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to continue as he was: that is to say, to have none at all. So she suspended attempting to proselyte the thoughtless creature till he came to England. I wish her ladyship success here: but I doubt he will not be a credit to any religion for a great while. And as he is very desirous to go to London, as he has always been, it will be found, when there, that any fluttering coxcomb will do more to make him one of that class in an hour, than his aunt's lessons to make him a good man in a twelvemonth. Where much is given, much is required. The contrary of this, I doubt, is all poor Mr. H-- has to trust to.

Just now we have a messenger to tell us that his father, who has been long ill, is dead. So now he is a lord indeed! He flutters and struts about most strangely, I warrant, and is wholly employed in giving directions relating to his mourning equipage.—And now there will be no holding of him in, I doubt; except his new title has so much virtue in it, as to make him a wiser and a better

man.

He will now have a seat in the House of Peers of Great Britain; but I hope for the nation's sake, he will not meet with many more like himself there!-For to me that is one of the most venerable assemblies in the world; and it appears the more so, since I have been abroad; for an English gentleman is respected, if he be anything of a man, above a foreign nobleman; and an English nobleman above some petty sovereigns.

If our travelling gentry duly considered this distinction in their favour, they would, for the honour of their country, as well as for their own credit, behave in a better manner in their foreign tours, than, I am sorry to say it, some of them do. But what can one expect from the unlicked cubs, pardon the term, sent abroad with only stature to make them look like men, and equipage to attract respect, without one other qualification to enforce it?

Here let me close this with a few tears to the memory of my dear Mrs. Jervis, my other mother, my friend, my

VOL. III.

2 A

adviser, my protectress, in my single state, and my faithful second and partaker in the comforts of my higher life, and better fortunes!

What would I have given to have been present, as it seems she so earnestly wished, to close her dying eyes! I should have done it with the piety and the concern of a truly affectionate daughter. But that melancholy happiness was denied to us both; for, as I told you in the letter on the occasion, that the dear good woman (who now is in the possession of her blessed reward, and rejoicing in God's mercies) was no more, when the news reached me so far off as at Heidelburgh, of her last illness and wishes.

I cannot forbear, every time I enter her parlour (where I used to see, with so much delight, the good woman sitting, always employed in some useful or pious work), shedding a tear to her memory: and in my Sabbath duties, missing her, I miss half a dozen friends, methinks; and I sigh in remembrance of her; and can only recover that cheerful frame, which the performance of those duties always gave me, by reflecting that she now is reaping the reward of that sincere piety which used to edify and encourage us all.

The servants we brought home with us, and those we left behind us, melt in tears at the name of Mrs. Jervis. Mr. Longman, too, lamented the loss of her in the most moving strain. And all I can do now, in honour of her memory and her merit, is to be a friend to those she loved most, as I have already begun to be; and none of them shall suffer in those concerns that can be answered, now she is gone. For the loss of so excellent a friend and relation, is loss enough to all who knew her and claimed kindred with her.

Poor worthy Jonathan too ('tis almost a misery to have so soft, so susceptible a heart as I have, or to have such good servants and friends, as one cannot lose without such emotions as I feel for the loss of them!) his silver hairs, which I have beheld with so much delight, and

thought I had a father in presence, when I saw them adorning so honest and comely a face, how are they now laid low!-Forgive me, my dear Lady G―! Jonathan was not a common servant; neither are any of ours so: but Jonathan excelled all that excelled in his class!—I am told that these two worthy folks died within two days of one another; a circumstance you mentioned not in your letter to me; on which occasion I could not help saying to myself, in the words of David over Saul and his son Jonathan, the namesake of our worthy butler, They were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their deaths they were not divided.

I might have continued on in the words of the Royal Lamenter; for surely never did one fellow-servant love another, in my maiden state, nor servant love a mistress in my exalted condition, better than Jonathan loved me! I could see in his eyes a glistening pleasure, whenever I passed by him. If at such times I spoke to him, as I seldom failed to do, with a God bless you, too! in answer to his repeated blessings, he had a kind of rejuvenescence (may I say?) visibly running through his whole frame: and now and then, if I laid my hand upon his folded ones, as I passed by him on a Sunday morning or evening, praying for me, with a How do you, my worthy old acquaintance? his heart would spring to his lips in a kind of rapture, and his eyes would run over.

Oh my beloved friend! how the loss of those two worthies of my family oppresses me at times!

Mr. B likewise showed a generous concern on the occasion: and when all the servants welcomed us in a body, on our return, Methinks, my dear, said the good gentleman, I miss your Mrs. Jervis, and honest Jonathan. A starting tear, and they are happy, dear honest souls! and a sigh, were the tribute I paid to their memories, on their beloved master's so kindly repeating their names.

Who knows, had I been here-But, away, too painful reflection! They lived to a good old age, and fell like fruit fully ripe: They died the death of the righteous; I must

follow them in time, God knows how soon: And, oh! that my latter end may be like theirs!

Once more, forgive me, my dear friend, this small tribute to their memories: and believe that I am not so ungrateful for God's mercies, as to let the loss of these dear good folks lessen with me the joy, and the delight I have still (more than any other happy creature) left me, in the health, and the love of the best of good husbands, and good men; in the children, charming as ever mother could boast of! charming, I mean principally, in the dawning beauties of their minds, and in the pleasure their towardliness of nature gives me; including, as I always do, my dear Miss Goodwin, and have reason to do, from her dutiful love, as I may call it, of me, and observation of all I say to her: in the preservation to me of the best and worthiest of parents, hearty, though aged as they are; in the love and friendship of good Lord and Lady Davers; and my excellent friend Lady G; not forgetting even worthy Mr. Longman. God preserve all these to me, as I am truly thankful for His mercies-And then, notwithstanding my affecting losses, as above, who will be so happy as I?

That you, my dear Lady G- -, may long continue so, likewise in the love of a worthy husband, and the delights of an increasing hopeful family, which will make you some amends for the heavy losses you also have sustained, in the two last years, of an affectionate father, and a most worthy mother; and in Mrs. Jones, of a good neighbour; prays

Your ever affectionate friend and servant,

P. B

LETTER C.

Mrs. B to Lady G

MY BELOVED LADY G---You will excuse my long silence, when I shall tell you the occasions of it.

In the first place, I was obliged to pay a dutiful and concerning visit to Kent, where my good father was taken ill of a fever, and my mother of an ague: and think, madam, how this must affect me, at their time of life!————

Mr. B kindly accompanied me, apprehending that his beloved presence would be necessary, if the recovery of them both, in which I thankfully rejoice, had not happened; especially as a circumstance I am, I think, always in, added more weight to his apprehensions.

I had hardly returned from Kent to Bedfordshire, and looked around, when I was obliged to set out to attend Lady Davers, who sent me word that she should die, that was her strong term, if she saw me not, to comfort and recover, by my counsel and presence (so she was pleased to express herself), her sick lord, who was just got out of an intermittent fever, which left him without any spirits, and was occasioned by fretting at the conduct of her stupid nephew; those also were her words.

For you must have heard (everybody hears when a man of quality does a foolish thing!) and it has been in all the newspapers, that 'On Wednesday last the Right Honour'able John (Jackey, they should have said), Lord H

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'nephew to the Right Honourable William Lord Davers, was married to the Honourable Mrs. P—, relict to ‘J. P——, of Twickenham, Esq., a lady of celebrated beauty and ample fortune.'

Now, my dear friend, you must know that this celebrated lady is, 'tis true, of the family, whence her title of Honourable; but is indeed so celebrated, that every fluttering coxcomb in town can give some account of her,

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