And adorn'd by the bays or enwreath'd with the willow Her smile is our meed, and her bosom our pillow. But ah! my good mother this subject I find, Has quite run away with my paper and mind, For in themes so bewitching so many thoughts pop in The mania of scribbling finds no place to stop in, But in praising the ladies you can't think me rude, So adieu till my next--'tis high time to conclude. &c. &c. &c. LETTER III. _Low Harrogate, July 30th._ With pleasure dear mother commence I this letter To tell you already I find myself better, To the praise of the well be it known I am able, To pick up my crumbs with the best at the table, And now think the landlord a very wise man, For placing thereon all the dishes he can, No longer fastidious or squeamish or dainty, I like all I see and rejoice that there's plenty, But since I wrote last by my doctor's prescription, I've had a warm bath of which take my description Fair Derwent how oft in thy pure limpid wave, Delighted I lov'd in full freedom to lave, While on thy green banks in soft herbage reposing, The swains and their flocks, were contentedly dosing And the landscape around, and above the blue sky Shed new life on the heart while they solac'd the eye Little thought I in those days so sunny and smiling, What a different thing was a Harrogate boiling, And astonish'd I saw when I came to my doffing[2], A tub of hot water made just like a coffin, In which the good woman who tended the bath, Declar'd I must lie down as straight as a lath, Just keeping my face above water that so, I might better inhale the fine fume from below, "But mistress," 'quoth I in a trembling condition,' "I hope you'll allow me one small requisition, Since scrophula, leprosy, herpes, and scurvy, Have all in this coffin been roll'd topsy-turvy, 232 In a physical sense I presume it is meet, That each guest should be wrapt in a clean winding sheet," "Oh no! my good sir for whatever's your case, You can never catch any thing bad in this place, And that being settled on solid foundation, We Harrogate bath-women spurn innovation." So caviller like I submitted to pow'r, And was coddled in troth for the third of an hour. But that very same night to atone for it all, I figur'd away the first man at the ball, For the president being both idle and lusty, Conceiv'd that his pow'rs "à la danse" were grown rusty, And consign'd all his rights in this gay exhibition, To myself as a man of more able condition, But oh! how it griev'd me dear mother to find, So very few beaux were to dancing inclin'd; Constellations of beauty all night shone in vain, Condemn'd as fix'd stars unremov'd to remain, Whose influence benignant ne'er reach'd from their sphere, To warm the cold heels of the gentlemen here, Captain--r--r consider'd a man of high ton,