known, took her attention. She would not for the world stand in the way of the Chevalier Grandifon. She withed you to be happy, fhe faid, whatever became of her. Father Marefcotti strongly enforced this point, and advised her to come to fome refolution before your next letters arrived, as it was not to be doubted but the contents of them would fupport your former opinion. The patriarch's arguments were re-urged with additional force, A day was named when fhe was again to be brought before her affembled friends. Mrs Beaumont applauded her for the magnanimity she had already fhewn in the discharge of her duty to. Heaven; and called upon her to distinguish her felf equally in the filial..

Clementina took time to confider of thefe and other arguments; and after three hours paffed in her clofet, fhe gave the following written paper to Mrs Beaumont; which, fhe faid, the hoped, when read in full affembly, would excufe her from at tending her friends in the propofed congrefs..

6

AM tired out, my dear Mrs Beaumont, with your kindly-meant importunities: "With the importunities, prayers, and entreaties of my brothers.

"O my mamma, how well do you deferve even implicit obedience, from a daughter who has o• ver-clouded your happy days! You never knew • difcomfort till your hapless Clementina gave it you! The facrifice of my life would be a poor atonement for what I have made you fuffer. "But who can. withstand a kneeling father? In-• deed my papa, ever good,. ever indulgent, I dread to fee you! Let me not again behold you as on Thurdfay laft.

"I have denied to myself, and fuch the motive • that I must not, I do not repent it, the man I e-• fteemed. I never can be his.

"Father

"Father Marefcotti, though he now loves the man, fuggefts, that my late diforder might be a judgment upon me for fuffering my heart to be engaged by the heretic.

"I am abfolutely forbidden to think of atoning for my fault by the only measure that, in my o pinion, could have done it.

You tell me, Mrs Beaumont, and all my friends join with you, that honour, generofity, and the efteem which I avow for the Chevalier Grandi. ← son, as my friend, as my fourth brother, all join to oblige me to promote the happiness of a man. I myself have disappointed. And you are of opinion, that there is one particular woman of his own country, who is capable of making him happy-But do you fay that I ought to give the example?-Impoffible. Honour, and the punctilio of woman, will not permit me to do that! "But thus preffed, thus dreading again to fee ← a kneeling father, a weeping mother, and having reafon to think. I may not live long, that a relapfe into my former malady, with the apprehenfions of which father Marefcotti terrifies me,. " may be the punishment of my difobedience [Cruel father Marefcotti, to terrify me with an affliction I fo much dread !] and that it will be a confolation to me, in my departing hour, to reflect that I have obeyed my parents, in an article on which: their hearts are immoveably fixed; and ftill further being affured, that they will look upon my. • refignation as a compenfation for all the troubles. I have given them for many, many months past -God enable me, I pray, to refign to their will. But if I cannot, shall I be ftill entreated, • ftill perfuaded?-I hope not. I will do my endeavour to prevail on myself to obey-But what• ever be the event of my felf-contendings, Gran difon muft give the example."

Haw,

How, my Grandifon, did we congratulate ourfelves, when we read this paper, faint as are the hopes it gives us !

Our whole endeavour is now to treat her with tender obfervance, that fhe may not think of receding. Nor will we ask her to fee the perfon fhe knows we favour, till we can affure her that you will fet her the example. And if there be a lady with whom you think you could be happy, may not this, my dear Grandifon, pleaded by you, be a motive with her?

The Count of Belvedere has made overtures to us, which are too great for our acceptance, were this alliance to take place. We have been told, but not by bimfelf, the danger to which his defpair had fubjected him, in more than one vifit to you at Bologna, had you not borne with his rafhness. You know him to be a man of probity, of piety. He is a zealous Catholic; and you must allow, that a religious zeal is a strengthener, a confirmer, of all the focial fanctions. He is learned; and, being a domestic man, he, contrary to the Italian custom, admires in a wife thofe intellectual improvements which make a woman a fit companion. for her husband. You know how much the marchionefs excels almost all the women of quality in Italy, in a tafte for polite literature: You know fhe has encouraged the fame tafte in her daughter; and the count confiders her as the only woman in. Italy with whom he can be happy.

As you, my Grandifon, cannot now be my brother by marriage, the Count of Belvedere is the only man in the world I can wish to be fo. He is of Italy. My fifter, always fo dear to us, and he will be ever with us, or we with them. He knows the unhappy way fhe has been in; and was fo far. from making that an objection, that when her malady was at the height (being encouraged by phyficians to hope that her recovery would be the probable confequence) he would have thought

himfelf

himself the happiest of men, could he have been honoured with her hand. He knows her love of you. He adores her for her motive of refufing you. He loves you, and is confident of the inviolable honour of both: Whofe alliance, on all. these confiderations, can be fo defirable to us as that with the Count of Belvedere?

Surely, my dear friend, it must be in your power to fet the example: In yours, who could fubdue a whole family of zealous Catholics, and keep your own religion; and who could engage the virgin heart of one of the most delicate women in the world. What woman who has a heart to bestow; what family, that has a daughter or fifter to give, can withstand you? Religion and country of both the fame?

Give us hope, therefore, my dear Grandifon, that you will make the effort. Affure us, that you will not fcruple, if you can fucceed, to fet the example; and on this affurance we will claim from Clementina the effects of the hope fhe has given us: And if we can prevail, will in England return you thanks for the numberlefs favours you have conferred upon us.

Thus earnestly, as well from inclination as in compliance with the preffing entreaties of every one of a family which I hope are ftill, and ever will be dear to you, do I, your Jeronymo, your brother, your friend, folicit you. Mrs Beaumont joins with us. She fcruples not, fhe bids me tell you, to pronounce, that you and Clementina will both be more happy, fhe with the Count of Bel vedere [your refpective countries fo diftant, your religion fo different], you with an English woman,, than you could have been with each other. Mrs Beaumont has owned to me in private, that you often in converfation with her, even while you had hope of calling Clementina yours, lamented, for her fake, as well as your own, the unhappy fitua

tion with respect to religion you were both in;
and that you had declared more than once to her,
as indeed you did once to us, that in a beginning
addrefs you would not have compromised thus
with a princefs. May we not expect every thing,
my Grandifon, from your magnanimity? We hope
it is in your power, and we doubt not your will,
to contribute to our happiness. But whatever be
the event, I beseech you, my dear friend, continue
to love
Your JERONYMO.

LETTER II.

Lady G. To Miss BYRON.

Grofvenor Square, Sunday, Oct. 15. CAN, forgive, pofitively no! I write to fcold AN I forgive your pride, your petulance?

you; and having ordered my lord to fup abroad, I fhall perhaps oblige you with a long letter. We honeft folks, who have not abundance of love-fooling upon our hands, find ourselves happy in a good deal of quiet leifure; and I love to chide and correct you wife ones. Thus then I begin

Ridiculous parade among you! I blame you all., Could he not have been Mrs Shirley's gueft, if he was not to be permitted to repofe under the fame roof with his fovereign lady and mistress? But muft you let him go to an inn?-What for! Why to fhew the world he was but on a foot at prefent with your other humble fervants, and be thought no more by the infolent Greville, and affronted as an invader of his rights. Our fex is a foolish fex. Too little or too much parade. Yet, Lord help us! were it not that we must be afraid to appear

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