CHAR‘ AC THER S. 
in the hands of the needy, always .a table, and an old woman, were 
drew him on to a loan of money. 
A {mall wine-merchant who had 
thefe views—begged his acceptance 
of fome very fime.cwine, and in a 
 fhort time obtained the loan of fome 
hundred pounds. Old Elwes. uled 
ever after to fay, “ Jt was, indeed, 
wery fine wine, for it cof? him taventy 
pounds a bottle!” 
Mr. Elwes, from h‘s father, Mr. 
Meggot, -had inherited {ome pro- 
per y in houfes in London; parti- 
cularly about tne Haymarket, not far 
from which old Mr. Elwes drew his 
fir breath—for, by his regifter, it 
appears, he was born in St, James’s 
parith. . To this property he began 
now to add, by engagements with one 
of the Adams, about building, which 
he increafed f:om year to year to a 
very lacge extent. .Great part of 
Marybone foon. called him her 
founder. Portland-place and Port- 
man-fquare, the riding-hcu‘es and 
flables of the fecond troop of life 
guards, and buildings too numerous 
~ to name, all rofe out of iis pocket. 
In poffeffions fo large, of courfe 
it would happen that fome of the 
fes were without a tenant; and, 
verefore, it was the cuftom of Mr. 
ilwes, whenever he went to Lon- 
don, to occupy any of thefe pre- 
mifes. which might ,happen to be 
vacant. He had thus a new way 
_ of fecing London and its inhabi- 
- tants——for he travelled in this man- 
; ner from ftreet to: ftreet; and when- 
ever any body chofe to take the 
4  heufe where he was, he was always 
on 
ready to move into any other, He 
was frequently an itinerant.for a 
t's lodging; and though matter 
| above an -hundyed houfes, he 
never wilhed to reft-his head long 
Sisiy he chofe to call his own. A 
ple of beds, a couple of chairs, 
21 
all his furniture; and he moved 
them them about at a minu.e’s 
warnin 
The ane which terminated the 
life of this old woman, is not, the 
dJeaft fingu'ar among the ‘anecdvtes 
that are recorded of Mr. E!wes. 
But it is too well authenticated to 
be doubted. I had the circumftance 
related to me by thé late Colonel 
‘Timms himfelf. 
Mr. Elwes had come to town in 
his u‘wal way——and taken up his 
abod» in one of his hoxufes that 
were empty. Colonel Timms, who 
wifhed much to fee him, .by fome 
accident was informed that his uncle 
was in} London; but then how to 
find im was the dificuity. He en- 
quired at all the uiual places where 
at was probable he might be head 
of: he went to. Mr. Hoare’s, . his 
banker—to the Mou t Coffee-houle 
—but no tidings were to be heard 
of him. Not many days afte wards, 
however, he learnt from a “perfon 
whom he met accidenta‘ly, taat 
they had feen Mr. Elwes going into 
an uninhabited houfe in G-eat 
Mar!borou h-ftreet. 'T'uis was fome 
clue to,Co’oael. Timms: a d away 
he went thither. As. the bef mode 
of informaiion, he got, hold of a 
hairman—but no intelligence could 
he gain of a gentlemay ‘called Mr, 
Elwes... Coloacl Timms thea de- 
fcribed his perfon—but xo gentleman 
had beenfven. A pot-doy, ho vever,: 
reco'leéted that. he had feen a poor 
old maa opening the door of the 
flable, and locking it after lim 5 
and f om every defcription, it igreed 
with the perfon of old MroE wes., 
OF courfe, Colonel ‘Timms went, to 
the houfe :—he kaock.d very loud~' 
ly at the door—but no one aniwered, 
Some of the neighbours faid they 
C3 had 
