The Rhode Island American, And General Advertiser

FROM THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER
The following amusing memoranda are copied
from an old Diary, kept by an American
gentleman who resided in London during
our Revolutionary war. These minutes are
taken from a note under the head "Distinguished
Characters," and handed to us for
publication:
I again met the worthy Doctor Ogle, Dean
of Winchester, in Shelburne-house library
with Doctor Price (which is very near the
Dean's house in Berkley-Square.) It began
to rain, and I yielded to Doctor Ogle's solicitation
to dine, although I had just promised
Doctor Price to attend him to Hackney for a
packet to Doctor Franklin. I never partook
of a pleasanter dinner, as, after getting the
interesting news of the day at the St. James'
palace (for the Dean is clerk of the closet to
his Majesty, and is frequently in waiting on
the royal family) I there met Lord Euston
(son of the Duke of Grafton) very soon after
his elopement with one of the Queen's maids
of honour; also, the witty and facetious Mr.
Sheridan, then paying his addresses to Miss
Ogle, the Dean's daughter, who was then
doing the honours of her father's table; and
last, though not least in my estimation and regard,
Bishop Watson, whom I had known at
Oxford, in my visits to Mr. Harford, son of
Lord Baltimore, as Professor of Chemistry,
Divinity, &c. &c. and had seen at his father
in-law's house, Mr. Watson, of Durham-Tower,
near the lakes of Westmoreland. I shall never
forget his predictions, and his liberal converse
upon religious sectaries; his admiration of the
style of American state papers the declaration
of independence, &c.; his general philanthropy;
his encomiums on the mildness of
American laws and institutions, inviting and
opening her arms to the enlightened and industrious
of all nations, &c. The Bishop joined
in ridiculing the yet favourite topic among
the tory courtiers, warring for the balance of
power!! emphatically saying, Europe would
likely soon have but two or three powers to
rule, or rather "misrule" its people, and those
would likely be Russia, Austria, and France,
and that America would assuredly become the
first naval power.
N. B.-Dean Ogle is brother to the late regal
Governor of Maryland, and inquired
much after that family in Maryland, as his
nearest of kindred.
Miss Ogle was questioning Lord Euston,
as to the fact then stated in the daily papers,
about the two laconic epistles which passed
between the Duke of Dorset and Lord Euston.
He, the Duke, having helped the runaway
maid of honour into the post-chaise from the
Queen's palace, and laying his injunction of--
mind Lord Euston to write from the first stage.
and you will meet a letter from me at Gretna
Green. The return post-chaise brought the
Duke of Dorset the following:
"I am the happiest dog alive. Yours,
EUSTON."
And he met at Gretna Green the following
answer:
"Every dog has his day. Yours,
DORSET."
Mr. Sheridan, always ready at quotations,
mentioned his seeing the following lines scratched
on a pane of glass, at the next Inn to Gretna
Green, where the runaway lovers always
stop to prepare for the blacksmith's marriage
of them in Scotland :
"Ye loving fair ones, keep this truth in view.
Few hasty marriages are happy too."
-It caused a great laugh against Sheridan, on
the Dean's saying, very good naturedly (for
Sheridan was soon after his son-in-law) I suppose
you were the author of the verse; while
you were running away with Miss Linley-the
famed maid of Bath, a first rate musical performer.
and to whom Mr. Sheridan was said
to be but a bad husband.