in our power to make that matter easy; and muft be content with moderate fettlements in your favour.

But as I approve of your aunt's having forborn to write, as you would have had her, to Lady D. what fhall we do in that affair? it will be afked.

What? Why thus: Lady D. has made it a point, that you are difengaged in your affections: Your aunt has fignified to her that you are: You have given that lady a hint, which, you fay, overclouded her brow. She will be here on Sa. turday next. Then will the, no doubt, expect the openest dealing. And the ought to have it. Her own franknefs demands it; and the character we have hitherto fupported, and I hope always fhall fupport, requires it. I would therefore let Lady D. know the whole of Sir Hargrave Pollexfen's attempt [You, my dear, was fo laudably frank as to hint it to her], and of the generous protection given you by Sir Charles Grandifon. Truth never leaves room for felf-reproach. Let your aunt Selby then own, that you had writ ten to her, declining, with the most refpectful gratitude, the honour intended you: Which the could no otherwife account for than by fuppofing, and indeed believing, that you would prefer Sir Charles Grandison, from motives of gratitude, to any other man: But that you knew nothing of his engagements; nor had reafon to look upon any part of his behaviour to you, but as the effect of his general politenefs; nor that his fifters meant more by calling you fifter, than their brother's fifter, as well as theirs.

All this fhall be mentioned to Lady D. in ftrict confidence. Then will Lady D. know the whole truth. She will be enabled, as fhe ought, to judge for herself. You will not appear in her eye as guilty of affectation. We fhall all act in character. If Lady L. and Miss Grandifon did (as you fuppofe)

L3

acquaint

acquaint Lady D. that you were not addreffed by their brother, they will be found to have faid the 'truth; and you know, my dear, that we should be as ready to do juftice to others' veracity, as to our own. She will fee, that your regard for Sir Charles (if a regard you have, that may be an obstacle to her views) is owing to a laudable gratitude for his protection given to a young woman, whofe heart was before abfolutely difengaged.

And what will be the confequence?-Why, either that her ladyship will think no more of the matter; and then you will be just where you were; or, that she will interest herself in finding out Sir Charles's engagements: And as you have communicated to Lady L. and Mifs Grandifon the letters that have paffed between Lady D. and your aunt, together with the contents of yours, fo far as relates to the proposal; and as lady D. is acquainted with thofe two ladies, fhe will probably inform herself of their fentiments in relation to the one affair and the other; and the matter on every fide, by this means, will fooner come to a decifion, than probably it can any other way.

I don't know whether I exprefs myfelf clearly. I am not what I was: But bleffed be God, that I am what I am! I did not think, that, in so little a time, I could have written fo much as I have. But my dear Harriet is my subject; and her happiness is, and has ever been, my only care, fince I loft the hufband of my youth, the dear man who divided with me that and all my cares; who had a love for you equal to my own; and who, I think, would have given juft fuch advice. What would Mr Shirley have thought? How would he, in the like cafe, have acted? are the queftions I always afk myfelf, before I give my opinion in any material cafes, efpecially in those which relate to you.

And here let me commend a fentiment of yours, that

that is worthy of your dear grandfather's pupil : "I fhould defpife myfelf," fay you, "were I capa "ble of keeping one man in fufpence, while I was balancing in favour of another."

Good young creature, hold faft your principles, whatever befals you. Look upon this world as you have been taught to look upon it. I have lived to a great age: Yet, to look backward to the time of my youth, when I was not a stranger to the hopes and fears that now agitate you, what a fhort space does it feem to be! Nothing with-holds my wishes to be released, but my defire of feeing the darling of my heart, my sweet orphan-girl, happy in a worthy man's protection. O that it could be in-But fhall we, my dear, prefcribe to providence? How know we what that has defigned for Sir Charles Grandifon? His welfare is the concern of hundreds, perhaps. He, compared to us, is as the public to the private. I hope we are good people: Comparatively, I am fure, we are good. That, however, is not the way by which we fhall be judged hereafter. But yet, to him, we are but as that private.

Don't think, however, my best love, that I have lived too long to be fenfible of what most affects you. Of your pleasures, your pains, I can and do partake. Your late haraffings, fo tender, fo lovely a bloffom, cost me many a pang; and till my eyes bear witness to my fenfibility, as the cruel fcenes are at times read to me again, or as I recal them to memory. But all I mean is, to arm you against feeling too fenfibly, when it is known, the event which is now hidden in the bofom of providence, fhould it, as is but too likely, prove unfavourable.

You have a great deal of writing upon your hands. We cannot difpenfe with any of that. But if you write to your aunt Selby (as the time till next Saturday is fhort), that will be writing to us

both.

God

God preferve, direct, and blefs my fweet orphanchild!This is the hourly prayer of

Your ever-affectionate Grandmother,

HENRIETTA SHIRLEY.

I

LETTER X.

Mifs HARRIET BYRON, To Mrs SELBY.

Colnebrook, Tuesday, March 7. HAVE the favour of yours, and of my dear grand-mamma's, juft brought me. The contents are fo affecting, that, though in full affembly, as I may fay, in this delightful family, I begged to be permitted to withdraw to read them. Mifs Grandifon faw my confufion, my puzzle, what fhall I call it? To be charged fo home, my dear aunt!-Such apparent struggles—And were they, madam, so very apparent ?A young, a new passion! -And fo visibly increafing!-Pray, madam, if it be fo, it is not at its height-And is it not, while but in its progrefs, conquerable?-But have I been guilty of affectation? of referves?—If I have, my uncle has been very merciful to the aukward girl.

And you think it impoffible, madam, but he has feen women whom he could love, before he faw me? Very likely! But was it kind to turn the word gratitude upon me in fuch a manner ?

I do fee what an amiable openness of heart there is in Lady D. I admire her for it, and for her other matronly qualities. What can you do, madam? What can I do? That is the question, called upon as I am by my grandmamma as well as by you, to speak ftill plainer, plain as in your opinion I had spoken, and indeed in my own, now I read the free sentence, drawn out and feparated from the rest of the letter. My grandmamma forgives,

forgives, and even praises me, for this fentence. She encourages me to speak still plainer. It is no difgrace, fhe fays, for a woman of virtue to be in love with a worthy man. Love is a natural paffion, the tells me; yet cautions me against fuffering it to triumph over my reafon; in fhort, not to love till there fhall be a certainty of return. And fo I can love as I will, when I will, nay whom I will; for if he won't have me, I am defired not to refolve against marrying fome other; Lord D. for example, if he will be fo good as to have me.

Well, but upon a full examination of my heart, how do I find it, now I am called upon by my two most venerable friends, to undraw the curtain, and to put off the difguifes through which every child in love matters finds me out? Shall I fpeak my whole heart?-To fuch fympathizing friends furely I ought. Well, then, I own to you, my honoured grandmamma and aunt, that I cannot think of encouraging any other addrefs.

Yet

have I no hope. I look upon myself as prefumptuous: Upon him as too excellent, and too confiderable; for he has a great eftate, and still greater expectations: And as to perfonal and intellectual merit, what woman can deferve him?-Even in the article of fortune only, you think that, in prudence, a man fo munificent should look higher.

me,

Be pleased therefore, madam, in conformity to my grandmamma's advice, to tell Lady D. from "That I think her laudable openness deferves like openness: That your Harriet was difengaged in her affections, abfolutely difengaged, when you told her that fhe was: Tell her what afterwards happened: Tell her how my grati'tude engaged me: That, at firft, it was no more; but that now, being called upon, on this occafion, I have owned my gratitude exalted" [It may not, I hope, be faid, debafed, the object fo worthy] "into-Love”-Yes, fay love-fince I act too

aukwardly