Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/289

Rh ſhall quote one inſtance amongſt many in the words of the writer of his life, which will ſerve to ſhew the heedleſs profuſion of that unaccountable nobleman.

‘A young Iriſh lord of the duke’s acquaintance, of a ſweet obliging and generous diſpoſition, happening to be at St. Germains, at the time his grace was paying a viſit to his lady; the duke came to him one night, with an air of buſineſs, and told his lordſhip that an affair of importance called him inſtantly to Paris, in which no time was to be loſt, wherefore he begged the favour of his lordſhip’s coach. The young nobleman lent it very readily, but as the duke was ſtepping into it, he added, that he ſhould reckon it an additional obligation, if his lordſhip would give him his company: As the duke was alone, the young lord either could not, or would not, refuſe him. They went together for Paris, where they arrived about midnight. The duke’s companion then ſuppoſing his grace’s buſineſs might demand privacy, offered to leave him and come again, when it ſhould be finiſhed; but he aſſured his lordſhip it was not neceſſary; upon which they went upon the following frolic together. The firſt thing to be done, was to hire a coach and four horſes; the next to find out the muſic belonging to the Opera, ſix or eight of which his grace engaged at a ſet price: The young lord could not imagine in what this would end; till they returned to St. Germains, which was at five the next morning; when the duke marching directly with his troop to the caſtle, ordered them to ſtrike upon the ſtairs. Then the plot broke out into execution, being no more than to ſerenade ſome young ladies, near whoſe apartments they then were.

‘This piece of extravagant gallantry being over, the duke perſuaded the young lord to go about a mile off, to Poiſſy, where an Engliſh gentleman of