"Sir," faid he, "I heartily approve of this will. The girl to whom he has left his perfonal estate, I have frequently feen at her father's house, though then very young, and think her deferving of it." I then told him every thing we had done;' but that, though under no obligation by the will to do so, we had referved his father's and his mother's portraits, their gold watches, his mother's jewels and rich cloaths, with all the plate that belonged to them and their parents, for his ufe, if he chose to accept of them. "It is very kindly " and I am and generously done," replied he, obliged to you for fo valuable a prefent." I then told him, that Mifs Polly lived in town, had behaved very well, and was on the eve of being married to Mr, the other executor; and that, if he pleased, I would introduce him to her, I did fo. We found her alone, very elegantly dreffed; and fhe made a moft lovely appearance. She knew the young gentleman at first fight, called him by his name, and welcomed him to her houfe, expreffing her regard for him as a worthy young gentleman, and the brother of her kind and generous benefactor dece. fed. He politely thanked her; and faid, Madam, Mr told me every thing. I approve of the fettlement made by my brother; and thank you kindly for what you intend for me; which I will cheerfully accept of, and requite the favour. I congratulate you on your intended marriage with Mr

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who, this gentleman affures me, is a perfon of real worth and merit, as well as of a plentiful fortune." He then told us, that he had been near seven years in the East Indies; that he had been very fuccefsful in trade, having made a fortune of about 40,000 l.; that he had lived foberly, and in the fear of God; but that, finding his health declined, he had returned to pass the reHh 3 mainder

mainder of his days in his native country, and if he recovered, would marry. Mifs Polly, learning he would stay fome time in town, politely invited him to dine and fup every day at her house, with her guardians; and that the expected her. deftined spouse would come in a very fhort time. Mr- ― came accordingly, and Mr feemed to be very fond of him.

"We continued to dine and sup every day with Mifs Polly, till the long-expected day to both arrived; when they were married, in confequence of a special licence, in the parish-church of St Andrew, Holbourn, Mr and I being prefent. We dined with the bridegroom and bride, at the houfe of the latter; and the entertainment was conducted with the most cheerful and innocent feftivity. After dinner, Mrfaid, "Madam, I am infinitely obliged to you, for your diligent attendance on my brother in his laft ficknels; I blefs God for the joyful information that he died in the Lord; I congratulate you on the large fortune he bequeathed to you, on your living virtuously and piously, and on your marriage with this worthy gentleman; and I, from the bottom of my heart, wish you all happinefs. And, Madam, feeing you have been ge nerously pleased to make me a prefent of what belonged to my honoured parents and grand-parents, which I have cheerfully accepted; I hope you will now oblige me in taking this Eaft-India bond for 5000 1. which I give you to dispose of for your own ufe only. I will releafe you from the maintenance of my brother's three children, which I will henceforth charge myself with. And as I love your young fifter, Mifs Nancy, if once my health were re-established, I will make my addreffes to her, and be proud of being more nearly related to fo accomplished a lady. Mis

very politely returned the compliment, and faid fhe would be equally proud of being related to him, and his marrying her fifter would be a great honour to her father's family.

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The bridegroom then faid, "My deareft Polly, my beloved wife, as Mr's libraries both in town and country are yet entire, and as I have a large library of my own, which I am daily increasing, I propofe, if it is agreeable to you, to give the whole in a present to. Mr →→→→ who has been a faithful and affectionate guardian to you." She replied, "I most cheerfully confent; and beg you, Mr, my faithful and refpected guardian, will accept of my husband's offer." I told them, I was greatly obliged to them for fo valuable a prefent. We paffed the rest of the day in innocent mirth and pleafantry. After fupper, and performing family-worship, which devolved on me, the happy couple were conducted to bed; and all the company retired, after being previously invited to breakfaft with them next morning. I accordingly called next day, and was politely received by the married couple, pleafure being painted on their looks. Mr told me privately, that he was very well pleafed with his dear Polly, and that he had never known a woman before, having always lived pioufly and chaftely. I congratulated him upon his felicity, and told him I hoped my deftined happiness was not now far diftant. O my lovely Fanny, when hall we be happy in mutual embraces ? O time and diftance, fly away, and bring my beloved fair-one to my longing arms. Mr

who is daily recovering, feems to be very fond of Mifs Nancy, who is an accomplished beauty.

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Thus, my dearly beloved Fanny, I have, in a feries of letters, given an account of Mr happy death, and the good fortune of his kept miftrefs,

mistress, with her comfortable marriage. I have fpent a great part of my time in this affair, which has not been altogether unpleasant and loft, as I have got a library well worth 1500 l. confifting of the best books in moft languages and faculties, and which I hope will ere long afford a learned entertainment to the lovely object of my heart. I refolve to send all the books to my own house in the country, which I have ordered fome time ago to be repaired, and will go down thither in a few days. Mr and Mrs are very happy in one another, and their love feems to be increafing every day. She is indeed a very agreeable woman, and, in my opinion, exercised to religion. After the came to her houfe in Hatton-garden, fhe performed family-worship regularly morning and evening, calling all her fervants to attend; and this, though otherwise a very bashful young woman, fhe did herself, at all times except when I and Mr were with her, when one of us performed. She conftantly attended public worship on the Lord's day, and was careful to fanctify that day of facred reft. Since her marriage Mr

is as punctual in religious exercises, and takes pleasure in inftructing the fervants every Lord's day evening. Happy were it for this city and the whole nation, and what a bleffed influence would it have on the interefts of religion,, if every mafter of a family were to tread in the laudable footfteps of this worthy gentleman and lady. I hope I and my Fanny will profit by fo excellent à pattern, and make our house a house of prayer when we are happily married.

"To conclude this fubject, I muft inform the dear object of my heart, that I one day afked Mifs Polly, as fhe faid he had faved 3000l. of the money given her by Mr what money in whole fhe had received from him, after his carry

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ing her off from her father's houfe. She told me, that, upon their arrival in town, he placed her in lodgings at three guineas a-week, which confifted of two rooms on a floor, and the got a very fober maid, pretty far advanced in life; that he laid out about 500 l. in purchafing a gold watch, rings, trinkets, and cloaths for her; that he ufed frequently to dine, but always fup with her, for which the provided a genteel entertainment; that he feldom vifited her without prefenting her a bank-note or a purfe of guineas, and regularly paid the rent of the lodgings every month, the pafling as his wife, and being called by his name; that he was exceffively fond of her, though the admitted his embraces with reluctance, being afhamed of the fin and infamy of her life; that, notwithstanding his proteftations of conftant love, which he fometimes violated by vifita ing Miss and fome other celebrated courtezans, fhe was afraid he might one day abandon her, and therefore fhe was refolved to live as foberly as poffible, that the might fave a little money to preserve her, in such an event, from mifery and prostitution, which fhe always abhorred. "This gentleman's conduct, indeed," continued Mifs Polly," fhews the extreme folly of men in fquandering away their time, ftrength, and fortune on kept miftreffes, who are generally fo unwife as to throw it away in lewdnefs and diffi pation, and at laft die in rags and the utmost wretchednefs. Mifs informed me, that fe veral years the had received from her keeper and other gallants about 10,000l. annually, and had not faved fixpence of it. And the two ftrumpets who lived in the fame houfe with me, the one kept by a young nobleman, and the other by a middleaged eminent merchant, received very large fums, which they wafte in debauchery, and are perpe

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