Harriet, whispered I, we are only, after all, to be allowed, as far as I can find, in this temporary ftate, like tame doves, to go about houfe, and foforth, as Biddy fays, in the play. Harriet, could fhe have found time (but, by mutual confent, they are hardly ever afunder), would. have given you a better account of this conver fation than I have done; fo would Lucy: But take it, as it offers, from Your ever-affectionate CHARLOTTE G. LETTER XXXVIII.. Mifs LUCY SELBY, To Lady L. Sunday, Nov. 19. M your ladyship an account of the appearance which the lovelieft couple in England made this day at church. We all thought nothing could have added to the charms of our Harriet's perfon; but yet her drefs and jewels did. 1 fighed, from pride for the honour of female beauty, to think they did. Can my dear Harriet, thought I, exquifitely lovely as the is, in any dress, be ornamented in richer filks than common, by coftly laces, by jewels? Can drefs add grace to that admirable proportion, and those fine features, to which no painter yet has ever done juf tice, though every family related to her has a picture of her, drawn by a different hand of eminence ? We admired the bridegroom as much as we did. her, when (before we could have thought he had been half ready) he joined Mrs Shirley, my aunt Selby, and me, in the great parlour, completely dref fed. But what we most admired in him was, that native dignity and ease, and that inattentiveness to his own figure and appearance, which demonftrate the truly fine gentleman, accustomed, as he is, to be always elegant.. When his lady presented herself to him, and to us, in all her glory, how did the dear creature dazzle us! We involuntarily arofe, as if to pay our homage to her, Sir Charles approached her with rather an air of greater freedom than usual, as if he confidered not the dress, as having added to the value he has for her: Yet lovelieft of women, he called her; and, taking her hand, prefented her to her grandmamma: Receive, and again blefs my angel, faid he, beft of parents!-How lovely! But what is even all this amazing loveliness to the gra ces of her mind? They rife upon me every hour. She hardly opens her lips, but I find reafon to blefs God, and bless you both, my dear ladies: for God and you have given her goodness.My dearest life, allow me to fay, that this sweet perfon, which will be your perfection in every ftranger's eye, is but a fecond in mine. Inftruct me, Sir, faid fhe, bafhfully bowing her face upon his hand, as he held hers, to deferve your love, by improving the mind you have the good, nefs to prefer; and no creature was ever on earth. fo happy as I fhall be. My dear daughter, faid her delighted grandmother, you fee, can hardly bear your goodness, Sir You must blame her for fomething, to keep down her pride. My Harriet, replied he, cannot be proud of what the filkworm can do for her, or of the jeweller's polish: But, now you call upon me, madam, I will tax her with a real fault. I open all my heart too her, as fubjects ocafionally offer: I want her to have a will, and to let me know it. The frankeft of all female hearts will not treat me with that fweet familiarity which banishes diftance. You fee,. my my dearest love, that I chide you before your pa rental friends, and your Lucy. It is your own fault, Sir: Indeed it is. You prevent me in all my wishes. Awe will mingle with the love of perfons who are under perpetual obligation. My dear two mamma's, you must not blame me; you must blame Sir Charles: He takes away, by his goodness, even the power of making fuitable acknowledgments, and then complains Ï do not speak. My uncle Selby came in. He stood looking u pon my coufin for a few moments in filence; then broke out, Sir Charles Grandifon, you may indeed boast, that you have for a wife the flower of the British world, as you once called her: And, let me tell you, niece, you have for a husband the nobleft and gallanteft of men. Happy, happy pair! fay I. My dear Mr Deane, faid he, who juft then entered, if you will keep me in counte nance, I will venture to falute that charming crea ture. Sir Charles prefented his bride to them both. With a bent knee fhe received their falutes. At that moment came in the three lords, who followed the example. Lord W. called her angel-Sir Charles looked delighted with the praifes of his bride. The rest of the company being come, we pro ceeded to church. We were early; but the church was crouded. How were the charming couple admired on their alighting, and as they walked to their pew!-Never did my coufin berfelf look fo lovely. How charmingly looked the bridegroom! But he forgot not that humble deportment, full of reverence for the place, and the divine offices, which feemed to make him abfent for the time to that fplendor and beauty which took every eye out of our own pew, pew. His example was enough to give a proper behaviour, had it been needful, to every one in it. I should have told your lady hip, that Mr Greville had fent, over night, a fullenly-complaifant request to my aunt, in writing, importing, that as he heard the bride would make her appearance on the morrow, the bride-men and maids, if it broke not into our ceremonial, would accept of his pew, which is over-against ours, for the look of the thing, he faid; though he could not promife but he fhould all the day curfe the occafion. By this we found he was not gone to Lady Frampton's,' as he had defigned. His offer was thankfully accepted. There was a great concourfe of the genteeleft people there. Everybody, men and women, looked delighted on the occafion. The humility of the bride was tried, by the refpects paid her between the offices, by all who had ever been in her company. They should have reined-in their own pride; for it was to that, as much as to refpect to her, I doubt not, that their notice was owing. She looked confcious, bafhful; Ay, I told her afterwards. She hates the word: But, as I faid, fhe should not have given the idea, that made no other word fo proper to exprefs it, and which must be more obfervable in her generally open free countenance, than in that of any other. She more than once faw devoirs paid her by a leer, when her sweet face was fo difpofed, that, had the not returned the compliment, it might have paffed that the had not feen them. But what an infenfible must have been my coufin, had the not been proud of being Lady Grandifon! She is not quite an angel yet: She has a few femalities, as my uncle whimfically calls our little foibles. So, perhaps, fhe fhould. But nobody faw the least defect in your brother. His drefs molt charmingly became him; and when he looked upon his bride, his eyes were fixed on her her eyes with fuch a sweet benignity and complaifance, as if he faw her mind through them, and could not fpare a glance to her ornaments: Yet by his own dress he fhewed, that he was no ftoical non-conformist to the fashion of the world. But the politeness and refpect with which he treated her, did them both credit, and credit (as Lady G. obferved) to the whole fex. Such unaffected tenderness in his respect, and known to be fo brave, fo good a man!--O my dear Lady L. what an admirable man is your brother! What a happy creature is my Harriet! When divine fervice was over, I was afraid our proceffion, as I may call it, would have been interrupted by the compliments of fome of the gentry of our acquaintance, whofe opened pew-doors fhewed their readinefs to addrefs them: But all paffed in filent refpect from gentlemen and ladies. My coufin, when the came home, rejoiced, that one of her parading times was over: But when, my dearest love, faid Sir Charles, will the time be paft, that all who fee you will admire you? The church in the afternoon was still more crouded than before. How were Sir Charles and my uncle bleffed by the poor, and people of low degree, for their well-difpenfed bounty to them! My coufin has delighted Mrs Shirley, by telling her, that Sir Charles had faid there would be a rite wanting, till he and fhe had communicated, according to the order of the church, at the altar, on this particular occafion. Just now is every thing fettled that Sir Charles wifhed to be fettled. Lady G. will acquaint you with particulars, I doubt not. Permit. me to commend myself to your ladyfhip's favour, as one of the Humbleft and fincereft of your Servants, LUCY SELBY. P. S. Lady |