what are the true excellences of her sex, and endeavours to appropriate to herself the domestic virtues which shall one day make her the crown of some worthy gentleman's earthly happiness; and which, of course, as you prettily said, my dear, will secure and heighten her own. That noble frankness of disposition, that sweet and unaffected openness and simplicity, which shine in all her actions and behaviour, commend her to the esteem and reverence of all mankind; as her humility and affability, and a temper uncensorious, and ever making the best of what is said of the absent person, of either sex, do to the love of every lady. Her name indeed is not prostituted on windows, nor carved on the barks of trees in public places: but it smells sweet to every nostril, dwells on every tongue, and is engraven on every heart. She meets with no address but from men of honour and probity: the fluttering coxcomb, the inveigling parasite, the insidious deceiver, the mercenary fortune-hunter, spread no snares for a heart guarded by discretion and prudence, as hers is. They see that all her amiable virtues are the happy result of a uniform judgment, and the effects of her own wisdom, founded in an education to which she does the highest credit. And at last, after several worthy offers, enough to perplex any lady's choice, she blesses some one happy gentleman, more distinguished than the rest, for learning, good sense, and true politeness, which is but another word for virtue and honour; and shines, to her last hour, in all the duties of domestic life, as an excellent wife, mother, mistress, friend, and Christian; and so confirms all the expectations of which her maiden life had given such strong and such edifying presages. Then folding my dear miss in my arms, and kissing her, tears of pleasure standing in her pretty eyes; Who would not, said I, shun the examples of the COQUETILLAS, the PRUDIANAS, and the PROFUSIANAS of this world, and choose to imitate the character of PRUDENTIA !-the happy and the happy-making PRUDENTIA ! O madam! madam! said the dear creature, smothering me with her rapturous kisses, PRUDENTIA is YOU!-Is YOU indeed-It can be nobody else!-Oh, teach me, good God to follow your example, and I shall be a SECOND PRUDENTIA!-Indeed I shall! God send you may, my beloved miss! And may He bless you more, if possible, than Prudentia was blessed! And so, my dear Lady G, you have some of my nursery tales; with which, relying on your kind allowance and friendship, I conclude myself Your affectionate and faithful P. B. VOL. III. 2 E CONCLUSION. THE Editor thinks proper to conclude in this place, that he may not be thought to deserve a suspicion, that the extent of the Work was to be measured but by the patience of its readers. But he thinks it necessary, in order to elucidate the whole, to subjoin a brief note of the following facts: Mr. B (after the affair which took date at the masquerade, and concluded so happily) continued to be one of the best and most exemplary of men; an honour to his country, both in his public and private capacity; having, at the instances of some of his friends, in very elevated stations, accepted of an honourable employment abroad in the service of the State; which he discharged in such a manner as might be expected from his qualifications and knowledge of the world: and on his return, after an absence of three years, resisting all the temptations of ambition, devoted himself to his privater duties, and joined with his excellent lady in every pious wish of her heart: adorning the married life with all the warmth of an elegant tenderness: beloved by his tenants, respected by his neighbours, revered by his children, and almost adored by the poor in every county where his estates gave him interest; as well for his own bountiful temper, as for the charities which he permitted to be dispensed with so liberal a hand by his lady. She made him the father of seven fine children; five sons and two daughters; all adorned and accomplished by nature to be the joy and delight of such parents; being educated, in every respect, by the rules of their inimitable mother, laid down in that book which she mentions to have been written by her for the revisal and correction of her consort; the contents of which may be gathered from her remarks upon Mr. Locke's Treatise of Education, in her letters to Mr. B—, and in those to Lady G. Miss Goodwin, at the age of eighteen, was married to a young gentleman of fine parts, and great sobriety and virtue and both she and he, in every material part of their conduct, and in their behaviour to one another, emulated the good examples set them by Mr. and Mrs. B—. Lord Davers dying two years before this marriage, his lady went to reside at the Hall in Lincolnshire, the place of her birth, that she might enjoy the company and conversation of her excellent sister; who, for conveniency of the chapel, and advantage of room and situation, had prevailed upon Mr. B to make that the chief place of his residence; and there the noble lady lived long (in the strictest friendship with the happy pair), an honourable relict of her affectionate lord. The worthy Mr. Andrews and his wife lived together, in the sweet tranquillity set forth in their letters, for the space of twelve years, at the Kentish farm: the good old gentlewoman died first, full of years and comfort, her dutiful daughter performing the last pious offices to so beloved and so loving a parent: her husband surviving her about a year only. Lady G―, Miss Darnford that was, after a happy marriage of several years, died in childbed of her fourth child; to the inexpressible concern of her affectionate consort, and of her dear friend Mrs. B. Lord H—, after having suffered great dishonour by the ill courses of his wife, and great devastations in his estate through her former debts, and continued extravagance (intimidated and dispirited by her perpetual insults, and those of her gaming brother, who with his bullying friends terrified him into all their measures), threw himself upon the protection of Mr. B―, who, by his spirit and prudence, saved him from utter ruin, punished his wife's accomplices, and obliged her to accept of a separate main tenance: and then taking his affairs into his own management, in due course of time entirely re-established them: and after some years, his wife dying, he became wiser by his past sufferings, and married a second, of Lady Davers's recommendation; who, by her prudence and virtue, made him happy for the remainder of his days. Mr. Longman lived to a great age in the worthy family, much esteemed by every one, having trained up a diligent youth, whom he had recommended, to ease him in his business, and who, answering expectation, succeeded him in it after his death. He dying rich, out of his great love and gratitude to the family in whose service he had acquired most of his fortune, and in disgust to his nearest relations, who had perversely disobliged him, he bequeathed to three of them one hundred pounds a-piece, and left all the rest to his honoured principal, Mr. B: who, as soon as he came to know it, being at that time abroad, directed his lady to call together the relations of the old gentleman; and after touching them to the heart with a just and effectual reproof, and finding them filled with a due sense of their demerit, which had been the cause of their suffering, then to divide the whole which had been left him, among them, in greater proportions, as they were more nearly related: an action worthy of so generous and ennobled a spirit; and which procured him the prayers and blessings, not only of the benefited, but all who heard of it. For it is easy to imagine how cheerfully, and how gracefully, his benevolent lady discharged a command so well suited to her natural generosity. THE END. PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE, HANSON AND CO |