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THE

HISTORY

OF

SIR CHARLES GRANDISON, BART.

LETTER I.

MISS HARRIET BYRON TO MISS LUCY SELBY.

Wednesday night, March 1.

MR. FOWLER set out yesterday for Glou

cestershire, where he has an estate. He proposes to go from thence to Caermarthen, to the worthy Sir Rowland. He paid a sit to Mr. Reeves, and desired him to present to me his best wishes and respects. He declared, that he could not possibly take leave of me, though he doubted not but I would receive him with goodness, as he called it. But it was that which cut him to the heart: so kind, and so cruel, he said, he could not bear it.

I hope poor Mr. Fowler will be more happy than I could make him. Methinks I could have been half-glad to have seen him before he went: and yet but half-glad; since, had he shown much concern, I should have been pained.

Take now, my dear, an account of what passed this day in St. James's Square.

There were at Sir Charles Grandison's, besides Lord and Lady L. the young Lord G. one of Miss

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Grandison's humble servants; Mr. Everard Grandison; Miss Emily Jervois, a young lady of about fourteen, a ward of Sir Charles; and Dr. Bartlett, a divine; of whom more by-and-by.

Sir Charles conducted us into the drawing-room adjoining to the dining-room, where only were his two sisters. They received my cousins and me with looks of love.

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'I will tell you,' said Sir Charles, your com> pany before I present them to you. Lord L. is a good man. I honour him as such; and love him as my sister's husband.'

Lady L. bowed, and looked round her, as if she took pride in her brother's approbation of her lord.

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Mr. Everard Grandison,' proceeded he, is a sprightly man. He is prepared to admire you, Miss Byron. You will not believe, perhaps, half the handsome things he will say to you; but yet, will be the only person who hears them, that will

not.

'Lord G. is a modest young man: he is genteel, well-bred; but is so much in love with a certain young lady, that he does not appear with that dignity in her eye, [Why blushes my Charlotte] that otherwise perhaps he might.'

Are not you, Sir Charles, a modest man?”

'No comparisons, Charlotte. Where there is a double prepossession; no comparisons! But Lord G. Miss Byron, is a good kind of young man, You'll not dislike him, though my sister is pleased to think

'No comparisons, Sir Charles.'

That's fair, Charlotte. I will leave Lord G. to the judgment of Miss Byron. Ladies can better account for the approbation and dislikes of ladies than we men can,

He is learned,

'Dr. Bartlett you'll also see. prudent, humble. You'll read his heart in his countenance the moment he smiles upon you. Your grandpapa, madam, had fine curling silver hair, had he not? The moment I heard that you owed obligation to your grandfather's care and delight in you, I figured to myself that he was just such a man, habit excepted: your grandfather was not clergyman, I think. When I have friends whom I have a strong desire to please, I always endeavour to treat them with Dr. Bartlett's company. He has but one fault; he speaks too little; but, were he to speak much, every one else would wish to be silent.

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My ward, Emily Jervois, is an admirable girl. Her father was a good man; but not happy in his nuptials. He bequeathed to my care, on his deathbed, at Florence, this his only child. My sister loves her. I love her for her own sake, as well as for her father's. She has a great fortune: and I have had the happiness to recover large sums, which her father gave over for lost. He was an Italian merchant, and driven out of England by the unhappy temper of his wife. I have had some trouble with her: and, if she be living, expect

more.'

Unhappy temper of his wife, Sir Charles! You are very mild in your account of one of the most abandoned of women.'

'Well, but Charlotte, I am only giving brief hints of Emily's story, to procure for her an interest in Miss Byron's favour, and to make their first acquaintance easy to each other. Emily wants no prepossession in Miss Byron's favour. She will be very ready herself to tell her whole story to Miss Byron. Meantime, let us not say all that is just to say of the mother when we are speaking of the daughter. 'I stand corrected, Sir Charles.'

'Emily, madam,' (turuing to me) is not constantly resident with us in town. She is fond of being every where with my Charlotte.'

' And where you are, Sir Charles,' said Miss Grandison.

Mr. Reeves whispered a question to Sir Charles, which was seconded by my eyes; for I guessed what it was: Whether he had heard any thing further of Sir Hargrave.

'Don't be anxious,' said Sir Charles. ، All must be well. People long used to error don't, without reluctance, submit to new methods of proceeding. All must be well.'

Sir Charles, stepping out, brought in with him Miss Jervois. The gentlemen seem engaged in conversation,' said he, ، But I know the impatience of this young lady to pay her respects to Miss Byron.'

He presented her to us-This dear girl is my Emily.Allow me, madam, whenever Miss Grandisou shall be absent, to claim for her the benefit of your instruction, and your general countenance, as she shall appear worthy of it.'

There are not many men, my Lucy, who can make a compliment to one lady, without robbing, or at least depreciating another. How often have you and I observed, that a polite brother is a black swan?

I saluted the young lady, and told her I should be fond of embracing every opportunity that should offer, to commend myself to her favour.

Miss Emily Jervois is a lovely girl. She is tall, genteel, and has a fine complexion; and, thoughi pitted with the small-pox, is pretty. The sweetness of her manners, as expressed in her aspect, gives her great advantage. I was sure the moment I saw her that her greatest delight is to please.

She made me two or three pretty compliments;

and, had not Sir Charles commended her to me, I should have been highly taken with her.

Mr. Grandison entered. Upon my honour, Sir Charles, I can stay no longer,' said he: to know that the finest woman in England is under the same roof with me; yet, to be so long detained from paying my respects to her-I can't bear it.' And in a very gallant manner, as he seemed to intend, he paid his compliments first to me, and then to my two cousins:-and whispering, yet loud enough to be heard, to Miss Grandison, swore, by his soul, that report fell short of my perfectionsand I can't tell what.

'Did I not tell you, that you would say so, sir?" said Miss Grandison.

I did not like the gentleman the better for what I had heard of him: but, perhaps, should have been less indifferent to his compliment, had I not before been acquainted with Mr. Greville, Mr. Fenwick, and Sir Hargrave Pollexfen. The men of this cast, I think, seem all alike. Poor creatures! how from my heart-but, indeed, now that I have the honour to know these two sisters, I despise myself.

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Sir Charles, addressing himself to my cousins and me-' Now,' said he, that my cousin Grandison has found an opportunity to introduce himself, and that I have presented my ward to you, we will, if you please, see how Lord L. Lord G. and Dr. Bartlett, are engaged.'

He led my cousin Reeves into the dining-room. Lord L. addressed us with great politeness.

After Sir Charles had presented the doctor to my cousins, he respectfully took my hand- Were there fifty ladies here, my good Dr. Bartlett, whom you had never seen before, you would, I am sure,

VOL. II.

C

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