with it? He did; and fo far conquered, as to enable himself to be just to the lady, whofe great qualities, and the concurrence of her friends in his favour, had converted compaffion for her into love. And who, that hears her story, can forbear to love her? But with what tendernefs, with what politenefs, does he, in his letter to his chofen correspondent, exprefs himfelf to Mifs Byron! He declares, that if he were not to be happy, it would be a great abatement of his own felicity. You, however, remember how politely he recals his apprehenfions that you may not, on his account, be altogether fo happy as he wishes, as the fuggeftions of his own prefumption; and cenfures himself for barely fuppofing, that he had been of confequence enough with you to give you pain.

How much to your honour, before he went over, does he account for your fmiles, for your franknefs of heart, in his company! He would not build upon them: Nor indeed could he know the ftate of your heart, as we did: He had not the opportunity. How filly was your punctilio, that made you fometimes fancy it was out of mere compaffion that he revealed to you the ftate of his engagement abroad! You fee he tells you, that fuch was his opinion of your greatness of mind, that he thought he had no other way but to put it in your power to check him, if his love for you. fhould ftimulate him to an act of neglect to the lady to whom (fhe having never refufed him, and not being then in a condition either to claim him, or fet him free) he thought himself under obligation.. Don't you revere him for his honour to her, the nature of her malady confidered?—What must he have fuffered in this conflict!

Well, and now, by a ftrange turn in the lady, but glorious to herself, as he obferves, the obstacle removed, he applies to Mifs Byron for her faHow fenfible is he of what delicacy requires from her! How juftly (refpecting his love

vour.

for

1

for you) does he account for not poftponing, for the fake of cold and dull form, as he justly expreffes it, his addrefs to you! How greatly does the letter he delivered to you favour his argument! Ah the poor Clementina! Cruel perfuaders her relations! I hate and pity them, in a breath. Never, before, did hatred and pity meet in the fame bofom, as they do in mine, on this occafion. His difficulties, my dear, and the uncommon fituation he is in, as if he were offering you but a divided love, enhance your glory. You are reinftated on the female throne, to the lowermoft ftep of which you once was afraid you had defcended. You are offered a man, whofe perplexities have not proceeded from the entanglements of intrigue, inconftancy, perfidy; but from his own compaffionate nature And could you, by any other way in the. world than by this fuppofed divided love, have had it in your power, by accepting his humbly-offered hand, to lay him under obligation to you, which he thinks he never shall be able to discharge? Lay bim Who? Sir CHARLES GRANDISON -For whom fo many virgin hearts have fighed in vain! -And what a triumph to our fex is this, as well as to my Harriet !

And now, Harriet, let me tell you, that my fifter and I are both in great expectations of your next letter. It is, it must be, written before you will have this. My brother is more than man: You have only to fhew yourself to be fuperior to the forms of woman. If you play the fool with him, now that you have the power you and we have fo long wifhed you-If you give pain to his noble, because fincere heart, by any the leaft fhadow of female affectation; you, who have hitherto been distinguished for fo amiable a frankness ; you who cannot doubt his honour-the honour of a man who folicits your favour even in a great manner, a manner in which no ́man before him

B 3

ever

ever courted a woman, becaufe few men before him have ever been fo particularly circumftanced; a manner that gives you an opportunity to out-fine, in your acceptance of him, even the noble Clementina in her refufal; as bigotry must have: been, in part, her motive-If I fay you act foolishly, weakly, now-Look to it-You will depreciate, if not caft away, your own glory. Remember you have a man to deal with, who, from the behaviour of us his fifters to Mrs Oldham, at his first return to England, took measure of our minds, and, without loving us the lefs for it, look, ed down upon us with pity; and made us, ever fince, look upon ourselves in a diminishing light, and as fifters who have greater reason to glory in their brother, than he has in them. Would you not rather, you who are to stand in a still nearer relation to him, invite his admiration, than his pi ty? Till last Friday night you had it: What Sa turday has produced, we fhall foon guess..

Not either Lord L. or Lord G. not Emily, not aunt Eleanor, now, either fee or hear read what you write, except here and there a paffage, which you yourself would not fcruple to hear read to them. Are not you our third fifter? To each of us our next felf: And, what gives ftill more digni ty, the elected wife of our brother

Adieu, my love! In longing

your next, we subscribe

Your affectionate.

expectation of

CAROLINE L..

CHARLOTTE G..

LETTER

MR

LETTER III.

Mifs BYRON, To Lady G..

Saturday, Oct. 14!! R Fenwick has just now been telling us, from the account given him by that Gre ville, vile man! how the affair was between him and Sir Charles Grandifon. Take it briefly as follows:

About eight, yesterday morning, that audacious wretch went to the George at Northampton; and after making his enquiries, demanded an audience. of Sir Charles Grandifon. Sir Charles was near dreffed, and had ordered his chariot to be ready, with intent to vifit us early.

He admitted of Mr Greville's vifit. Mr Gre ville confeffes, that his own behaviour was perem tory (his word for infolent, I suppose). I hear, Sir, faid he, that you are come down into this County in order to carry off from us the richest jewel in it

I need not fay whom, My name is Greville : I have long made my addreffes to her, and have bound myself under a vow, that, were a prince to be my competitor, I would difpute his title to her.

4

me

You feem to be a princely man, Sir, faid Sir Charles, offended with his air and words, no doubt. You need not, Mr Greville, have told your name: I have heard of you. What your pretenfions are, I know not; your vow is nothing. to me. I am master of my own actions; and fhall not account to you, or any man living, for them.

L

I prefume, Sir, you came down with the intention I have hinted at? I beg only your anfwer as to that. I beg it as a favour, gentleman to gentleman.

The

The manner of your addrefs to me, Sir, is not fuch as will intitle you to an anfwer for your own fake. I will tell you, however, that I am come down to pay my devoirs to Mifs Byron. I hope for acceptance; and know not that I am to make allowance for the claim of any man on earth.

Sir Charles Grandison, I know your character: I know your bravery. It is from that knowledge that I confider you as a fit man for me to talk to. I am not a Sir Hargrave Pollexfen, Sir.

I make no account of who or what you are, Mr Greville. Your vifit is not, at this time, a welcome one I am going to breakfast with Mifs Byron. I fhall be here in the evening, and at leifure then to attend to any thing you fhall think yourself authorised to say to me, on this or any other fubject.

We may be overheard, Sir-Shall I beg you to walk with me into the garden below? You are going to breakfast, you fay, with Mifs Byron. Dear Sir Charles Grandifon, oblige me with an audience, of five minutes only, in the back-yard, or garden.

In the evening, Mr Greville, command me any where: But I will not be broken in upon now.

I will not leave you at liberty, Sir Charles, to make your vifit where you are going, till I am gratified with one five minutes' conference with you below.

Excufe me then, Mr Greville, that I give orders, as if you were not here. Sir Charles rang. Up came one of his fervants-Is the chariot ready? Almoft ready, was the anfwer.-Make hafte. Saunders may fee his friends in this neighbour. hood: He may stay with them till Monday. Frederick and you attend me.

He took out a letter, and read in it, as he walked about the room, with great compofure, not regarding Mr Greville, who ftood fwelling, as he owned, at one of the windows, till the fervant

withdrew ;