nor hoped. Then stepping to the ject of your discourse. The moglass, with great composure, My tives for your pleas in his favour, countenance, said she, is indeed are generous. I love to see inan honest picture of my heart. But stances of generous friendship in the mind will run away with the either sex. But I have written my body at any time. full mind on this subject to Miss Howe, who will communicate it to the ladies of his family. No more,

Writing is all my diversion, continued she; and I have subjects that cannot be dispensed with. As therefore, I pray you, upon a topic to my hours, I have always been that may lead to disagreeable rean early riser: but now rest is less criminations. in my power than ever. Sleep has a long time ago quarrelled with and will not be friends, although I have made the first advances. What will be, must.

me,

Her apothecary came in. He advised her to the air, and blamed her for so great an application, as he was told she made to her pen; and he gave it as the doctor's opinion, as well as his own, that she would recover, if she herself desired to recover, and would use the means.

She then stept to her closet, and brought me a parcel sealed up with three seals: be so kind, said she, as to give this to your friend. A very grateful present it ought to She may possibly write too much be to him: for, sir, this packet for her health: but I have obcontains such letters of his to me, as, compared with his actions, would reflect dishonour upon all his sex, were they to fall into other hands.

As to my letters to him, they are not many. He may either keep or destroy them, as he pleases.

I thought, Lovelace, I ought not to forego this opportunity to plead for you: I therefore, with the packet in my hand, urged all the arguments I could think of in your favour.

served, on several occasions, that when the medical men are at a loss what to prescribe, they enquire what their patients best like, or are most diverted with, and forbid them that.

But, noble-minded as they see this lady is, they know not half her nobleness of mind nor how deeply she is wounded; and depend too much upon her youth, which I doubt will not do in this case; and upon time, which will not alleviate the woes of such a mind: for, having been bent upon She heard me out with more doing good, and upon reclaiming attention than I could have pro-a libertine whom she loved, she is mised myself, considering her determined resolution.

I would not interrupt you, Mr. Belford, said she, though I am far from being pleased with the sub

disappointed in all her darling views, and will never be able, fear, to look up with satisfaction enough in herself to make life desirable to her. For this lady has

other views in living, than the lation to Miss Howe's health; common ones of eating, sleeping, acknowledging, in high terms, her dressing, visiting, and those other goodness in sending him to see fashionable amusements, which her, before she set out upon her fill up the time of most of her sex, little journey. especially of those of it, who think He gave her a letter from that themselves fitted to shine in and young lady which she put into her adorn polite assemblies. Her grief, bosom, saying, she would read it in short, seems to me to be of such by-and-by. a nature, that time, which alleviates most other persons' afflictions, will, as the poet says, give encrease You look at me with concern, to hers. Mr. Hickman, said she - O sir! Thou, Lovelace, mightest have times are strangely altered with seen all this superior excellence, me, since I saw you last at my as thou wentest along. In every dear Miss Howe's! What a

He was visibly shocked to see how ill she looked.

word, in every sentiment, in every cheerful creature was I then! action is it visible. But thy my heart at rest! my prospects cursed inventions and intriguing charming! and beloved by every spirit ran away with thee. "Tis body! - but I will not pain you! fit that the subject of thy wicked boast, and thy reflections on talents so egregiously misapplied, should be thy punishment and thy

curse.

Indeed, madam, said he, I am grieved for you at my soul.

He turned away his face, with visible grief in it.

Her own eyes glistened: but she Mr. Goddard took his leave; turned to each of us, presenting and I was going to do so too, when one to the other him to me, as the maid came up, and told her, a gentleman truly deserving to be a gentleman was below, who very called so me to him, as your earnestly enquired after her friend, indeed [how was I at that health, and desired to see her: his instant, ashamed of myself!] but, name Hickman. nevertheless, as a man of humaniShe was overjoyed; and bid ty; detesting my friend's basethe maid desire the gentleman to ness; and desirous of doing her all walk up. manner of good offices.

I would have withdrawn; but I suppose she thought it likely I should have met upon the stairs; and so she bid it.

Mr. Hickman received my civiwas lities with a coldness, which, howhim ever, was rather to be expected on for- your account, than that it deserved exception on mine. And the lady invited us both to breakfast with her in the morning; he being obliged to return the next day.

She shot to the stairs-head to receive him, and, taking his hand, asked half a dozen questions (without waiting for any answer) in re

I left them together, and called

upon Mr. Dorrell, my attorney, to a fortnight out and in. Upon which consult him upon poor Belton's she said, she should then perhaps affairs; and then went home, and have time to consider of that kind wrote thus far, preparative to proposal. what may occur in my breakfasting visit in the morning.

LETTER V.

Mr. Belford to Robert Lovelace, Esq.

Thursday, July 27.

He had tendered her money from Miss Howe; but could not induce her to take any. No wonder I was refused! she only said, that if she had occasion, she would be obliged to nobody but Miss Howe.

I WENT this morning, according Mr. Goddard her apothecary to the lady's invitation, to break- came in before breakfast was over. fast, and found Mr. Hickman with At her desire he sat down with us. her. Mr. Hickman asked him, if he

of me.

A good deal of heaviness and could give him any consolation in concern hung upon his coun- relation to Miss Harlowe's retenance; but he received me with covery, to carry down to a friend more respect than he did yester- who loved her as she loved her day; which, I presume, was owing own life? to the lady's favourable character The lady, said he, will do very well, if she will resolve upon it He spoke very little; for I sup- herself. Indeed you will, madam. pose they had all their talk out The doctor is entirely of this yesterday, and before I came this opinion; and has ordered nothing morning. for you, but weak jellies and inBy the hints that dropt, I per- nocent cordials, lest you should ceived that Miss Howe's letter starve yourself. And let me tell gave an account of your interview you, madam, that so much watchwith her at Col. Ambrose's of ing, so little nourishment, and so your professions to Miss Howe; much grief, as you seem to inand Miss Howe's opinion, that dulge, is enough to impair the marrying you was the only way most vigorous health, and to wear now left to repair her wrongs. out the strongest constitution.

Mr. Hickman, as I also gather- What, sir, said she, can I do? I ed, had pressed her, in Miss Howe's have no appetite. Nothing you name, to let her, on her return call nourishing will stay on my from the Isle of Wight, find her at stomach. I do what I can: and a neighbouring farmhouse, where have such kind directors in Dr. H. neat apartments would be made and you, that I should be inexready to receive her. She asked cusable if I did not. how long it would be before they I'll give you a regimen, madam, returned? And he told her, it replied he; which, I am sure, the was proposed to be no more than doctor will approve of, and will

make physic unnecessary in your timents of you with great freecase. And that is, "go to rest at dom, but with the politeness of a ten at night. Rise not till seven in gentleman.

the morning. Let your breakfast He told me how very determined be water-gruel, or milk pottage, the lady was against marrying or weak broths: your dinner any you; that she had, early this thing you like, so you will but eat: morning, set herself to write a a dish of tea, with milk in the after-letter to Miss Howe, in answer to noon; and sago for your supper: one he brought her, which he was and, my life for yours, this diet, to call for at twelve, it being aland a month's country air, will set most finished before he saw her you up." at breakfast; and that at three he proposed to set out on his return.

We were much pleased with the worthy gentleman's disinterested regimen: and she said, referring He told me that Miss Howe, and to her nurse (who vouched for her), her mother and himself, were to Pray, Mr. Hickman, let Miss Howe begin their little journey for the know the good hands I am in; and Isle of Wight on Monday next: as to the kind charge of the gen- but that he must make the most tleman, assure her, that all I pro- favourable representation of Miss mised to her, in the longest of my Harlowe's bad health, or they two last letters, on the subject of should have a very uneasy abmy health, I do and will, to the sence. He expressed the pleasure utmost of my power, observe. I he had in finding the lady in such have engaged, sir, (to Mr. God- good hands. He proposed to call dard) I have engaged, sir, (to me) on Dr. H. to take his opinion wheto Miss Howe, to avoid all wilful ther it were likely she would reneglects. It would be. an un- cover; and hoped he should find it pardonable fault, and very ill be- favourable. come the character I would be As he was resolved to make the glad to deserve, or the temper of best of the matter, and as the lady mind I wish my friends hereafter had refused to accept of money to think me mistress of, if I did offered by Mr. Hickman, I said nothing of her parting with her Mr. Hickman and I went after- clothes. I thought it would serve wards to a neighbouring coffee- no other end to mention it, but to house; and he gave me some ac- shock Miss Howe: for it has such count of your behaviour at the ball a sound with it, that a woman of on Monday night, and of your her rank and fortune should be so treatment of him in the conference reduced, that I cannot myself he had with you before that; which think of it with patience; nor he represented in a more favour- know I but one man in the world able light than you had done who can.

not.

yourself: and yet he gave his sen- This gentleman is a little finical

and formal. Modest or diffident ship; which you and I, and our men wear not soon off those little brother rakes, have constantly riprecisenesses, which the confident, diculed as a chimerical thing in if ever they had them, presently women of equal age, rank, and get above; because they are too perfections.

confident to doubt any thing. But But really, Lovelace, I see more I think Mr. Hickman is an agree- and more, that there are not in able sensible man, and not at all the world, with all our conceited deserving of the treatment or the pride, narrower - souled wretches character you give him. than we rakes and libertines are. But you are really a strange And I'll tell thee how it comes mortal: because you have advan- about. tages in your person, in your air, and intellect, above all the men Í know, and a face that would deceive the devil, you can't think any man else tolerable.

It is upon this modest principle

Our early love of roguery makes us generally run away from instruction: and so we become mere smatterers in the sciences we are

who

put to learn; and, because we that thou deridest some of us, will know no more, think there is who, not having thy confidence in no more to be known. their outside appearance, seek to With an infinite deal of vanity, hide their defects by the tailor's un-reined imaginations, and no and peruke-maker's assistance judgments at all, we next com(mistakenly enough, if it be real- mence half-wits, and then think we ly done so absurdly as to expose have the whole field of knowledge them more); and say'st that we in possession, and despise every do but hang out a sign, in our one who takes more pains, and ís dress, of what we have in the shop more serious, than ourselves, as of our minds. This no doubt, phlegmatic stupid fellows, thou thinkest, is smartly observed: have no taste for the most but pr'ythee, Lovelace, tell me, if poignant pleasures of life. thou canst, what sort of a sign This makes us insufferable to must thou hang out, wert thou men of modesty and merit, and obliged to give us a clear idea obliges us to herd with those of by it of the furniture of thy mind? our own cast; and by this means Mr. Hickman tells me, he should we have no opportunities of seeing have been happy with Miss Howe or conversing with any body who some weeks ago (for all the settle- could or would shew us what we ments have been some time en-are, and so we conclude, that we grossed); but that she will not are the cleverest fellows in the marry, she declares, while her world, and the only men of spirit in dear friend is so unhappy. it: and looking down with super

This is truly a charming in- cilious eyes on all who give not stance of the force of female friend-themselves the liberties we take,