her of the brotherly character which he passes under, to her! How officiously he sisters her!

Ah, Lucy! your Harriet is his sister too, you know! He has been used to this dialect, and to check the passions of us forward girls; and yet I have gone on confessing mine to the whole venerable circle, and have almost gloried in it to them. Have not also his sisters detected me! While the noble Clementina, as in that admirable passage cited by her,

-Never told her love,

But let concealment, like a worm i' th' bud,

Feed on her damask cheek.--'

How do I admire her for her silence! But yet, had she been circumstanced as your Harriet was, would Clementina have been so very reserved?

Shall I run a parallel between our two cases?

Clementina's relations were all solicitous for her marrying the Count of Belvedere, a man of unexceptionable character, of family, of fortune; and who is said to be a gallant and a handsome man, and who adores her, and is of her own faith and country. What difficulties had Clementina to contend with? It was great in her to endeavour to conquer a love, which she could not, either in duty, or with her

Harriet's relations were all

solicitous, from the first, for an alliance with their child's deliverer. They never had encouraged any man's address; nor had she: and all his nearest and dearest friends were partial to her, and soon grew ardent in her favour, Harriet, not knowing of any engagement he had, could have no difficulties to contend with; except inferiority of fortune were one. She had therefore no rea

judgment and conscience, acknowledge.

No wonder, then, that so excellent a young lady suffered Concealment, like a worm in the bud, to feed on her damask cheek.

son to endeavour to conquer a passion not ignobly founded; and of which duty, judgment, and conscience, approved. Suspense, therefore, only, and not concealment, (since every one called upon Harriet to acknowledge her love,) could feed on her cheek.

And is it not suspense enough to make it pale, though it has not yet given it a green and yellow cast? O what tortures has suspense given me! But certainty is now taking place.

What a right method, Lucy, did Clementina, so much in earnest in her own persuasion, take, in this second conference, could she have succeeded, in her solicitude for his change of religion!-Could that have been effected, I dare say she would have been less reserved, as to the cause of her melancholy; especially as her friends were all as indulgent to her as mine are to me.

But my pity for the noble Clementina begins to take great hold of my heart. I long to have the whole before

me.

Adieu, Lucy: if I write more, it will be all a recapitulation of the doctor's letter. I can think of nothing else.

LETTER XXIII.

MISS BYRON.-IN CONTINUATION.

Tuesday, March 28.

LET me now give you a brief account of what we are doing here. Sir Charles so much rejoiced the heart of Lord G who waited on him the moment he knew he was in town, that he could not defer his attendance on Miss Grandison, till she left Colnebrook; and got hither by our breakfast time this morning.

He met with a very kind reception from Lord and Lady L- and a civil one from Miss Grandison; but she is already beginning to play her tricks with him.

O, Lucy! where is the sense of parading it with a worthy man, of whose affection we have no reason to doubt, and whose visits we allow?

Silly men in love, or pretending to be in love, generally say hyperbolical things; all, in short, that could be said to a creature of superior order (to an angel); because they know not how to say polite, proper, or sensible things. In like manner, from the same defects in understanding, some of us women act as if we thought coyness and modesty the same thing; and others, as if they were sensible, that if they were not insolent, they must drop into the arms of a lover upon his first question.

But Miss Grandison, in her behaviour to Lord Gis governed by motives of archness, and, I may say, downright roguery of temper. Courtship is play to her. She

has a talent for raillery, and in no instance is so successful, yet so improper, as on that subject. She could not spare her brother upon it, though she suffered by it.

Yet had she a respect for Lord G— she could not treat him ludicrously. Cannot a witty woman find her own consequence, but by putting a fool's coat on the back of a friend?-Sterling wit, I imagine, requires not a foil to set it off.

She is indeed good-natured; and this is all Lord G▬▬▬ has to depend upon-saving a little reliance that he may make upon the influence her brother has over her. I told her, just now, that, were I Lord G-, I would not wish to have her mine, on any consideration. She called me silly creature, and asked me, if it were not one of the truest signs of love, when men were most fond of the women who were least fit for them, and used them worst? These men, my dear, said she, are very sorry creatures, and know no medium. They will either, spaniel-like, fawn at your feet, or be ready to leap into your lap.

She has charming spirits: I wish I could borrow some of them. But I tell her, that I would not have a single drachm of those over-lively ones which I see she will play off upon Lord G. Yet he will be pleased, at present, with any treatment from her; though he wants not feeling, as I can see already.-Don't, Charlotte, said I to her, within this half hour, let him find his own weight in your levity. He admires your wit; but don't let it wound him.

But perhaps she is the sprightlier, in order to give me and Lord and Lady L-spirits. They are very good to me, and greatly apprehensive of the story, which takes up, in a manner, my whole attention: so is Miss Grandison : and my sweet Emily, as often as she may, comes up to me

when I am alone, and hangs upon my arm, my shoulder, and watches, with looks of love, every turn of my eyes.

I have opened my whole heart to her, for the better guarding of hers; and this history of Clementina affords an excellent lesson for the good girl. She blesses me for the lectures I read her on this subject, and says, that she sees love is a very subtle thing, and, like water, will work its way through the banks that are set up to confine it, if it be not watched, and dammed out in time.

She pities Clementina; and prettily asked my leave to do SO. I think, said she, my heart loves her; but not so well as it does you. I long to know what my guardian will do about her. How good is it in her father and mother to love her so dearly! Her two elder brothers one cannot dislike; but Jeronymo is my favourite. He is a man worth saving; i'n't he, madam? But I pity her father and mother, as well as Clementina.

Charming young creature! What an excellent heart she

has!

Sir Charles is to dine with Sir Hargrave and his friends to-morrow, on the forest, in his way to Grandison-hall. The doctor says, he expects to hear from him, when there. What! Will he go by this house, and not call in ?—With all my heart-we are only sisters! Miss Grandison says, she'll be hanged (that is her word) if he is not afraid of me. Afraid of me! A sign, if he is, he knows not what a poor forward creature I am. But, as he seems to be pre-engaged --Well, but I shall soon know every thing, as to that. But sure he might call in as he went by.

The doctor says, he longs to know how he approves of the decorations of his church, and of the alterations that are made and making, by his direction, at the Hall. It is a wonder, methinks, that he takes not Dr. Bartlett with