from the character you have had of Miss Byron, be under no difficulty of reading that character in this young lady's face.-Miss Byron, behold, in Dr. Bartlett, another grandfather!'

'I reverence,' said I, good Dr. Bartlett. I borrow Sir Charles's thought: the character he has given you, sir, is stamped in your countenance. I should have venerated you wherever I had seen you.'

The gentleman has such a truly venerable aspect, my Lucy, I could not help saying this.

Sir Charles's goodness, madam,' said he, as it ever did, prevents my wishes. I rejoice to see, and to congratulate a new sister restored, as I will call it, in the language of Miss Grandison, to the best of families.'

Just then came in a servant, and whispered to Sir Charles. Show the gentleman,' said Sir Charles, into the drawing-room, next the study,' Mr. Grandison came up to me, and said many silly things. I thought them so at that time.

Mr. Reeves soon after was sent for out by Sir Charles. I did not like his looks on his return.

Dinner being ready to be served, and Sir Charles, who was still with the gentleman, summoned to it, he desired we would walk down, and he would wait upon us by the time we were seated.

'Some new trouble,' thought I, ' of which I am the cause, I doubt,'

Presently came in Sir Charles, unaffectedly smiling and serene.-' God bless you, sir!' thought I-His looks pleased me better than my cousin's.

But, my dear, there is something going forward that I cannot get out of my cousin. I hoped I should when I got home. The gentleman to whom Sir Charles was called out was certainly that Ba

genhall. Mr. Reeves cannot deny that. I guessed was, by Sir Charles's sending in for Mr. Reeves. It must be about me.

We had several charming conversations. Sir Charles was extremely entertaining: so unassuming, so lively, so modest! It was also delightful to see the attention paid to him by the servants as they waited at table. They watched every look of his. I never saw love and reverence so agreeably mingled in servants' faces in my life. And his commands were delivered to them with so much gentleness of voice and aspect, that one could not but conclude, in favour of both, that they were the best of servants to the best of masters.

Mr. Grandison was very gallant in his speeches to me; but very uncivil with his eyes.

Lord L. said but little; but what he did say deservedly gained attention.

Every body reverenced Dr. Bartlett, and was attentive when he spoke; and would, I dare say, on his own account, had not the master of the house, by the regard he paid him, engaged every one's veneration for him. Many of the questions which Sir Charles put to him, as if to inform himself, it was evident he could himself have answered: yet he put them with an air of teachableness, if I may so express myself; and received the doctor's answers to them with as much satisfaction as if he were then newly enlightened by them. Ah, my Lucy! you imagine, I dare say, that this admirable man lost nothing in my eyes by this his polite condescension. Reserve, and a politeness that had dignity in it, showed that the fine gentleman and the clergyman were not separated in Dr. Bartlett. Pity they should be in any of the function!

Sir Charles gave Lord G. an opportunity to shine, by leading the discourse into circumstances

and details which Lord G. could best recount. My lord has been a traveller. He is a connoisseur in

antiquities, and in those parts of nice knowledge, as I, a woman, call it, with which the Royal Society here, and the learned and polite of other nations, entertain themselves.

Lord G. appeared to advantage, as Sir Charles managed it, under the awful eye of Miss Grandison. Upon my word, Lucy, she makes very free with him. I whispered her that she did—' A very Miss Howe,' said I.

To a very Mr. Hickman,' re-whispered she.'But here's the difference: I am not determined to have Lord G. Miss Howe yielded to her mother's recommendation, and intended to marry Mr. Hickman, even when she used him worse. One time or other,' (archly continued she the whisper, holding up her spread hand, and with a countepance of admiration) my Lord G. is to show us his collection of butterflies, and other gaudy insects: will you make one?'

Of the gaudy insects!' whispered I.

Fie, Harriet! One of the party, you know, I must mean. Let me tell you, I never saw a collection of these various insects, that I did not the more admire the maker of them, and of all us insects, whatever I thought of the collectors of the minute ones.-Another word with you, Harriet— These little playful studies may do well enough with persons who do not want to be more than indifferent to us; but do you think a lover ought to take high delight in the painted wings of a butterfly, when a fine lady has made herself all over butterfly to attract him?-Eyes off, Sir Charles!' for he looked, though smilingly, yet earnestly, at us, as we whispered, behind the countess's chair; who heard what was said, and was pleased with it.

LETTER II.

MISS BYRON. IN CONTINUATION.

Thursday morning, March 2. I SHOULD have told you that Miss Grandison did the honours of the table; and I will go round it; for I know you expect I should, But I have not yet done with Lord G. Poor man! he is excessively in love, I see that. Well he may. What man would not with Miss Grandison? Yet is she too superior, I think.

What can a woman do who is addressed by a man of talents inferior to her own? Must she throw away her talents? Must she hide her light under a bushel, purely to do credit to the man? She cannot pick and choose, as men can. She has only her negative; and, if she is desirous to oblige her friends, not always that. Yet it is said, women must not encourage fops and fools. They must encourage men of sense only. And it is well said. But what will they do, if their lot be cast only among the foplings? If the men of sense do not offer themselves? And pray, may I not ask, if the taste of the age, among the men, is not dress, equipage, and foppery? Is the cultivation of the mind any part of their study? The men, in short, are sunk, my dear; and the women but barely swim.

Lord G. seems a little too finical in his dress. And yet I am told, that Sir Walter Watkyns outdoes him in foppery, What can they mean by it, when Sir Charles Grandison is before them? He scruples not to modernize a little; but then you see that it is in compliance with the fashion, and to avoid singularity: a fault to which great minds are perhaps too often subject, though he is so much above it.

I want to know, methinks, whether Sir Charles is very much in earnest in his favour to Lord G. with regard to Miss Grandison. I doubt not, if he be, but he has good reasons for it.

Were this vile Sir Hargrave out of my head, I could satisfy myself about twenty and twenty things that,now and then I want to know.

With

Miss Jervois behaved very discreetly. what pleasure did she hang on every word that fell from the lips of her guardian! I thought more than once of Swift's Cadenus and Vanessa. Poor girl! how I should pity her, were she insensibly to suffer her gratitude to lead her to be in love with her benefactor! Indeed, I pity every body who is hopelessly in love.

Now don't shake your head, my uncle! Did I not always pity Mr. Orme and Mr. Fowler?-You know I did, Lucy.

Miss Jervois had a smile ready for every one; but it was not an implicit, a childish smile. It had distinction in it, and showed intelligence. Upon the whole she said little; and heard all that was said with attention: and hence I pronounce her a very discreet young lady.

But I thought to have done with the men first; and here is Mr. Grandison hardly mentioned; who, yet, in his own opinion, was not the last of the men at table.

Mr. Grandison is a man of middling stature; not handsome in my eyes; but so near being handsome, that he may be excused, when one knows him, for thinking himself so: because he is liable to make greater mistakes than that.

He dresses very gaily too. He is at the head of the fashion, as it seems, he thinks; but, however, is one of the first in it, be it what it will. He is a great frequenter of the drawing-room; of all man