 of this Person, the Landlord now ascended, and acquainted our
fair Travellers, that a great Gentleman below desired to do them the Honour of
waiting on them. Sophia turned pale, and trembled at this Message, tho' the
Reader will conclude it was too civil, notwithstanding the Landlord's Blunder,
to have come from her Father; but Fear hath the common Fault of a Justice of
Peace, and is apt to conclude hastily from every slight Circumstance, without
examining the Evidence on both Sides.
    To ease the Reader's Curiosity, therefore, rather than his Apprehensions, we
proceed to inform him, that an Irish Peer had arrived very late that Evening at
the Inn in his Way to London. This Nobleman having sallied from his Supper at
the Hurricane before commemorated, had seen the Attendant of Mrs. Fitzpatrick,
and upon a short Enquiry was informed, that her Lady, with whom he was very
particularly acquainted, was above. This Information he had no sooner received,
than he addressed himself to the Landlord, pacified him, and sent him up Stairs
with Compliments rather civiler than those which were delivered.
    It may perhaps be wondered at, that the Waiting- herself was not the
Messenger employed on this Occasion; but we are sorry to say, she was not at
present qualified for that, or indeed for any other Office. The Rum (for so the
Landlord chose to call the Distillation from Malt) had basely taken the
Advantage of the Fatigue which the poor Woman had undergone, and had made
terrible Depredations on her noble Faculties, at a Time when they were very
unable to resist the Attack.
    We shall not describe this tragical Scene too fully; but we thought
ourselves obliged by that historic Integrity which we profess, shortly to hint a
Matter which we would otherwise have been glad to have spared. Many Historians
indeed, for Want of this Integrity, or of Diligence, to say no worse, often
leave the Reader to find out these little Circumstances in the Dark, and
sometimes to his great Confusion and Perplexity.
    Sophia was very soon eased of her causeless Fright by the Entry of the noble
Peer, who was not only an intimate Acquaintance of Mrs. Fitzpatrick; but in
reality a very particular Friend of that Lady. To say Truth, it was by his
Assistance, that she had been enabled to escape from her Husband; for this
Nobleman had the same gallant Disposition with those renowned Knights, of whom
we read in heroic Story, and had delivered many an imprisoned Nymph from
Durance. He was indeed as bitter an Enemy to the savage Authority too often
exercised
