The death of a late Princess was the æra of my formation, at which time I was called to this state as a symbol of sorrow, (formed by R ——’s skillful hand) for the use of a commoner of distinguished abilities. With him, in the senate-house, have I seen the best heads have the worst hearts, and fallacious eloquence silence truth, when delivered in simplicity of language: but being naturally of a volatile disposition, this life of idleness, for it was seldom I appeared in public, grew irksome to me, and I languished to see the world. My wishes were at length gratified; the limited time of mourning being expired, I was disposed of to a favorite domestic, who soon after, for a small consideration, consigned me over to Mr. ——, a merchant in Monmouth-Street. Here properly I may say I began to exist; my heart dilated with joy at the prospect of seeing life, and associating with the various characters that visit this place. I was soon introduced by my new owner to the class of _occasional gentleman_, each of whom I had the mortification to see frequently depart from our prison of dust and moths, and enjoy liberty and fresh air; many objecting to me on account of my size, which was then far above the common, though now, as you may see, below it, having lately been curtailed by the degrading scissars of a botcher, and refused by more from my colour. At length an Irish footman, after being disappointed by the whole class of _Beaus_, who were not equal to his Herculean breadth of shoulders, determined to appear in a character of gravity, and sallied forth with me on his back. Various were my conjectures where this enterprizing genius was carrying me, nor was I quite free from fear of receiving stripes, from the temerity of my adventurer; for I concluded it was not an expedition squared by the rules of right altogether; especially as many of our community frequently brought home with them marks of various disasters, sometimes being dragged through a horse-pond, at other times rolled in a kennel, besides numberless canings and kickings, and were generally afterwards delivered over to the inhumanity of a scowerer, who impaired us more, with the variety of brushes he tormented us with, than a whole year of service.