you will not fee me in that State with any other; nor courted by any Man in the World.

I did not know that the Gaiety of my Temper gave you Uneafinefs; and you ought to have told me of it with lefs Severity. If I am particular in it, I am afraid it is a Fault in my natural Difpofition; but I would have taken fome Pains to get the better of that, if I had known it was difagreeable to you. I ought to refent this Treatment more than I do, but do not infult my Weakness on that Head; for a Fault of that Kind would want the Excufe this has for my Pardon, and might not be fo eafily overlooked, though I fhould wish to do it. I fhould fay, I will not fee you To-Day, but you have an Advocate that pleads for you much better than you de for yourself. I defire you will firft look carefully over this Letter, for my whole Heart is in it, and then come or not, as you please. Yours, &c.

LETTER XIV.

From a young Tradefman to a Lady he had feen in Public. Madam,

ERHAPS you will not be furprised to receive a Let

PER

reflect how likely fo charming a Face may be to create Impertinence; and I perfuade myself that when you remember where you fat laft Night at the Play-Houfe, you will not need to be told this comes from the Person who was just before you.

In the first Place, Madam, I aik 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 Shop, Madam, in HenriettaStreet, and though but two Years in Trade, I have tolerable Cuftom.I do not doubt but it will increase, 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 pleafe to defire any Friend to afk

my

my Character in the Neighbourhood, I believe it will not prejudice you against,

Madam, your moft humble Servant.

LETTER XV.

From a Relation of the Lady, in Answer to the above. SIR,

HERE has come into my Hands a Letter which you wrote to Mifs Maria Stebbing; fhe is a Relation of mine, and is a very good Girl; and I dare fay you will not think the worfe of her in confulting her Friends in fuch an Affair as that you wrote about: Befides, a Woman could not well anfwer fuch a Letter herfelf, unless it was with a full Refufal, and that she would have been wrong to have done until the knew fomething of the Perfon that wrote it, as wrong as to have encouraged him.

You feem very fincere and open in your Designs; and as you gave Permiffion to enquire about you among your Neighbours, I being her 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 seem perfectly averfe to seeing you in the Prefence of

Your humble Servant,

LETTER XVI.

A. H.

From a Lover who had Cause of Difpleafure, and determines never to fee the Lady again.

Madam,

TH

HEXE was a Time when if any one fhould 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 burit afunder, or that I fhould fee Stars falling to the Ground, or Trees and Mountains arifing 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

is, that you should have given me the Caufe 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 my felf 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 for me to have a Poffibility of changing my Resolution.

It gives me fome Pleafure, 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 shall not be contented. I was a Witness, Madam, Yesterday to your Behaviour to Mr. Henly. I had often been told of this, but I have refufed to liften to it. I fuppofed your Heart no more capable of Deceit than my own: But I cannot difbelieve what I have been told on such 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

Your humble Servant,

LETTER XVII.

R. S.

From a young Lady to her Father, acquainting him with the Addreffes of a young Tradefman.

I

Honoured Sir,

Think it my Duty to acquaint you that a Gentle man of this Town, by Name Wills, and Business a Linen-Draper, has made Overtures to my Coufin Harcourt, in the Way of Courtship to me. My Coufin 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 Bufinefs, and lives in Credit and Fashion. He is about twenty-feven Years old, a likely Man e-. nough, feems not to want Senfe 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

but told him that I had no Thoughts of changing my Condition yet a while; and should never think of it but in Obedience to my Parents; therefore defired him to talk no more on that Subject 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 fhew 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 Sifter; and Refpects to all Friends. Coufin Harcourt and his Wife and Sifter, defire their kind Refpects. I cannot write enough of their Civility to me.

LETTER XVIII.

Her Father's Answer, on a Suppofition that he does not approve of the young Man's Addresses.

I

Dear Polly,

HAVE received your Letter, dated the 4th Inft. wherein you acquaint me of the Propofals made to you, thro' 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 enquired of one of his Townfmen, who knows him and his Circumstances 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 I infift upon it, that you think nothing of the Matter, 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 Sifter, and all Friends, fend their Love and Re fpects to you.

LET

LETTER XIX.

The Father's Anfwer, on a Suppofition that he does approve of the young Man's Addreffes.

My dear Daughter,

IN

N Anfwer to yours of the 4th Inftant, relating to the Addreffes of Mr. Wills, I would have you neither wholly encourage nor difcourage his Suit; for if, on Enquiry into his Character and Circumftances, Í fhall find that they are anfwerable to your Coufin's good Opinion of them, and his own Affurances, I know not but his Suit may be worthy of Attention. But, my Dear, confider that Men are deceitful, and always put the beft Side outwards; and it may poffibly, on the strict Enquiry, which the Nature and Importance of the Cafe demands, come out far otherwife than it at present appears. Let me advise 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 eafily 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, who, you need not doubt, will, in this Cafe, as in all others, ftudy your Good, as becomes your indulgent Father. Your Mother gives her Bleffing to you, and joins with me in the above Advice. Your Brother and Sifter, and all Friends fend their Love and Refpects to you.

LETTER XX.

A modeft Lover defiring an Aunt's Favour to him for her Niece.

I

Good Madam,

Have feveral Times, when I have been happy in the Company of your good Niece, thought to have fpoke my Mind, and to declare to her the true Value and Affection I have for her: But just as I have been

about