fay, that his progenitor, in James the Firft's time, difgraced it by accepting of the title of Baronet. Sir Thomas allowed fomething to the plea of his ftanding well with his fon: Let me tell you, my Lord, faid he, that I fhall take no ftep in a familyaffair of this confequence, without confulting with my fon; and the rather, as he is far from expecting fo much of my confideration for him. He is the pride of my life. My Lord defired, that his fuit might be put upon the iffue of his fon's approbation. But, pray, my Lord, what fortune do you expect with my girl? Well as you love her, I fuppofe the return of her love for yours, which you feem not to doubt, will not be enough. Can the poor girl be a Countess without a confounded parcel of drofs fastened to her petticoat, to make her weight in the other fcale? My circumftances, faid my honest Lord L. permit me not, in difcretion, to make that compliment to my love, which my heart would with tranfport make, were they better: But I will lay them faithfully before you, and be determined by your generofity. I could not but expect from a young man of your Lordship's good fenfe fuch an answer as this: And yet I must tell you, that we fathers, who know the world, expect to make fome advantage of a knowledge that has coft us fo much. I fhould not diflike a little more romancing in love, from a man that asks for my daughter, though I care not how little of it is fhewn by my fon to another man's. Every father thinks thus, my Lord; but is not fo honeft as to own it. I am fure, Sir Thomas, that you would not think a man worthy of your daughter, who had no regard to any-thing but the gratification of his own wishes; who could think, for the fake of that, of involv ing a young lady in difficulties which fhe never knew in her father's house! Why, this, my Lord, is well faid. You and I may afford to make handsome compliments to one another, while compliments are only expected. I have a good share of health: I have not quitted the world fo entirely, nor think I ought, as to look upon myself as the neceffary tool of my children, to` promote their happiness at the expence of my own. My Lord, I have still a ftrong relish for the pleasures of this world. My daughters may be women grown: Your Lordship feems to have found out, that they are; and has perfuaded one of them that fhe is; and the other will be ready to think she is not three years behind her. This is an inconvenience which you have brought upon me. And as I would be glad to live a little longer for myself, I wish you to withdraw your fuit; and leave me to do as well as I can with my daughters. I propofe to carry them to town next winter. They shall there look about them, and fee whom they could like, and who could like them, that they may not be liable to afterrepentance, for having taken the first man that offered. My Lord told Sir Thomas, that he hoped there could not be reafon to imagine, that any-thing could poffibly arife from his addrefs, that should be incompatible with the happiness of a Father-And was going on in the fame reasonable strain; but Sir Thomas interrupted him You must not, my Lord, fuppofe I can be a ftranger to whatever may be urged by a young man on this fubject. You fay you are in love: Caroline is a girl that any-body may love: But I have not a mind fhe fhould marry fo foon. I know the inconvenience of early marriages. A man's children treading upon his heels, and fhouldering him with their fhoulders: In fhort, my Lord, I have an averfion to be called a grandfather, before I am a grey AL father. father [Sir Thomas was not put to it to try to overcome this averfion]. Girls will start up, and look up, and parents cannot help it: But what father, in the vigour of his days, would not wish to help it? I am not fond of their partnership in my fubftance. Why should I divide my fortune with novices, when, making the handsome allowances to them that I do make, it is not too much for myfelf? My fon fhould be their example. He is within a year as old as my eldest girl. On his future alliances I build, and hope to add by them to the confequence of all my family [Ah! Lucy!]. Girls are faid to be fooner women than boys are men. Let us fee that they are fo by their discretion, as well as by ftature-Let them stay— And here Sir Thomas abruptly broke off the converfation for that time; to the great distress of Lord L. who had reafon to regret, that he had a man of wit, rather than a man of reafon, to contend with. Sir Thomas went directly into his closet, and fent for his two daughters; and, tho' not ill-naturedly, rallied them both fo much on their own difcoveries, as he wickedly phrafed it, and on admitting Lord L. into the fecret, that neither of them could hold up her head, for two or three days, in his presence: But, out of it, Mifs Caroline Grandifon found that fhe was in love; and the more for Lord L.'s generous attachment, and Sir Thomas's not fo generous difcouragement. My lord wrote over to young Mr Grandifon to favour his addrefs. Lady L. permitted me to copy the following anfwer to his application: I My Lord, HAVE the honour of your Lordship's letter of the 17th. Never brother loved his fifters better than I do mine. As the natural effects of that love, I receive with pleasure the notification of your great VOL. II. Ο regard regard for my elder fifter. As to myself, I cannot have one objection: But what am I in this cafe? She is wholly my father's. I alfo am his. The confideration he gives me in this inftance confounds me: It binds me to him in double duty. It would look like taking advantage of it, were I so much as to offer my humble opinion, unless he were pleased to command it from me. If he does, assure yourfelf, my Lord, that (my fister's inclination in your lordship's favour prefuppofed) my voice fhall be warmly given as you wifh. I am, my lord, with equal affection and efteem, Your Lordship's faithful and obedient Servant. Both fifters rejoiced at the perufal of this affectionate letter; for they were afraid that the unnatural prohibition of correfpondence between them. and their brother had estranged his affections for them. The particulars of one more conversation I will give you, between my lord and Sir Thomas, on this important fubject; for you must believe, that Lord L. could not permit a matter of fuch confequence to his own happinefs to go easily off; especially as neither of the two daughters was able to ftand her father's continual raillery, which had banished from the cautious eyes and apprehenfive countenances of both ladies, all indications of love, though it reigned with the more abfolute power in the heart of Mifs Caroline, for that concealment. In this converfation, my lord began with a little more fpirit than he finished the former. The Countefs lent me my lord's minutes of it; which he took for her to fee, and to judge of all that passed at the time. On my lord's lively, but refpectful addrefs to Sir Thomas on the occafion, the baronet went directly into the circumstances of my lord and his expectations. Lord Lord L. told him frankly, that he paid interest for 15,000l. for fifters' fortunes; three of whom were living, and fingle: That he believed two of them would foon be advantageously married; and he fhould wish to pay them their portions on the day; and was contriving to do fo, by decreafing the incumbrance that his father had left upon the fineft part of his eftate, to the amount of 5000!.; which, and his fifters' fortunes, were all that lay upon a clear eftate of 5000l. a-year. After he had thus opened himself, he referred the whole to Sir Thomas's confideration. My advice, my lord, is this, faid the baronet :That you fhould by no means think of marriage till you are clear of the world. You will have 10,000l. to pay directly: You will have the interest of 10,000 / more to pay: And you men of title, on your marriages, whether you like often- tation or not, must be oftentatious. Your equipages, your houses, your furniture-A certain increafe of expence- -By no means, my Lord L. think of marriage, till you are quite clear of the world, unless you could meet with fome rich widow or heirefs, who could do the business at once. Lord L. could only, at firft, urge his paffion[He durft not his daughter's affection, and the happiness of both which were at ftake]. Sir Tho-mas oppofed difcretion to that plea. Poor pasion, Lucy, would be ashamed to fee the fun, if difcretion were always to be attended to in treaties of this kind. Afterwards he told Sir Thomas, that he would accept the lady upon his own terms. He befought his confent to their nuptials. He would wait his own time and pleafure. He would be content if he gave not Mifs Caroline a fingle filling. Sir Thomas was fretful-And fo, lover-like,. you would involve the girl you profefs to love in difficulties. I will ask her if the wants for any Q 2. thing |