Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 1.djvu/194

 BOYSE from the city, and the morning on which he was to have rode 183 to town with her grace's letter, proved to be rainy. This trivial circumstance was sufficient to discourage Boyse, who was never accustomed to look beyond the present moment, and who invariably acted up to the old Spanish proverb of " Never doing that to-day, that can be done to-morrow" he, therefore, declined going to town on account of the rainy weather; and while he let slip the opportunity, the place was bestowed upon another; and he was consoled by the commissioner's declaration, " that he had kept the place vacant for some time in expectation of seeing a person recommended by the Duchess of Gordon. Such is the story of the disappointment, in which all Boyse's biographers have acquiesced, and which bears strongly the marks of probability. Its consistency has been objected to by some on account of the epithet " some time" being applied by the commissioner; but let it be remembered that Boyse had studied, and was thoroughly acquainted with every chapter of “ The Art of Indolence," and that there was no space of time but what he would have got rid of without knowing how. It is certain that this, as well as every other kind inten- tion of his patrons in Scotland, were defeated by bis per- verse conduct; and that he remained at Ediuburgh until contempt and poverty were succeeded by the dread of incar- ceration. To escape from a prospect, which, viewed at all points, appeared dreary in the extreme, he determined on visiting London; and had no sooner communicated his design of going to England, than the Duchess of Gordon (who still retained a high opinion of his poetieal abilities) gave him a recommendatory letter to Mr. Pope, and obtained another for him to Sir Peter King, then lord chancellor, and procured for him several, to persons of rank, fashion, and influence. Lord Stormont also recommended him to his brother, the solicitor-general, afterwards the celebrated Lord Mansfield. Upon receiving these let-