He makes no pretensions to letters; but
he is an adept in every thing else that can be either useful or
entertaining. Among other qualifications, he is a complete
sportsman, and counted the best shot in the county. He and
Dennison, and Lismahago and I, attended by Clinker, went a-shooting
yesterday, and made a great havock among the partridges --
To-morrow we shall take the field against the woodcocks and
snipes. In the evening we dance and sing, or play at commerce,
loo, and quadrille.
Mr Dennison is an elegant poet, and has written some detached
pieces on the subject of his passion for Liddy, which must be
very flattering to the vanity of a young woman -- Perhaps he is one
of the greatest theatrical geniuses that ever appeared. He
sometimes entertains us with reciting favourite speeches from our
best plays. We are resolved to convert the great hall into a
theatre, and get up the Beaux Stratagem without delay -- I think I
shall make no contemptible figure in the character of Scrub; and
Lismahago will be very great in Captain Gibbet. Wilson undertakes
to entertain the country people with Harlequin Skeleton, for
which he has got a jacket ready painted with his own hand.
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