In the evening John returned with his grandfather to the castle, when upon stepping out of the coach, a letter was put into his hand, that had the signature of the several gentlemen of the new coalition, and was to the following purport-- “Dear Sir, As you seemed pleased with the horse, which we invited you to make trial of, we have taken the liberty of putting him into your stable, and jointly request that you will not refuse to gratify us by your acceptance of him. When we tell you he is full brother to Glendowr, we flatter ourselves we cannot better recommend him to you, and when we assure you, that we can no otherwise be reconciled to the disgrace of our late connection with Sir David Owen, except by your allowing us to present you with this token of our esteem, we trust you will not mortify us by a refusal. We have the honour to be, &c. &c.” Though John was highly delighted with this present, he did not consider himself secure in the possession of it, till he had submitted the letter to his grandfather. The good old man was under no difficulty as to his decision, for luckily this was one of the few questions, that in his contemplation did not wear two faces; so that he said at once, applying himself to his friend Colonel Wilson--I see no reason why my grandson should decline this very handsome compliment. There is no reason, said the colonel. And why is there none? rejoined the other: why, but because a horse, or a sword, is by all the rules of chivalry, a present of honour, which it is no degradation to accept, though it were tendered to a general or a prince? I conceive it degrades no man to accept a present from a friend. I am not sure of that. Friendship can sanctify many things, but not all. An equipoise of favours is essential to friendship, but an overweight throws it out of its balance: it then becomes patronage, and the party obliged incurs a debt, which although it be the debt of gratitude, entails a duty upon him, and is not of the true spirit of friendship. Therefore it is that a king can hardly have a real friend--“Gods, how I should love Augustus, said a certain Roman, if he were not Cæsar.” The anecdote is to the point of my remark. I dare say it is, said the Colonel, but I cannot exactly understand how it applies to the point in question. If you allude to the question whether my grandson John should accept the horse, that is settled; there cannot be two opinions in that case: favours of that sort are not to be refused. I rejoice to hear it, rejoined the colonel, for I consider it as an earnest of future favours, when my friend John shall be of age to take the duties of our county member on himself, unanimously chosen.