me, That I think her laudable openness deserves like openness.-That your Harriet was disengaged in her affections, absolutely disengaged, when you told her that she was:-Tell her what afterwards happened:-Tell her how my gratitude engaged me:-That, at first, it was no more; but that now, being called upon, on this occasion, I have owned my gratitude exalted, [it may not, I hope, be said debased, the object so worthy] into-Love-Yes, say love-since I act too awkwardly in the disguises I have assumed :-That, therefore, I can no more in justice, than by inclination, think of any other man :---And own to her, that her ladyship has, however, engaged my respectful love, even to reverence, by her goodness to me in the visit she honoured me with; and that, for her sake, had I seen nothing objectionable in Lord D. upon an interview, and further acquaintance, I could have given ear to this proposal, preferably to any other that had yet been made me, were my heart as free as it was when she made her first proposal. And yet I own to you, my venerable friends, that I always think of Mr. Orme with grateful pity, for his humble, for his modest perseverance. What would I give to see Mr. Orme married to some very worthy woman, with whom he could be happy!

Finally, bespeak for me her ladyship's favour and friendship; but not to be renewed till my lord is married-And may his nuptials be as happy as wished to be by a mother so worthy! But tell her, at the same time, that I would not, for twelve times my lord's 12,000l. a year, give my hand to him, or to any man, while another had a place in my heart; however unlikely it is that I may be called by the name of the man I prefer.

But tell Lady D. all this in confidence, in the strictest confidence; among more general reasons

regarding the delicacy of our sex, for fear the family I am with, who now love, should hate, and, what would be still worse, despise, your Harriet for her presumption!-I think I could not bear that!-Don't mind this great blot-forgive it-it would fall-my pen found it before I saw it.

As to myself, whatever be my lot, I will endeavour to reap consolation from these and other passages in the two precious letters before me :

'If you love, be not ashamed to own it to us

The man is Sir Charles Grandison.'

My affection is laudable: the object of it is a man not mean in understanding, nor profligate in morals, nor sordid in degree. All my friends are in love with him as well as I.'

My love is a love of the purest kind.'

'And I ought to acquiesce, because Sir Charles, compared to us, is as the public to the private. Private considerations, therefore, should be as nothing to me.'

Noble instructions! my dearest two mammas ! to which I will endeavour to give their full weight.

And now let me take it a little unkindly, that you call me your orphan girl! You two, and my honoured uncle, have supplied all wanting relations to me: My father then, my grandmamma, and my other mamma, continue to pray for, and to bless, not your orphan, but your real daughter, in all love and reverence,

HARRIET BYRON-SHIRLEY-SELBY,

LETTER XI.

MISS HARRIET BYRON TO MISS LUCY SELBY.

Colnebrook, Tuesday, March 7.

HERE I am, my dear Lucy, returned to this happy asylum; but with what different emotions from the first time I entered it! how did my heart flutter, when one of Sir Charles's servants, who attended us on horseback, pointed out to us, at the command of the ladies, the very spot where the two chariots met, and the contest began! The recol- lection pained me: yet do I not owe to that terrifying incident the friendship I am admitted into with so amiable a family?

Miss Grandison, ever obliging, has indulged me in my choice of having a room to myself. I shall have the more leisure for writing to you, my dear friends.

Both she and Lady L. are very urgent with me to show them some of the letters in our correspondence; and Miss Grandison says, if that will encourage me to oblige them, they will show me some of their brother's-Who would not be tempted by such an exchange? I am more than half-afraid : -But surely, in such a heap of stuff as I have written, there is something that I can read to them. Shall I be permitted, do you think, to have my letters returned me for this purpose? The remarks of these ladies on what I shall think fit to show them, will be of great use in helping to settle my judgment. I know I have thrown out many things at random; and, being a young creature, and not passed the age of fancy, have, in all those sentiments which are not borrowed, been very superticial. How can it be otherwise!

The conversation in the coach turned upon their own family; (for I put in my claim to Miss Grandison's former promise on that head;) from which I gathered the following particulars.

Sir Thomas Grandison was one of the handsomest men of his time: he had a great notion of magnificence in living; and went deep into all the fashionable diversions, except gaming with cards and dice; though he ran into one as expensive, but which he called a nobler vice; valuing himself upon his breed of race-horses and hunters, and upon his kennel; in both which articles he was extravagant to profusion.

- His father, Sir Charles, was as frugal as Sir Thomas was profuse. He was a purchaser all his life; and left his son, besides an estate of 6,000l. a year in England, and near 2,000l. a year in Ireland, rich, in money.

His lady was of a noble family; sister to Lord W. She was, as you have already been told, the most excellent of women. I was delighted to see her two daughters bear testimony to her goodness, and to their own worth, by their tears. It was impossible, in the character of so good a woman, not to think of my own mamma; and I could not help, on the remembrance, joining my tears with theirs.

Miss Jervois also wept: not only from tenderness of nature and sympathy; but, as she owned, from regret, that she had not the same reason to rejoice in a living mother as we had to remember affectionately the departed.

What I have written, and shall further write, to the disadvantage of Sir Thomas Grandison, I gathered from what was dropt by one lady, and by the other, at different times; for it was beautiful to observe with what hesitation and reluctance they mentioned any of his failings, with what plea

sure his good qualities; heightening the one, and extenuating the other. O my Lucy, how would their hearts have overflowed in his praises, had they had such a faultless father, and excellent man, as was my father! Sweet is the remembrance of good parents to good children!

Lady Grandison brought a great fortune to Sir Thomas. He had a fine poetical vein, which he was fond of cultivating. Though his fortune was so ample, it was his person and his verses that won the lady from several competitors. He had not, however, her judgment. He was a poet; and I have heard my grandfather say, that to be a poet requires a heated imagination, which often runs away with the judgment.

This lady took the consent of all her friends in her choice; but there seemed a hint to drop from Lady L. that they consented, because it was her choice; for Sir Thomas, from the day he entered upon his estate, set out in a way that every body concluded would diminish it.

He made, however, a kind husband, as it is call. ed. His good sense and his politeness, and the pride he took to be thought one of the best bred men in England, secured her complaisant treatment. But Lady Grandison had qualities that deserved one of the best and tenderest of men. Her eye and her ear had certainly misled her. I believe a woman, who chooses a man whom every body ad. mires, if the man be not good, must expect that he will have calls and inclinations that will make him think the character of a domestic man beneath him.

She endeavoured, at setting out, to engage his -companionableness-shall I call it? She was fond of her husband. He had reason to be, and was, proud of his wife: but when he had showed her