But the highest perfection ever attained by a Briton, in this kind of writing, belongs to the author of Tom Jones. In describing man as he is, human nature, either in general, or modified by particular situations, opinions, habits, and pursuits; in exhibiting character, either in detailed operation, or by a few strokes; in preserving consistency; in making language, sentiments, and actions, appropriate to the different personages ; in shewing the operation of affections, either habitual or accidental, the rise and progress of passion; in variety of incident, all subservient to the main design; in natural and pathetic situation; in humour, either dilated or compressed; in wit, strong and brilliant; in interesting the reader, no writer of our country ever equalled Fielding.

She was what is called in Scotland, a sonsy lass , that is, en bon point -- a species of charms to which William had often declared himself very partial.

M r. Aitchison [...] trusted entirely to his wit, a quality which, in that orator, consisted exclusively in broad Scotch; a mode of pronunciation, it must be allowed, as much a-kin to wit as spouting is to eloquence.

Charles modestly answered [...] that he had soon found Vampus to have little ability and information; that he had, once or twice, thought of applying to be removed; but as Vampus was civil to him, and he could acquire the English pronunciation as well under a weak man as an able man , and could pursue his own studies, if without any advantage from the knowledge of his master, at least without any hurt from his ignorance, he had refrained writing to his father on the subject.

"Well," continued the Laird, " I hope you have not forgot the Erse language and Highland amusements ; I hope you were a match for all your comrades at manly exercises as well as your books."

To keep you therefore no longer in suspense, Lucy began by saying, (in a hesitating voice and a countenance strongly impressed with terror,) "Law, mame !, you look frightened;--sure you hav'n't seen any thing! O dear me, mame , this house is sartainly haunted. I have heard sitch noises as none but spirits could make; and as sure as I stands here alive, the t'other night, as I was a coming through the gallery where all the pictures be, I heard a noise, and as I turned my head, ( tho' I generally shuts my eyes if I comes that way,) law! I thought I should a died; for the great picture of the ould lady as fronts the door, and I always thinks looks at me, but now its eyes moved, and I saw them as plain, mame , as I now see your's move. Well -- I runs screaming back again, and just as I got to the great stairs I met Mary housemaid, and so she seeing me so frighted, we took fast hold of one another, and shut our eyes, and so we run downstairs; and when I told her what had made me so frightful, she was not at all surprised, for she said she had seen it more than once or twice; and when she told it in the kitchen, Mr. Harding, master's gentleman, said there was no occasion to be afeard , for sitch things did happen now a-days; and said as how he had read a book called The Castle of Trantum, where the pictures walked out of their frames, and sighed; and I think he said, sometimes spoke! Lord bless us! it makes me shake now but to think on't. However, I have never ventured through the gallery since; but I believe it is the same in every place in the house; for the dairy-maid, who is up sometimes before 'tis light, says she has seen lights and and faces a looking through the windows in the lower buildings, and heard sitch noises, as she's sure the ghosts must be playing strange gambols .

I asked Arthur Bennet, in a careless manner, if the castle had not been always famous for strange and unaccountable noises. "Yes, good madam," he replied, "that it has; but I never minded the nonsense that was talked. I have lived in it nine-and-forty years come next Michaelmas, and, thank God, have never see'd anything uglier than myself. As to noises, 'tis impossible that in such a great rambling place, but that there must be noises. Why I reckon there be rats as old as I am, or nearly; and then the wind makes its way in all the long passages and staicases enough to startle a bold man. But I hope, my dear lady, you have met with nothing to fright or terrify you; and I am sorry you did not go to London with his honour: such a sweet couple should never be parted. My old master and mistress never were divided for fifty years, and only then by death. But fashions be changed since then, and they say as nobody lives in that sort of way now a-days,--the more's the pity; for when two people loves one another , they should always be together."

[speaking of visit to a cavern in Buxton, Derbyshire]
They got me in one cavern all dripping with wet, with great stones rolling under one's feet, in a place where you cannot stand upright, and two or three of the most hideous women to attend you I ever beheld, who talked in a dialect I could not understand, but seemed to express the beauties, as well as the wonders of the place .

Dear John,
[Writing] You nose as I promished to rite , and I be the more willen so to do becuase you nose of my parshality to Mrs. Jane, an I shud a rit soonder , but we a been in so mutsh bussle an confushion that I had no hart to set down to rite . My lord is gon now, marcy on him--I wish weed niver comed hear , but I musent tell tails . Sitch wachings and ridings by day an by nite , an for wat , for nothin but wat wull be a disgrase an the sweetest lady--but she as gin us the go by , an now we be all left at Blanzey upon bored wages, an not a thing we can get for our munny , for theres nothen to be had. Ireland is tore to peces , sad doins, indeed you may meet we rebles evry step you stur , an evry body goes harmed , an fokes hear mins no moor bein murdurd than if they was goen to a feest . Lord help us say I, but this is nothen to the purpus of wat as I ment to rite about. Tell Mrs. Jane as how in all my trubbles , an all my gurneys , an all my walkins , I niver forgot she , nor was niver arter thinkin of any thing ellse , tho my lord kep us up nite arter nite , an now we ha bin skuwring ovver the contry for madam, I musent menchun her name for fear of axidents . I think she must be dead or killed by the rebles , for wear can she be gon to, she ha no frends hear , and dont no nothen of her way, how shoud she poor sowl , an she was carred off in sitch a frite an a urry from her oun hous as she niver rekoverd , and she woudent speke to my lord if she cood help it, and was resentful to the last, but when my lord whent away, he sayed as how hed niver com bak till hed foond her, for she was all he walled in lif , so how it will hend God only nose , but bein as how she was a marred whoman , hit may prov a bad gob , and my pore lord git into trubble , but whinever you tels hit hit must be a seekret . I shal be glad to here from you. Plees to remembar me to all freends , and in partikilar to Mrs. Jane. Dereckt to me at write honnabel Lord Wycount Fitzarnolds Blanzey Lodge near Limerick Ireland, an if you pays the postadge it wull com free, so no more to command your
Loving freend
Stephen Macardoe
P.S. If you shoud here of Madam Sent Edward you may let me no , and you shall sheer sum of my reward, but her nam musent be menshend .