LORD L.I think the man utterly unworthy of you, sister Charlotte. I think you are right to resolve never to have him.'

LADY L. Without waiting for my brother's opinion, I must say, that he acts most ungenerously and unworthily, to hold you to an unequal promise: a promise, the like of which you offered not to bind him by. I cannot, Charlotte, think you bound by such a promise: and the poor trick of getting another person to write his letters for him, and exposing my sister to a stranger, and against stipulation-How I should hate him! What say you, sister Harriet?'

HARRIET.' I should be unworthy of this kind confidence, if thus called upon, I did not say something, though it came out to be next to nothingThere seems not to have been any strong affection, any sympathy of soul, if I may so express myself, at any time, Miss Grandison, between you and Captain Anderson, I think?'

SIR CH. A very proper question.'

MISS GR. There was not, on either side, I be lieve. I have hinted at my motives, and at his. In every letter of his he gave me cause to confirm what I have said of his self-interestedness; and now his principal plea to hold me to my promise, is, his interest. I would not to him, I never did, plead mine, though his example would excuse me if I did.'.

LORD L.

sister?'

Was the promise given in writing,

MISS GR. Indeed it was.' She looked down. HARRIET. May I be pardoned, madam?— The substance of your promise was, that yon would never marry any other man without his consent while he remained unmarried — Did you promise,

that, if ever you did marry at all, it should be to him?"

MISS GR. "No. He wanted me to promise that; but I refused. And now, my Harriet, what is your advice?'

HARRIET.I beg to hear Dr. Bartlett's opinion and yours, sir-' (to Sir Charles) before I presume to give mine.'

Sir Charles looked at the doctor. The doctor referred himself to him.

SIR CH. Then, doctor, you must set me right, if I am wrong. You are a casuist.

'As to what Lord L. has said, I think with his lordship that Captain Anderson appears not, in any of his conduct, to be worthy of Miss Grandison: and in truth I don't know many who are. If I am partial, excuse the brother.'

She bowed. Every one was pleased that Miss Grandison was enabled to hold up her head, as she did on this compliment from her brother.

SIR CH. I think also if my sister esteems him not, she is in the right to resolve never to be his. But what shall we say as to her promise, Never to be the wife of any other man without his consent, while he remains unmarried? It was made, I apprehend, while her father was living; who might, I believe, doctor, you will allow, have absolved her from it: but then, her very treating with him since to dispense with it, shows, that in her own conscience she thinks herself bound by it.'

Every one being silent, he proceeded.

'Lady L. is of opinion, that he acts ungenerously and unworthily, to endeavour to hold her to an unequal promise: but what man, except a very generous one indeed, having obtained an advantage over such a woman as Charlotte,' [She reddened]

would not try to hold it? Must he not, by giving up this advantage, vote against himself? Women should be sure of the men in whom they place a confidence that concerns them highly. Can you think that the man who engages a woman to make a promise, does not intend to hold her to it? When he teases her to make it, he as good as tells her he does, let what will happen to make her wish she had not.'

MISS GR. O my brother! The repetition of that word teases!—Are you not rallying me?-Indeed I deserve it.'

SIR CH. Men gain all their advantages by teasing, by promises, by importunities--Be not concerned, my Charlotte, that I use your word.'

MISS GR. O my brother, what shall I do it you rally me on my folly?"

SIR CH. I mean not to rally you. But I know something of my own sex; and must have been very negligent of my opportunities, if I know not something of the world,' [I thought, Lucy, he would here have used the word other instead of the word world.] 'We have heard her reason for not binding the captain by a like promise: which was, that she did not value him enough to exact it: and was not that his misfortune?

'She is apprehensive of blame on this head; but her situation will be considered: I must not repeat the circumstances! I was grieved to hear that my sisters had been in such circumstances. What pity, that those who believe they best know the sex think themselves entitled to treat it with least respect!' [How we women looked upon one another!] I should hope in charity,' [In charity, Lucy,] and for the true value I bear it, as I think a good woman one of the greatest glories of the creation, that the fault is not generally in the sex.

'As to the captain's artifice to obtain a footing by letters of another man's writing; that was enough indeed to make a woman, who herself writes finely, despise him when she knew it. But to what will not some persons stoop to gain a point, on which their hearts are fixed?-This is no new method. One single instance I mention. Madam Maintenon, it is reported, was employed in this way by a favourite mistress of Louis XIV. And this was said to be the means of introducing her to the monarch's favour, on the ruins of her employer. Let me repeat, that women should be sure of their men before they embark with them in the voyage of love. "Hate the man," says Lady L. "for exposing her to the letter-writer!"-Exposing !-Let me say, that women who would not be exposed should not put themselves out of their own power.-0 Miss Byron!' (turning, to my confusion, to me, who was too ready to apply the first part of the caution) be so good as to tell my Emily, that she must never love a man of whose love she is not well assured; that she must never permit a man to know his consequence with her, till she is sure he is grate. ful, just, and generous; and that she must despise him as a mean and interested man, the first moment he seeks to engage her in a promise.-Forgive me, Charlotte: you so generously blame yourself, that you will not scruple to have your experience pleaded for an example to a young creature who may not be able, if entangled, to behave with your magnanimity.'

Seasonably did he say this last part, so immedi ately after his reference to me; for I made Miss Grandison's confusion a half-cover for my own; and I fear but a half cover.

I find I must not allow myself to be long from you, my dear friends: at least in this company.

Miss Cantillon, Miss Barnevelt, and half a dozen more misses and masters, with whose characters and descriptions I first paraded; Where are you? Where can I find you? My heart, when I saw you at Lady Betty Williams's, was easy and unapprehensive: I could then throw my little squibs about me at pleasure, and not fear by their return upon me the singeing of my own clothes!

LETTER XXX.

MISS BYRON. IN CONTINUATION.

'BUT now what remains to be done for our sister?" asked Lady L. Charlotte looked round her, as seconding the question. Every one referred to

Sir Charles.

In the first place, let me assure you, my dear Charlotte,' resumed he, that if you have but the shadow of a preference for Captain Anderson; and if you believe, from what has passed between you, and from the suspense you have kept him in, (which may have been an hindrance to his fortune or pre ferment) that you ought to be his, whether in justice or by inclination; I will amicably meet him, in order to make and to receive proposals. If we do not find him grateful or generous, we will make him so by our example; and I will begin to set it.'

Every one was affected; Dr. Bartlett as much as any body. Miss Grandison could hardly sit still ; her chair was uneasy to her; while her brother looked like one who was too much accustomed to acts of beneficence to suppose he had said any thing extraordinary.

Miss Grandison, after some hesitation, replied, 'Indeed, sir, Captain Anderson is not worthy of being called your brother. I will not enter into