'ments, will have a fine fortune, is genteel in her person, though with some visible affectation, dances well, sings well, and plays prettily on several instruments; is fond ' of reading, but affects the action and air, and attitude, ' of a tragedian; and is too apt to give an emphasis in the wrong place, in order to make an author mean more significantly than it is necessary he should, even where the occasion is common, and in a mere historical fact, that requires as much simplicity in the reader's accent, as in the writer's style. No wonder, then, that when 'she reads a play she will put herself into a sweat, as Lady 'Towers says; distorting very agreeable features, and making a multitude of wry mouths, with one very pretty 'one, in order to convince her hearers what a near neigh'bour her heart is to her lips.

Miss Cope is a young lady of nineteen, lovely in her person, with a handsome fortune in possession, and great 'prospects; has a soft and gentle turn of mind, which disposes her to be easily imposed upon; is addressed by a libertine of quality, whose courtship, while permitted, 'was imperiousness; and whose tenderness, insult; having 'found the young lady too susceptible of impression, open ' and unreserved, and even valuing him the more, as it 'seemed, for treating her with ungenerous contempt; for 'that she was always making excuses for slights, ill 'manners, and even rudeness, which no other young lady ' would forgive.

That this facility on her side, and this insolence on his, and an over-free, and even indecent degree of ramping, as it is called, with her, which once her mamma surprised them in, made her papa forbid his visits, and her C receiving them.

That this, however, was so much to Miss Cope's regret, that she was detected in a design to elope to him 'out of the private garden-door; which, had she effected, in all probability the indelicate and dishonourable Peer 'would have triumphed over her innocence, having given 'out since, that he intended to revenge himself on the

daughter, for the disgrace he had received from the parents.

"That though she was convinced of this, 'twas feared 'she still loved him, and would throw herself in his way 'the first convenient opportunity; urging, that his rash 'expressions were the effect only of his passion; for that she knows he loves her too well to be dishonourable to her: and, by the same degree of favourable prepossession, she will have it, that his brutal roughness is the 'manliness of his nature; that his most shocking expres'sions are sincerity of heart; that his boasts of his former 'lewdness are but instances that he knows the world; that his freedoms with her person are but excess of love, ' and innocent gaiety of temper; that his resenting the 'prohibition he has met with, and his threats, are other instances of his love and his courage; and peers of the 'realm ought not to be bound down by little narrow rules, like the vulgar; for, truly, their honour, which is ' regarded, in the greatest cases, as equal with the oath of

a common gentleman, is a security that a lady may trust

to, if he is not a profligate indeed; and that Lord P

6 cannot be.

That, excepting these weaknesses, miss has many good qualities; is charitable, pious, humane, humble; 'sings sweetly; plays on the spinnet charmingly; is meek, fearful, and never was resolute or courageous enough to step out of the regular path, till her too flexible heart 'became touched with a passion that is said to polish the most brutal temper, and therefore her rough peer has none of it; and to animate the dove, of which Miss Cope 'has too much.

6

That Miss Sutton, a young lady of the like age with 'the two former, has too lively and airy a turn of mind; 'affects to be thought well read in the histories of kingdoms, as well as in polite literature; speaks French fluently; talks much upon all subjects; and has a great 'deal of that flippant wit, which makes more enemies than

VOL. III.

2 B

6

'friends however, is innocent, and unsuspectedly vir 'tuous hitherto; but makes herself cheap and accessible 'to fops and rakes, and has not the worse opinion of a ( man for being such; listens eagerly to stories told to the disadvantage of individuals of her own sex; though affecting to be a great stickler for the honour of the sex in general; will unpityingly propagate such 'stories; thinks (without considering to what the impru'dence of her own conduct may subject her) the woman 'that slips inexcusable; and the man who seduces her, 'much less faulty; and, by this means, encourages the one sex in their vileness, and gives up the other for their weakness, in a kind of silly affectation to show her 'security in her own virtue; at the very time that she is dancing upon the edge of a precipice, presumptuously 'inattentive to her own danger.'

The worthy dean, knowing the ladies' intention in this visit to me, brought his daughter with him, as if by accident: for Miss L, with many good qualities, is of a remarkably soft temper, though not so inconsiderately soft as Miss Cope: but is too credulous; and as her papa suspects, entertains more than a liking to a wild young gentleman, the heir to a noble fortune, who makes visits to her, full of tenderness and respect, but without declaring himself. This gives the dean a good deal of uneasiness, and he is very desirous that his daughter should be in my company on all occasions: as she is so kind to profess a great regard to my opinion and judgment.

'Tis easy to see the poor young lady is in love; and she makes no doubt that the young gentleman loves her: but, alas! why then (for he is not a bashful man, as you shall hear) does he not say so?-He has deceived already two young creatures. His father has cautioned the dean against his son has told him that he is sly, subtle, full of stratagem, yet has so much command of himself (which makes him more dangerous), as not to precipitate his

designs; but can wait with patience till he thinks himself secure of his prey, and then pulls off the mask at once; and, if he succeeds, glories in his villany.

Yet does the father beg of the dean to permit his visits; for he would be glad he would marry Miss L-, though greatly unequal in fortune to his son; wishing for nothing so much as that he would marry. And the dean, owing his principal preferment to the old gentleman, cares not to disoblige him, or affront his son, without some apparent reason for it, especially as the father is wrapt up in him, having no other child, and being himself half afraid of him, lest, if too much thwarted, he should fly out entirely.

So here, madam, are four young ladies of like years, and different inclinations and tempers; all of whom may be said to have dangers to encounter, resulting from their respective dispositions: and who, professing to admire my character, and the example I had set, were brought to me, to be benefited, as Lady Towers was pleased to say, by my conversation: and all was to be as if accidental, none of them knowing how well I was acquainted with their several characters.

How proud, my dear Lady G-, would this compliment have made me, from such a lady as Lady Towers, had I not been as proud as proud could be before, of the good opinion of four beloved persons, Mr. B- Lady Davers, the Countess of C and your dear self!

We were attended only by Polly Barlow, who was as much concerned as anybody in some of the points that came before us. And as you know this was in the time of the visit paid us by Lord and Lady Davers, and that noble countess, 'tis proper to say they were abroad together upon a visit, from which, knowing how I was to be engaged, they excused me.

The dean was well known to, and valued by, all the ladies; and therefore was no manner of restraint upon the freedom of our conversation.

I was above in my closet when they came; and Lady

B

Towers, having presented each young lady to me when I came down, said, being all seated, I can guess at your employment, Mrs. B. Writing, I daresay? I have often wished to have you for a correspondent; for every one who can boast of that favour, exalts you to the skies, and says, Your letters exceed your conversation; but I always insisted upon it, that that was impossible.

Lady Towers, said I, is always saying the most obliging things in the world of her neighbours: but may not one suffer, dear madam, for these kind prepossessions, in the opinion of greater strangers, who will judge more impartially than your favour will permit you to do?

That, said Lady Arthur, will be so soon put out of doubt when Mrs. B begins to speak, that we will refer to that, and so put an end to everything that looks like compliment.

But, Mrs. B, said Lady Towers, may one ask, what particular subject was at this time your employ

ment?

I had been writing (you must know, Lady G) for the sake of suiting Miss Stapylton's flighty vein, a little sketch of the style she is so fond of; and hoped for some such opportunity as this question gave me, to bring it on the carpet; for my only fear, with her and Miss Cope, and Miss Sutton, was, that they would deem me too grave; and so what should fall in the course of conversation, would make the less impression upon them. For even the best instructions in the world, you know, will be ineffectual, if the method of conveying them is not adapted to the taste and temper of the person you would wish to influence. And, moreover, I had a view in it, to make this little sketch the introduction to a future occasion for some observations on the stiff and affected style of romances, which might put Miss Stapylton out of conceit with them, and make her turn the course of her studies another way; as I shall mention in its place.

I answered, That I had been meditating upon the misfortune of a fine young lady, who had been seduced and