A letter directed for me, at Mr. | pose she would take supplies from Smith's, a glover, in King Street, thee: to take them from me would, Covent Garden, will come to in her opinion, be taking them hand.

LETTER III.

Mr. Belford to Robert Lovelace, Esq.

[In answer to his Letters cxxii. cxxv.

-

vol. iii.]

from thee. Miss Howe's mother is an avaricious woman; and, perhaps, the daughter can do nothing of that sort unknown to her; and, if she could, is too noble a girl to deny it, if charged. And then Miss Harlowe is firmly of opinion, that she shall never want nor wear the things she disposes of.

Edgware, Monday, July 24. WHAT pains thou takest to persuade thyself, that the lady's ill Having heard nothing from health is owing to the vile arrest, town that obliges me to go thither, and to the implacableness of her I shall gratify poor Belton with friends! Both primarily (if they my company till to-morrow, or were) to be laid at thy door. What perhaps till Wednesday. For the poor excuses will good heads make unhappy man is more and more for the evils they are put upon by loth to part with me. I shall soon bad hearts! - But 'tis no wonder set out for Epsom, to endeavour to that he who can sit down preme- serve him there, and reinstate him ditatedly to do a bad action, will in his own house. Poor fellow! content himself with a bad excuse: he is most horribly low spirited; and yet, what fools must he sup- mopes about; and nothing diverts pose the rest of the world to be, if him. I pity him at my heart; but he imagines them as easy to be can do him no good. What conimposed upon, as he can impose solation can I give him, either from upon himself? his past life, or from his future prospects?

In vain dost thou impute to pride or wilfulness the necessity Our friendships and intimacies, to which thou hast reduced this Lovelace, are only calculated for lady of parting with her clothes; strong life and health. When for can she do otherwise, and be sickness comes, we look round us, the noble-minded creature she is? and upon one another, like Her implacable friends have re- frighted birds, at the sight of a fused her the current cash she left kite ready to souse upon them. behind her; and wished, as her Then, with all our bravery, what sister wrote to her, to see her re- miserable wretches are we! duced to want: probably there- Thou tellest me, that thou seest fore they will not be sorry that she reformation is coming swiftly is reduced to such straights; and upon me. I hope it is. I see so will take it for a justification from much difference in the behaviour Heaven of their wicked hard- of this admirable woman in her heartedness. Thou canst not sup- illness, and that of poor Belton in

his, that it is plain to me, the sinner made the humble offerer afraid to is the real coward, and the saint invade the awful eye, or the revered the true hero; and, sooner or hand; but awkwardly to drop its later, we shall all find it to be so, incense beside the altar it should if we are not cut off suddenly. have been laid upon. But how The lady shut herself up at six should that soul, which could treat o'clock yesterday afternoon; and delicacy itself brutally, know any intends not to see company till thing of this!

seven or eight this: not even her But I am still more amazed at nurse Imposing upon herself a thy courage, to think of throwing severe fast. And why? It is her thyself in the way of Miss Howe, BIRTH-DAY! Blooming yet and Miss Arabella Harlowe! declining in her very blossom! Thou wilt not dare, surely, to Every birth-day till this, no doubt, carry this thought into execution! happy! What must be her re- As to my dress, and thy dress, I flections! What ought to be have only to say, that the sum thine! total of thy observation is this: What sport dost thou make that my outside is the worst of me; with my aspirations, and my pro- and thine the best of thee: and strations, as thou callest them; what gettest thou by the compariand with my dropping of the bank son? Do thou reform the one, and note behind her chair! I had too I'll try to mend the other. I much awe of her at the time, and challenge thee to begin.

too much apprehended her dis- Mrs. Lovick gave me, at my repleasure at the offer, to make it quest, the copy of a meditation with the grace that would better she shewed me, which was exhave become my intention. But tracted by the lady, from the the action, if awkward, was Scriptures, while under arrest at modest. Indeed, the fitter subject Rowland's, as appears by the date. for ridicule with thee; who canst The lady is not to know that I no more taste the beauty and have taken a copy. delicacy of modest obligingness, than of modest love. For the same may be said of inviolable respect, that the poet says of unfeigned affection,

You and I always admired the noble simplicity, and natural ease and dignity of style, which are the distinguishing characteristics of these books, whenever any passages from them, by way of quotation in the works of other authors, popt upon us. And once I remember you, even you, observed,

that those passages always appeared to you like a rich vein of golden ore, which runs through baser metals; embellishing the

work they were brought to authen- I was not in safety; neither had I ticate. rest; neither was I quiet: yet trouble came.

But behold God is mighty, and despiseth not any. He giveth right to the poor

Try, Lovelace, if thou canst relish a Divine Beauty. I think it must strike transient (if not permanent) remorse into thy heart. And Thou boastest of thy ingenuous- if they be bound in fetters, and holden ness: let this be the test of it; and in cords of affliction, then he sheweth whether thou canst be serious on a them their works and their transsubject so deep, the occasion of it|gressions. — resulting from thyself.

MEDITATION.

Saturday, July 15.

O that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balance together!

I have a little leisure, and am in a scribbling vein: indulge me, Lovelace, a few reflections on these sacred books.

We are taught to read the Bible, when children, and as a rudiment only; and as far as I know, this may be the reason, why we think

For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my ourselves above it, when at a words are swallowed up! maturer age. For you know, that For the arrows of the Almighty are our parents, as well as we, wisely within me; the poison whereof rate our proficiency by the books drinketh up my spirit. The terrors we are advanced to, and not by of God do set themselves in array our understanding of those we against me. have passed through. But, in my When I lie down, I say, when shall uncle's illness, I had the curiosity, I arise? When will the night be gone? in some of my dull hours (lighting And I am full of tossings to and fro, upon one in his closet) to dip into unto the dawning of the day. it: and then I found, wherever I My days are swifter than a weaver's turned, that there were admirable shuttle, and are spent without hope—things in it. I have borrowed one, Mine eye shall no more see good. on receiving from Mrs. Lovick the Wherefore is light given to her that above meditation; for I had a is in misery; and life unto the bitter mind to compare the passages con

in soul?

Who longeth for death; but it cometh not; and diggeth for it more than for hid treasures?

Why is light given to one whose way is hid; and whom God hath hedged in?

For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me!

tained in it by the book, hardly believing they could be so exceedingly apposite as I find they are. And one time or other, it is very likely, that I shall make a resolution to give the whole Bible a perusal, by way of course, as I may say.

This, meantime, I will venture

to repeat, is certain, that the style other creatures; strutting with is that truly easy, simple, and their blood and spirits in his veins, natural one, which we should ad- and with their plumage on his mire in other authors excessively. back: for what has he of his own, Then all the world join in an opi- but a very mischievous, monkeynion of the antiquity, and authen-like, bad nature! Yet thinks himticity too, of the book; and the self at liberty to kick, and cuff, learned are fond of strengthening and elbow out every worthier their different arguments by its creature: and when he has none sanctions. Indeed, I was so much of the animal creation to hunt taken with it at my uncle's, that I down and abuse, will make use of was half ashamed that it appeared his power, his strength, or his so new to me. And yet, I cannot but wealth, to oppress the less powersay, that I have some of the Old ful and weaker of his own species! Testament history, as it is called, When you and I meet next, let in my head: but, perhaps, am us enter more largely into this submore obliged for it to Josephus, ject: and, I dare say, we shall than to the Bible itself. take it by turns, in imitation of the

Odd enough, with all our pride two sages of antiquity, to laugh of learning, that we choose to and to weep at the thoughts of derive the little we know from the what miserable, yet conceited under currents, perhaps muddy beings, men in general, but we ones too, when the clear, the libertines in particular, are. pellucid fountain head, is much nearer at hand, and easier to be come at Slighted the more, possibly, for that very reason!

I fell upon a piece at Dorrell's, this very evening, intituled, The Sacred Classics, written by one Blackwell.

But man is a pragmatical, I took it home with me, and had foolish creature; and the more we not read a dozen pages, when I look into him, the more we must was convinced, that I ought to be despise him! Lords of the crea- ashamed of myself to think, how tion! Who can forbear indig- greatly I have admired less noble nant laughter! When we see not and less natural beauties in Pagan one of the individuals of that crea- authors; while I have known notion (his perpetually eccentric self thing of this all excelling collecexcepted) but acts within its own tion of beauties, the Bible! By my natural and original appointment: faith, Lovelace, I shall for the and all the time, proud and vain future have a better opinion of the as the conceited wretch is of good sense and taste of half a fancied and self-dependent ex- score of parsons, whom I have cellence, he is obliged not only for fallen in with in my time, and the ornaments, but for the neces- despised for magnifying, as I saries of life, (that is to say, for thought they did, the language food as well as raiment,) to all the and the sentiments to be found in

it in preference to all the ancient friend admired the lady, as one of poets and philosophers. And this the loveliest of her sex: and having is now a convincing proof to me, been let into a little of her story, and shames as much an infidel's could not help shedding tears at presumption as his ignorance, that taking away her purchase. those who know least, are the She may be a good sort of a greatest scoffers. A pretty pack woman: Mrs. Lovick says she is: of would-be wits of us, who cen- but SELF is an odious devil, that sure without knowledge, laugh reconciles to some people the most without reason, and are most noisy cruel and dishonest actions. But, and loud against things we know nevertheless, it is my opinion, that least of!

LETTER IV.

Mr. Belford to Robert Lovelace, Esq.

those who can suffer themselves to take advantage of the necessities of their fellow-creatures, in order to buy any thing at a less rate than would allow them the legal interest of their purchase money (supposing they purchase before they want) are no better than robbers for the difference. To plunder a wreck, and to rob at a fire, are I hastened to Smith's, and had indeed higher degrees of wickedbut a very indifferent account of ness: but do not those, as well as the lady's health. I sent up my these, heighten the distresses of compliments; and she desired to the distressed, and heap misery on see me in the afternoon. the miserable, whom it is the duty

Wednesday, July 26. I CAME not to town till this morning early: poor Belton clinging to me, as a man destitute of all other hold.

Mrs. Lovick told me, that after of every one to relieve? I went away on Saturday, she About three o'clock I went again actually parted with one of her to Smith's. The lady was writing best suits of clothes to a gentle- when I sent up my name; but adwoman who is her [Mrs. Lovick's] mitted of my visit. I saw a visible benefactress, and who bought alteration in her countenance for them for a niece who is very the worse; and Mrs. Lovick respeedily to be married, and whom spectfully accusing her of too great she fits out and portions as her assiduity to her pen, early and intended heiress. The lady was late, and of her abstinence the day so jealous that the money might before, I took notice of the alteracome from you or me, that she tion; and told her, that her phywould see the purchaser: who sician had greater hopes of her owned to Mrs. Lovick, that she than she had of herself; and I bought them for half their worth: would take the liberty to say, that but yet, though her conscience per- despair of recovery allowed not mitted her to take them at such an room for cure.

under rate, the widow says, her She said, she neither despaired