22 
had feen fuch a man, but no’anfwer 
could be obtained from the houfe. 
On this added information, how- 
ever, Colonel Timms refolved to 
have the ftable door opened, and a 
blackfmith was fent for—and they 
entered the houfe together. In the 
lower parts of it—all was fhut and 
filent. On afcending the ftair-cafe 
however, they heard the moans of a 
perfon, feemingly in diftrefs. They 
went to the chamber—and there, 
upon an old pallet bed, lay ftretched 
out, feemingly in death, rhe figure 
of old Mr. Elwes. For fome time 
he feemed infenfible that any body 
was near him; but on fome cordials 
being adminiftered by a neighbour- 
ing apothecary, who was {ent for, 
he recovered enough to fay—“ That 
he had, he believed, been ill for 
two or three days, and that there 
was an old woman in the houfe, but 
for fome reafon or other fhe had not 
been near him. That fhe had been 
ill herfelf, but that fhe had got well, 
he fuppofed, and gone away.” 
On repairing to the garrets, they 
found the o/d awoman—the com- 
panion of all his movements, and 
the partner of all his journies— 
ftretched out lifelefs on a rug upon 
the floor. To all appearances fhe 
had been dead about two days. 
In three fucceffive parliaments, 
Mr. Elwes was chofen for Berk- 
fhire: and he fat as member of the 
hovufé of commons about twelve 
years. It is to his honours-an ho- 
nour in thefe times, indeed, mott 
rare! that in every part of his 
conduét, and in every-vote he gave, 
. he proved himfelf to be what he 
truly was—an independent country 
gentleman. 
All this time the income of Mr. 
Elwes was increafing hourly, and his 
prefent expenditure was next to no- 
ANNUAL REGISTER) 1790. 
thing ; for the little pleafures he 
had once engaged in, he had now 
given up. He kept.no houfe, and 
only one old fervant and a couple 
of horfes; he refided with his ne- 
phew; his two fons he had ftation- 
ed in Suffolk and Berkshire, to look 
after his refpective eftates; and his 
drefs certainly was no expence to 
him; for, had not other people 
been more careful than himfelf, he 
would not have had it even mended. 
When he left London, he went 
on horfeback to his country feats, 
with his couple of hard eggs, and 
without once {topping upon the road 
at any houfe. He always took the 
moft unfrequented road—but Mar- 
cham was the feat he now chiefly 
vifited; which had fome reafon to 
be flattered with the preference, as 
his journey into. Suffolk coft him 
only ¢wo pence halfpenny, while that 
into Berkfhire amounted to four- 
pence! ' 
When his fon was in the guards, 
he was frequently in, the habit of 
dining at the officers’ table there. 
The politenefs of his manners ren- 
dered him agreeable to every one, 
and in time he became acquainted 
with every officer in-the corps ; 
amongft the reft, with a gentleman * 
of the name of Tempett, whofe 
good-humour was almoit proverbial. 
A vacancy happening in a majority, 
it fell to this gentleman to purchafe ; 
but as money is not always to be 
got upon landed property zmmedi- 
ately, it was imagined fome officer 
would have been obliged to pur-. 
chafe over his head. Old Mr. 
Elwes heard of the circuméance, 
and fent him the money next mor- 
ning. He afked no fecurity—he 
had feen Captain ‘Tempelt, and 
liked his manners; and he never 
once afterwards talked to him gid 
c 
