sensation or passion which hath gratitude and esteem for its basis. To deny the existence of a passion, of which we often see manifest instances, seems to be very strange and absurd; and can indeed proceed only from that selfadmonition which we have mentioned above: but how unfair is this? Doth the man who recognises in his own. heart no traces of avarice or ambition conclude, therefore, that there are no such passions in human nature? Why will we not modestly observe the same rule in judging of the good, as well as the evil of others? Or why, in any case, will we, as Shakspeare phrases it, 'put the 'world in our own person ?' Predominant vanity is, I am afraid, too much concerned here. This is one instance of that adulation which we bestow on our own minds, and this almost universally. For there is scarce any man, how much soever he may despise the character of a flatterer, but will condescend in the meanest manner to flatter himself. To those therefore I apply for the truth of the above observations, whose own minds can bear testimony to what I have advanced. Examine your heart, my good reader, and resolve whether you do believe these matters with me. If you do, you may now proceed to their exemplification in the following pages; if you do not, you have, I assure you, already read more than you have understood; and it would be wiser to pursue your business, or your pleasures (such as they are), than to throw away any more of your time in reading what you can neither taste nor comprehend. To treat of the effects of love to you must be as absurd as to discourse on colours to a man born blind; since possibly your idea of love may be as absurd as that which we are told such blind man once entertained of the colour scarlet; that colour seemed to him to be very much like the sound of a trumpet: and love probably may, in your opinion, very greatly resemble a dish of soup, or a sirloin of roast-beef. CHAPTER II. The character of Mrs. Western. Her great learning and knowledge of the world, and an instance of the deep penetration which she derived from those advantages. THE reader hath seen Mr. Western, his sister, and daughter, with young Jones, and the parson, going together to Mr. Western's house, where the greater part of the company spent the evening with much joy and festivity. Sophia was indeed the only grave person; for as to Jones, though love had now gotten entire possession of his heart, yet the pleasing reflection on Mr. Allworthy's recovery, and the presence of his mistress, joined to some tender looks which she now and then could not refrain from giving him, so elevated our hero, that he joined the mirth of the other three, who were perhaps as good-humoured people as any in the world. Sophia retained the same gravity of countenance the next morning at breakfast; whence she retired likewise earlier than usual, leaving her father and aunt together. The squire took no notice of this change in his daughter's disposition. To say the truth, though he was somewhat of a politician, and had been twice a candidate in the country interest at an election, he was a man of no great observation. His sister was a lady of a different turn. She had lived about the court, and had seen the world. Hence she had acquired all that knowledge which the said world usually communicates; and was a perfect mistress of manners, customs, ceremonies, and fashions. Nor did her erudition stop here. She had considerably improved her mind by study; she had not only read all the modern plays, operas, oratorios, poems, and romances; in all which she was a critic; but had gone through Rapin's History of England, Eachard's Roman History, and many French Mémoires pour servir à l'Histoire; to these she had added most of the political pamphlets and journals published within the last twenty years. From which she had attained a very competent skill in politics, and could discourse very learnedly on the affairs of Europe. She was moreover excellently well skilled in the doctrine of amour, and knew better than any body who and who were together; a knowledge which she the more easily attained, as her pursuit of it was never diverted by any affairs of her own; for either she had no inclinations, or they had never been solicited; which last is indeed very probable; for her masculine person, which was near six foot high, added to her manner and learning, possibly prevented the other sex from regarding her, notwithstanding her petticoats, in the light of a woman. However, as she had considered the matter scientifically, she perfectly well knew, though she had never practised them, all the arts which fine ladies use when they desire to give encouragement, or to conceal liking, with all the long appendage of smiles, ogles, glances, &c. as they are at present practised in the beau-monde. To sum the whole, no species of disguise or affectation had escaped her notice; but as to the plain simple workings of honest nature, as she had never seen any such, she could know but little of them. By means of this wonderful sagacity, Mrs. Western had now, as she thought, made a discovery of something in the mind of Sophia. The first hint of this she took from the behaviour of the young lady in the field of battle; and the suspicion which she then conceived was greatly corroborated by some observations which she had made that evening and the next morning. However, being greatly cautious to avoid being found in a mistake, she carried the secret a whole fortnight in her bosom, giving only some oblique hints, by simpering, winks, nods, and now and then dropping an obscure word, which indeed sufficiently alarmed Sophia, but did not at all affect her brother. Being at length, however, thoroughly satisfied of the truth of her observation, she took an opportunity, one morning, when she was alone with her brother, to interrupt one of his whistles in the following manner :— เ Pray, brother, have you not observed something very 'extraordinary in my niece lately?' No, not I,' answered Western; is any thing the matter with the girl?' I think there is,' replies she; and something ' of much consequence too.'-' Why she doth not complain ' of any thing,' cries Western; and she hath had the small-pox.'-' Brother,' returned she, girls are liable 'to other distempers besides the small-pox, and sometimes possibly to much worse.' Here Western interrupted her with much earnestness, and begged her, if any thing ailed his daughter, to acquaint him immediately, adding, she knew he loved her more than his own soul, and that he would send to the world's end for the best physician to her. Nay, nay,' answered she, smiling, 'the distemper is not so terrible; but I believe, brother, you are con'vinced I know the world, and I promise you I was เ never more deceived in my life, if my niece be not 'most desperately in love.'--' How! in love,' cries Western in a passion; in love, without acquainting me! 'I'll disinherit her; I'll turn her out of doors, stark naked, without a farthing. Is all my kindness vor 'ur, 'and vondness ou'r come to this, to fall in love without เ เ asking me leave!'-' But you will not,' answered Mrs. Western, turn this daughter, whom you love better 'than your own soul, out of doors, before you know 'whether you shall approve her choice. Suppose she 'should have fixed on the very person whom you yourself 'would wish, I hope you would not be angry then ?'— 'No, no,' cries Western, that would make a difference. If she marries the man I would ha' her, she may love 'whom she pleases, I shan't trouble my head about that.' 'That is spoken,' answered the sister, like a sensible man; but I believe the very person she hath chosen, 'would be the very person you would choose for her. 'I will disclaim all knowledge of the world, if it is not so; and I believe, brother, you will allow I have 'some.'-'Why, lookee, sister,' said Western, 'I do 'believe you have as much as any woman; and to be เ sure those are women's matters. You know I don't 'love to hear you talk about politics; they belong to us, and petticoats should not meddle: but come, who is 'the man?'' Marry!' said she, you may find him 'out yourself, if you please. You, who are so great a politician, can be at no great loss. The judgment 'which can penetrate into the cabinets of princes, and discover the secret springs which move the great state 'wheels in all the political machines of Europe, must surely, with very little difficulty, find out what passes ' in the rude uninformed mind of a girl.'-' Sister,' cries the Squire, I have often warned you not to talk the 'court gibberish to me. I tell you, I don't understand 'the lingo; but I can read a journal, or the London Evening Post. Perhaps, indeed, there may be now ' and then a verse which I can't make much of, because half the letters are left out; yet I know very well 'what is meant by that, and that our affairs don't go so well as they should do, because of bribery and cor เ เ เ เ |