to approve of. 'Tis very poffible, Sir, the Gentleman you recommend to my Choice, may be poffeffed of all that Subftance, and all thofe good Qualities, that bias you fo ftrongly in his Favour; but be not angry, dear Sir, when I remind you, that there is a vaft Difproportion in our Years. A Lady, of more Experience and of a more advanced Age, would, in my humble Opinion, be a much fitter Help-Mate for him. To be ingenuous (permit me, good Sir, to speak the Sentiments of my Heart without Referve for once) a Man, almost in his grand Climacterick, can never be an agreeable companion for me; nor can the natural Gaiety of my Tem per, which has hitherto been indulged by yourself in every innocent Amufement, be over-agreeable to him. Though his Fondness at firft may connive at the little Freedoms I fhall be apt to take; yet as foon as the Edge. of his Appetite fhall be abated, he'll grow jealous, and for ever torment me without a Caufe. I fhall be debarred of every Diverfion fuitable to my Years, tho' never fo harmlefs and inoffenfive; permitted to fee no Company; hurried down perhaps to fome melancholy rural Recefs; and there, like my Lady Grace in the Play, fit penfive and alone, under a green Tree. Your long experienced Goodness, and that tender Regard, which you have always expreffed for my Eafe and Satisfaction, encourage me thus freely to expoftulate with you on an Affair of fo great Importance. If, however, after all, you fhall judge the Inequality of our Age an infufficient Plea in my Favour, and that Want of Affection for a Hufband, is but a Trifle, where there is a large Fortune and a Coach and Six to throw into the Scale; if, in fhort, you fhall lay your peremptory Commands upon me to refign up all my real Happiness and Peace of Mind for the Vanity of living in Pomp and Grandeur, I am ready to fubmit to your fuperior Judgment. Give me Leave, however, to obferve, that 'tis impoffible for me ever to love the Man into whofe Arms I am to be thrown, and that my Compliance with fo detefted a Propofition, is nothing more than the Refult of the moft inviolable Duty to a Father, who never made the leaft Attempt before to thwart the Inclinations of. His ever obedient Daughter.

LET

LETTER IX.

From a young Lady to a Gentleman that courted her, whom he could not like, but was forced by her Parents to receive his Vifits, and think of none else for her Husband.

I

SIR,

T is a very ill Return which I make to the Respect you have for me, when I acknowledge to you, that tho' the Day of our Marriage is appointed, I am incapable of loving you. You may have obferved, in the long Converfations we have had at thofe Times that we were left together, that fome Secret hung upon my Mind. I was conftrained to an ambiguous Behaviour, and durft not reveal myself further, because my Mother, from a Clofet near the Place where we fat, could both here and fee our Converfation. I have ftrict Commands from both my Parents to receive you, and am undone for ever, except you will be fo kind and generous as to refufe me. Confider, Sir, the Mifery of beftowing yourself upon one who can have no Profpect of Happinefs but from your Death. This is a Confeffion made perhaps with an offenfive Sincerity; but that Conduct is much to be preferred to a fecret Diflike, which could not but pall all the Sweets of Life, by impofing on you a Companion that doats and languifhes for another. I will not go fo far as to fay my Paffion for the Gentleman, whofe Wife I am by Promife, would lead me to any Thing criminal againft your Honour. I know it is dreadful enough to a Man of your Senfe to expect nothing but forced Civilities in Return for your tender Endearments, and cold Efteem for undeferved Love. If you will, on this Occafion, let Reafon take Place of Paffion, I doubt not but Fate has in Store for you fome worthier Object of your Affection, in Recompence for your Goodness to the only Woman that could be infenfible of your Merit.

Lam,

Sir, your moft humble Servant,

M. H.

LE-T

LETTER X.

From a young Lady to a Gentleman who courts her, ana whom the fufpects of Infidelity.

SIR,

TH

THE Freedom and Sincerity with which I have at all Times laid open my Heart to you, ought to have fome Weight in my Claim to a Return of the fame Confidence; but I have Reason to fear that the best of Men do not always act as they ought. I write to you what it would be impoffible to fpeak; but, before I fee you, I defire you will either explain your Conduct laft Night, or confefs that you have used me not as I have deferved of you.

It is in vain to deny that you took Pains to recommend yourself to Mifs Peacock; your Earneftnefs of Difcourfe thewed me that you were no Stranger to her. I defire to know, Sir, what Sort of Acquaintance you can wifh to have with another Perfon of Character, after making me believe that you wished to be married to me. I write very plainly to you, because I expect a plain Answer. I am not apt to be fufpicious, but this was too particular, and I must be either blind or indifferent to overlook it. Sir, I am neither; though perhaps it would be better for me if I were one or the other.

I am yours, &c.

LETTER XI.

From a Gentleman engaged to a Lady, who had been feen talking to another, in answer to the foregoing.

My dearest Jenny,

THAT can have put it into your Thoughts to be fufpicious of me, whofe Heart and Soul you know are truly yours, and whofe whole Thoughts and Wishes are but on you? Sweet Quarreller, you know this: What Afternoon have I spent from you? Or who did you ever see me speak to without Diftafte, when it prevented my talking with you?

You know how often you have cautioned me not to speak to you before your Uncle; and you know he was there. But you do well to abufe me for being too obe

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dient to your Commands; for I promise you, you fhall never get any other Caufe. I thought it most prudent to be feen talking with another, when it was my Bufinefs not so much as to look at you. Mifs Peacock is a very old Acquaintance: She knows my perfect Devotion to you, and the very well knew all that Civility and Earneftnefs of Difcourfe about nothing, was pretended. I write to you before I come, because you commanded me; but I will make you aík my Pardon in a few Minutes for robbing me of thofe few which might have been paffed with you, and which it has taken to write this Letter. My fweeteft Quarreller, I am coming to you. After this never doubt but that I am, Your's most truly.

LETTER XII.

From a Gentleman to a Lady whom he accufes of Incon

Madam,

You

fancy.

OU must not be surprised at a Letter in the Place of a Vifit, from one who cannot but have Reason to believe it may eafily be as welcome as his Company. You fhould not fuppofe, if Lovers have loft their Sight, that their Senfes are all banished: And if I re fufe to believe my Eyes, when they fhew me your Inconftancy, you must not wonder that I cannot ftop my Ears against the Accounts of it. Pray let us understand one another properly; for I am afraid we are deceiving ourfelves all this while: Am I a Perfon whom you efteem, whofe Fortune you do not defpife, and whofe Pretenfions you encourage; or am I a troublefome Coxcomb, who fancies myfelf particularly received by a Woman who only laughs at me? If I am the latter, you treat me as I deferve; and I ought to join with you in faying that I deserve it: But if it be otherwife, and you receive me, as I think you do, as a Perfon you intend to marry, for it is beft to be plain on these Occafions, for Heaven's Sake, what is the Meaning of that univerfal Coquetry in public, where every Fool fatters you, and you are pleased with the meaneft of them? And what can be the Meaning that I am told, you laft

Night in particular was an Hour with Mr. Marlow, and are fo wherever you meet him if I am not in Company? Both of us, Madam, you cannot think of; and I fhould be forry to imagine, that when I had given you my Heart so entirely, I thared yours with any-body.

I have faid a great deal too much to you, and yet I am tempted to lay more; but I fhall be filent. I beg you will answer this, and I think I have a Right to expect that you do it generously and fairly. Do not miftake what is the Effect of the Diftraction of my Heart, for Want of Refpect to you. While I write this, I doat upon you, but I cannot bear to be deceived where all my Happiness is centered.

Your most unhappy.

LETTER XIII.

From a Lady to her Lover, who fufpected her of receiving the Addrefes of another. In Anfwer to the above.

SIR,

IF I did not make all the Allowances you defire in the

End of your Letter, I fhould not answer you at all. But although I am really unhappy to find you are fo, and the more to find myself to be the Occafion, I can hardly impute the Unkindness and Incivility of your Letter to the fingle Caufe you would have me. However, as I would not be fufpected of any Thing that fhould juftify fuch Treatment from you, I think it neceffary to inform you, that what you have heard has no more Foundation than what you have feen: However, I wonder that other Eyes fhould not be as easily alarmed as yours; for instead of being blind, believe me, Sir, you see more than there is. Perhaps, however, their Sight may be as much fharpened by unprovoked Malice as yours by undeferved Sufpicion.

Whatever may be the End of this Difpute, for I do not think fo lightly of Lovers Quarrels as many do, I think proper to inform you, that I never have thought favourably of any one but yourfelf; and I fhall add, that if the Fault of your Temper, which I once little fufpected, should make me fear you too much to marry,

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you