laft night at the playhouse, you will not need to be told this comes from the perfon who was just before you. In the first place, Madam, I afk pardon for the liberty I then took of looking at you, and for the greater liberty I now take in writing to you. But, after this, I beg leave to fay, that my thoughts are honourable, and to inform you who I am; I fhall not pretend to be any better: I keep a fhop, Madam, in Henrietta-ftreet; and, though but two years in trade, I have a tollerable cuftom. I do not doubt but it will increafe, and I fhall be able to do fomething for a family. If your inclinations are not engaged, I fhould be very proud of the honour of waiting on you; and, in the mean time, if you please to defire any friend to ask my character in the neighbourhood, I believe it will not prejudife you againft, Madam, Your moft humble fervant. LETTER XV. From a relation of the lady, in answer to the above. SIR, THERE has come into my hands a letter, which you wrote to Mifs Maria Stebbing. She is a relation of mine, and is a very good girl; and I dare fay you will not think the worfe of her for confulting her friends in fuch an affair as that you wrote about: befides, a woman could not well answer fuch a letter herself, unless it was with a full refufal, and that she would have been wrong to have done, until fhe knew fomething of the person that wrote it, as wrong as to have encou raged him. You feem very fincere and open in your designs; and as you gave permiffion to inquire about you among your neighbours, I, being the nearest friend, did that for her. I have heard a very good account of you; and, from all that I fee, you may be very fuitable for one another. She has fome fortune; and I fhall tell you farther, that he took notice of you at the play, and does not feem perfectly averse to seeing you in the prefence of Your humble fervant, A. H. LETTER XVI. From a lover who had caufe of difpleafure, and de- Madam, THERE was a time when if any one should have told me that I fhould ever have written to you fuch a letter as I am now writing, I would as foon have believed that the earth would have burst afunder, or that I fhould fee ftars falling to the ground, or trees and mountains rifing to the heavens. But there is nothing too ftrange to happen. One thing would have appeared yet more impoffible than my writing it, which is, that you should have given me the cause to have written it, and yet that has happened. The purpose of this is to tell you, Madam, that I fhall never wait on you again. You will truly know what I make myself fuffer when I impofe this command upon my own heart; but I would not tell you of it, if it were not too much determined to me for have a poffibility of changing my refolution. It gives me fome pleasure that you will feel no uneafinefs for this, though I fhould alfo have been very averfe, fome time ago even to have imagined that; but you know where to employ that attention of which I am not worthy the whole, and with a part I fhall not be contented. I was a witnefs, Madam, yefterday of your behaviour to Mr. Henley. I had often been told of this, but I have refused to liften to it. I fuppofed your heart no more capable of deceit than my own: but I cannot disbelieve what I have been told on fuch authority, when my own eyes confirm it. Madam, I take my leave of you, and beg you will forget there ever was fuch a man as From a young lady to her father, acquainting him with the addrees of a young tradefman. Honoured Sir, I THINK it my duty to acquaint you, that a gentleman of this town, by name Wills, and bufiness a linen-draper, has made fome overtures to my coufin Harcourt, in the way of courtship to me. My cousin has brought him once or twice into my company, which he could not well decline doing, because he has dealings with him, and has a high opinion of him and his circumftances. He has been fet up three years, has very good bufi. nefs, and lives in credit and fashion. He is about twenty-feven years old, a likely man enough, feems not to want fenfe or manners, and is come of a good family. He has broke his mind to me, and boafts how well he can maintain me. Though, I affure you, Sir, I have given him no encouragement; but told him that I had no thoughts of changing my condition yet a-while, and fhould ne ver think of it but in obedience to my parents; therefore defired him to talk no more on that fubject to me yet he refolves to perfevere, and pretends extraordinary affection and efteem. I would not, Sir, by any means omit to acquaint you with the beginning of an affair, which it would be want of duty in me to conceal from you, and now a guilt and difobedience unworthy of the kind indulgence and affection you have always fhewn to, SIR, Your moft dutiful daughter. My humble duty to my honoured mother; love to my brother and fifter; and respects to all friends. Coufin Harcourt, and his wife and fifter, defire their kind refpects. I cannot write enough of their civility to me. LETTER XVIII. Her father's anfwer, on a fuppofition that he does not approve of the young man's addreffes. Dear Polly, HAVE received your letter, dated the 4th inft. wherein you acquaint me of the proposals made to you, through your Coufin Harcourt's recommendation, by one Mr. Wills. I hope, as you affure me, that you have given no encouragement to him; for I by no means approve of him for your husband. I have inquired of one of his townfmen, who knows him and his circumftances very well, and I am neither pleased with them nor with his character; and wonder my coufin would fo inconfiderately recommend him to you. Indeed I doubt not of Mr. Harcourt's good intentions; but K. I infift upon it, that you think nothing of the mat ter, if you would oblige Your indulgent father, Your mother gives her bleffing to you, and joins with me in the above advice. Your brother and fifter, and all friends, fend their love and respects to you. The father's anfwer, on a fuppofition that he does approve of the young man's addreffes. My dear Daughter, IN ? N anfwer to your's of the 4th inftant, relating to the addreffes of Mr. Will's, I would have you neither wholly encourage nor difcourage his fuit; for if, on inquiry into his character and circumftances, I fhall find that they are answerable to your coufin's good opinion of them, and his own affurances, I know not but his fuit may be worthy of attention. But, my dear, confider that men are deceitful, and always put the beft fide outwards; and it may poffibly, on ftri& inquiry, which the nature and importance of the cafe de mands, come out far otherwise than it at prefent appears. Let me advife you, therefore, to act in this matter with great prudence, and that you make not yourself too cheap; for men are apt to flight what is too easily obtained. Your coufin will give him hope enough, while you don't abfolutely deny him: and, in the mean time, he may be told, that you are not at your own difpofal, but entirely refolved to abide by my determination and direction in an affair of this great importance; and this will put him upon applying to me, |