tragedy and comedy, was eclipsed by the meridian
brightness of Garrick in the maturity of his judgment, and vigour of his
performance. The pleasures of a town-life are within the reach of every
man who is regardless of his health, his money, and his company. By the
contagion of example I was sometimes seduced; but the better habits,
which I had formed at Lausanne, induced me to seek a more elegant and
rational society; and if my search was less easy and successful than
I might have hoped, I shall at present impute the failure to the
disadvantages of my situation and character. Had the rank and fortune of
my parents given them an annual establishment in London, their own
house would have introduced me to a numerous and polite circle of
acquaintance. But my father's taste had always preferred the highest
and the lowest company, for which he was equally qualified; and after
a twelve years' retirement, he was no longer in the memory of the great
with whom he had associated. I found myself a stranger in the midst of
a vast and unknown city; and at my entrance into life I was reduced to
some dull family parties, and some scattered connections, which were not
such as I should have chosen for myself. The most useful friends of my
father were the Mallets: they received me with civility and kindness at
first on his account, and afterwards on my own; and (if I may use
Lord Chesterfield's words) I was soon domesticated in their house. Mr.
Mallet, a name among the English poets, is praised by an unforgiving
enemy, for the ease and elegance of his conversation, and his wife was
not destitute of wit or learning. By his assistance I was introduced
to Lady Hervey, the mother of the present earl of Bristol. Her age
and infirmities confined her at home; her dinners were select; in the
evening her house was open to the best company of both sexes and all
nations; nor was I displeased at h