and humouring my poor father. Talk'd with him, read to him, play'd at
cribbage with him (for so short is the old man's recollection, that he
was playing at cards, as tho' nothing had happened, while the Coroner's
Inquest was sitting over the way!). Samuel wept tenderly when he went
away, for his mother wrote him a very severe letter on his loitering so
long in town, and he was forced to go. Mr. Norris of Christ Hospital has
been as a father to me, Mrs. Norris as a mother; tho' we had few claims
on them. A Gentleman, brother to my Godmother, from whom we never had
right or reason to expect any such assistance, sent my father twenty
pounds,--and to crown all these God's blessings to our family at such a
time, an old Lady, a cousin of my father and Aunt's, a Gentlewoman of
fortune, is to take my Aunt and make her comfortable for the short
remainder of her days.

My Aunt is recover'd and as well as ever, and highly pleased at thoughts
of going,--and has generously given up the interest of her little money
(which was formerly paid my Father for her board) wholely and solely to
my Sister's use. Reckoning this we have, Daddy and I, for our two selves
and an old maid servant to look after him, when I am out, which will be
necessary, L170 or L180 (rather) a year, out of which we can spare 50 or
60 at least for Mary, while she stays at Islington, where she must and
shall stay during her father's life for his and her comfort. I know John
will make speeches about it, but she shall not go into an hospital. The
good Lady of the mad house, and her daughter, an elegant sweet behaved
young Lady, love her and are taken with her amazingly, and I know from
her own mouth she loves them, and longs to be with them as much.--Poor
thing, they say she was but the other morning saying, she knew she must
go to Bethlem for life; that one of her brothers would have it so, but
the other would wish it not, but be obliged to go with the stream; that
she had often as she passed Bedlam thought it likely "here it may be my