are for eternity. You desire me to remind you of your duty. I know not of any faults, nor am I disposed to look for them. I doubt not but the religious education you have received in your youth will enable you to resist the strongest temptation; and, like that everlasting honor to the army, Col. Gardner, although not afraid to fight yet you will be afraid to sin. However terrifying it may be to meet death in the field, yet it is far more awful to appear before a just God whom we have offended by our iniquities. I have been reading Hume's History of England, who says, that at the battle of Hastings, when the Saxon monarchy was overthrown by the Normans, the latter, though under arms all night, yet were fervent in their devotions, whilst the English, who thought them. selves secure of victory, were spending their time in riot and drunken ness. But, alas! the nex day exhibited a different scene. The Normans became conquerors after killing many thousands of the enemy; and such are commonly the fatal effects of debauchery. There is not one body of people in the world accused of irreligion more than the military, and from the very nature of their employment none are more obliged to practice every Christian duty. They see thousands of their fellow creatures hurried into eternity, nor do they know but the next may be themselves. My dear Charles, never be ashamed of religion. A consciousness of your integrity will inspire you with real courage in the day of battle; and if you should at last die in defence of the just rights of your country, the divine favor will be your comfort through eternity. In the mean time my prayers shall constantly be for your safety and preservation, and my earnest hopes fixed on your happy re

turn.

I have obtained leave of my parents to reside with your mother du ing the summer, which will at least be some consolation to me in your absence. Let me hear from you as often as possible, but never doubt of my fidelity. Consider me as already yours and I am satisfied. Farewell, my dear, and may the wisdom of God direct you, and his providence be your guard, the sincere prayer of her who prefers you before all the world.

LETTER 129.

From a Gentleman to a young Lady of superior fortune. MADAM,

I can no longer do so great violence to my own inclinations, and injustice to your charms and merits, as to retain within my own breast those sentiments of esteem and affection with which you have inspred me.

I should have hazarded this discovery much sooner, but was restra 2ed by a dread of meeting censure for my presumption in aspiring to a lady whom beauty, wit, and fortune have conspired to raise so high above my reasonable expectations.

You have judgment enough, both of your own good qualities, and the characters of those with whom you converse, to make a proper estimate of my sincerity on this occasion. I am above deceit, and have not therefore, at any period of our acquaintance, pretended to be a man of greater property than I am, which conduct I hope will tend to convince

you of my general sincerity. Believe me, my dearest Annette, wers our circumstances reversed, I should hardly take to myself the credit of doing a generous action, in overlooking the consideration of wealth, and making you an unreserved tender of my hand and fortune. I shall awai Your answer in a state of unpleasant impatience, and therefore rely on your humanity not to keep me long in suspense.

SIR,

I am, madam, your most humble servant.

LETTER 130.

The Answer.

Giving you credit, as I do, for an elevation of mind capable of the most generous sentiments, I cannot believe you guilty of the meanness of speculating on the heart of a lady with a view to her property. Knowing your accomplished manners, and cultivated understanding, I feel the greatest obligation to you for the polite and affectionate declaration contained in your letter. In an affair of so much importance, however, 1 must refer myself entirely to the discretion of my father. At the same time 1 must caution you against feeling hurt at minute inquiries, and resolute objections, which perhaps may be nade; young people think too little of wealth, old ones perhaps too much; but I know my father's prudence and kindness so well, as to pledge myself to abide by his final decision, whatever pain it may cost me. Yet I advise you not to despair of success, as you will find a warm and zealous advocate in Your sincere friend and humble servant.

LETTER 131.

From a Gentleman of some fortune, who had seen a Lady in pub lic, to her Mother.

MADAM,

I shall be very happy if you are not altogether unacquainted with the wame which is at the bottom of this letter, since that will prevent me the necessity of saying some things concerning myself which had better be heard from others. Hoping that it may be so, I shall not trouble you on that head; but only say, that I have the honor to be of a family not mean, and not wholly without a fortune.

I was yesterday, madam, at the rehearsal at St. Paul's, and have been informed that a lady who cominanded my attention there has the happiness to be your daughter. It is on account of that lady that I now write to you; but I am aware you will say this is a rash and an idle manner of attempting an acquaintance. I have always been of opinion that nothing deserves censure which is truly honorable and undisguised. I take the freedom to tell you, madam, that I believe she is worthy of a much better offer; but I am assured my kappiness will depend upon her accepting or refusing this. In the first place I request to know wheth er the lady be engaged, for I am an entire stranger; and if she be not, I beg, that after having informed yourself who it is that wishes to be i troduced to her, you will do me the favor of letting me be answered. J am very much an enemy, madam, to the usual nonsense upon these occasions; but it would etice to myself to conclule without saying

that my mind would be very ill at ease until I know how this address is received. I have the honor to be, madam, with the greatest respect, Your very obedient humble servant.

SIR,

LETTER 132

The Mother's Answer.

The letter which you have done me the honor to write to me speaks you a gentleman and a man of sense. I am sorry to acquaint you, that after such a prepossession in your favor, I am for more than one reason desirous to decline the offer you are pleased to make of an alliance in my family. My daughter is very dear to me, and I think she has cast an eye elsewhere: think there is something indelicate and improper in this wild manner of engaging in an attachment, and in pleading in favor of it. I wish you had known my daughter more before you had spoke so much, and had met with me among my acquaintance to have mentioned it. I am convinced, sir, I do not think more of you than I may with justice, when I confess to you that I believe you would be more than an equal match for my daughter; for though she has (and suffer me, sir, although she is my child, to say it) great merit, her fortune, although not quite inconsiderable, is not great. You will see, sir, that I waver in my opinion upon this subject; but you must attribute it to the true cause; and believe that every thing which has, be it ever so remote, a tendency to my daughter's welfare, will make me very cautious of determining. To give you my final sense, (at least what is final to me at present) I have not a thought of asking who it is that has thus favored us, nor would advise my daughter to remember it. I thank you, sir, in her name as well as my own, for the honor you intend us, and am, sir, Your most obediert servant.

LETTER 133.

From a young Tradesman to a Gentleman, acsiring permission to visit his Daughter.

SIR,

I flatter myself that the integrity of my intention will excuse the freedom of these few lines, whereby I am to acquaint you of the great regard and esteem I have for your daughter. I would not, sir, attempt any indirect address, that should have the least appearance of inconsis tency with her duty to you, and my honorable views to her, choosing by your influence, if I may approve myself to you worthy of that honor, to commend myself to her approbation. You are not insensible, sir, by the credit I have nitnerto preserved in the world, of my ability, by God's blessing, to make her happy. This rather emboldens me to request the favor of an evening's conversation with you, at your first convenience, when I will more fully explain myself, as I earnestly hope, to your sat isfaction, and take my encouragement or discouragement from your own mouth. I am, sir, in the mean time, with great respect, Your humble servant.

7

LETTER 134.

From the same to the young Lady, by permission of the Father. MISS,

I hope I shall stand excused in venturing to make known to your hon. ored father the great desire¦ have to be thought worthy of a relation to him. As he has not discouraged me in the hopes I have entertained, that I may possibly be not unacceptable to him, and to all your worthy family, I propose to do myself the honor of a visit to you next Monday. Though he has been so good as to promise to introduce me, and I make ao doubt has acquainted you with it, I nevertheless give you the trouble of these lines, that I might not appear wanting in any outward demonstration of that inviolable respect with which I am, dear Miss, Your devoted humble servant.

SIR,

LETTER 135.

From a Widow to a young Man, rejecting his suit.

The objections I have to make to the proposal contained in your letter are but few, but they demand some attention, and will, I believe, be rather difficult to be answered.

You are, by your account, two and twenty; I am, by mine, six and forty. You are too young to know the duties of a father; I have a son who is seventeen, and consequently too old to learn the duties of a son from one so little his senior. Thus much with respect to age. As to the little fortune I possess, I consider myself as merely a trustee for my children, and will not therefore impose on you by acceding to the common report that I am rich. However, as you have borne a lieutenant's commission these three years, as you tell me, you may have reserved out of the profits of that a sufficient sum to obviate every difficulty on that head.

I will press these objects no farther; when you have convinced me that in point of age, fortune and morals, you are such a person as I can, without reproach, take for a husband, and admit as a guardian of my children, I shall cease to think, as I now candidly confess I do, that motives far from honorable, or disinterested love, have influenced your ap plication. Till that happens I most regret that an ill-timed effort of gallantry on your part deprives me of the pleasure of subscribing my. Your sincere friend.

self

LETTER 136.

From a young Lady to a Gentleman that courted her, whom she could not esteem, but forced by her parents to receive his visits.

SIR,

It is an exceedingly ill return that I make the respect you have for me, when I acknowledge to you, though the day of our marriage is appointed, that I am incapable of loving you. You may have observed in the long conversations we have had at those times that we were left together, that some secret hung upon my mind. I was obliged to an am

biguous behavior, and durst not reveal myself further, because my moth er, from a closet near where we sat, could hear our conversation. I have strict commands from both my parents to receive you, and am undone forever unless you will be so kind and generous as to refuso me. Consider, sir, the misery of bestowing yourself upon one who can have no prospect of happiness but from your death. This is a confession made perhaps with offensive sincerity; but that conduct is much to be preferred to a covered dislike, which could not but pall all the sweets of life, by imposing on you a companion that dotes and languishes for another. I will not go so far as to say, my passion for the gentleman whose wife I am by promise, would lead me to any thing criminal against your honor. I know it is bad enough to a man of your sense to expect nothing but forced civilities in return for tender endearments, and cold esteem for undeserved love. If you will on this occasion let reason take place of passion, I doubt not but fate has in store for you some worthier object, on whom you can depend for a reciprocal affection, in recompence of your goodness to the only woman who could be insensible to your merit. I am, sir, your most humble servant.

LETTER 137.

From a young Lady in the country to her Father, acquainting hɩm with an offer made to her of Marriage.

HONORED FATHER,

My duty teaches me to acquaint you with a circumstance which may become of importance to me.

A gentleman of this town, whose name is Smith, and by business a linen draper, has made some overtures to my cousin Arnold, in the way of courtship to me. My cousin has brought him once or twice into my company, as he has a high opinion of him and his circumstances. He has been set up three years, possesses a very good business, and lives in credit and fashion. He is about twenty-seven years old, and is very good looking in his person. He seems not to want sense or manners, and is come of a good family. He has opened his mind to me, and boasts how well he can maintain me; but I assure you, sir, I have given him no encouragement, yet he resolves to persevere, and pretends extraordinary affection and esteem. I would not, sir, by any means omit to acquaint you with the beginning of an affair; that would show a diso bedience unworthy of your kind indulgence and affection. Pray give my humble duty to my honored mother, love to my brother and sister, and my best respects to all my friends.

DEAR ELIZA,

I am your ever dutiful daughter

LETTER 138.

The Answer.

I have received your letter of the first instant, relating to the addresses of Mr Smith. I would advise you neither to encourage nor discourage his suit; for if, on inquiry into his charater and circumstances, I shall find that they are answerable to your cous's good opinion of them and his own assurances, I know not but his suit may be worthy of at