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genteel, and has a fine complexion; and, though pitted with the fmall-pox, is pretty. The fweetnefs of her manners, as expreffed in her afpect, gives her great advantage. I was fure, the moment I faw her, that her greatest delight is to pleafe.

She made me two or three pretty compliments, and, had not Sir Charles commended her to me, I fhould have been highly taken with her.

Mr Grandifon entered: Upon my honour, Sir Charles, I can ftay no longer, faid he: To know that the finest woman in England is under the fame roof with me; yet to be fo long detained from paying my refpects to her-I can't bear itAnd in a very gallant manner, as he seemed tỏ intend, he paid his compliments, first to me, and then to my two coufins :-And whispering, et loud enough to be heard, to Mifs Grandifon, fwore by his foul, that report fell fhort of my perfections and I can't tell what.

Did I not tell you that you would fay fo, Sir? faid Mifs Grandifon.

I did not like the gentleman the better for what I had heard of him: But, perhaps, fhould have been lefs indifferent to his compliment, had I not before been acquainted with Mr Greville, Mr Fenwick, and Sir Hargrave Pollexfen. The men of this caft, I think, feem all alike. Poor creature! how from my heart-But, indeed, now that I have the honour to know thefe two fifters, I defpife myself.

Sir Charles addreffing him felf to my coufins and me, Now, faid he, that my coufin Grandifon has found an opportunity to introduce himfelf, and that I have prefented my ward to you, we will, if you please, fee how Lord L. Lord G. and Dr Bartlett, are engaged.

He led my coufin Reeves into the dining

room.

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Lord

Lord L. addreffed us with great politeness.

After Sir Charles had prefented the doctor to my coufins, he refpectfully took my hand: Were there fifty ladies here, my good Dr Bartlett, whom you had never feen before, you would, I am fure, from the character you have had of Mifs Byron, be under no difficulty of reading that character in this young lady's face.-Mifs Byron, behold, in Dr Bartlett, another grandfather!

I reverence, faid 1, good Dr. Bartlett. I borrow Sir Charles's thought: The character he has given you, Sir, is ftamped in your countenance. I fhould have venerated you where-ever I had feen you.

The gentleman has fuch a truly venerable afpect, my Lucy, I could not help faying this.

Sir Charles's goodnefs, madam, faid he, as it ever did, prevents my wifhes. I rejoice to fee, and to congratulate a new filter reftored, as I will call it in the language of Mifs Grandifon, to the beft of families.

Juft then came in a fervant and whispered to Sir Charles: Shew the gentleman, faid Sir Charles, into the drawing-room next the ftudy.

Mr Grandifon came up to me, and faid many filly things. I thought them fo at that time.

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Mr Reeves foon after was fent for out by Sir Charles. I did not like his looks on his return. Diner being ready to be ferved, and Sir Charles, who was ftill with the gentleman, fummoned to it, he defired we would walk down, and he would wait upon us by the time we were feated.

Some new trouble, thought I, of which I am the caufe, I doubt.

Presently came in Sir Charles, unaffectedly fmiling and ferene-God bless you, Sir! thought I-His looks pleafed me better than my coufin's.

But, my dear, there is fomething going forward that I cannot get out of my coufin. I hoped I fhould, when I got home. The gentleman to whom

Sir Charles was called out, was certainly that Ba. genhall. Mr Reeves cannot deny that, I gueffed it was, by Sir Charles's fending in for Mr Reeves. It must be about me.

We had feveral charming converfations. Sir Charles was extremely entertaining. So unaffuming, fo lively, fo modeft! It was alfo delightful to fee the attention paid to him by the fervants as they waited at table. They watched every look of his. I never faw love and reverence fo agreeably mingled in fervants' faces in my life. And his commands were delivered to them with so much gentleness of voice and afpect, that one could not but conclude in favour of both, that they were the beft of fervants to the best of masters.

Mr Grandifon was very gallant in his fpeeches to me; but very uncivil with his eyes.

Lord L. faid but little; but what he did say defervedly gained attention.

Every body reverenced Dr Bartlett, and was attentive when he spoke; and would, I dare fay, 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 himfelf have answered: Yet he put them with an air of teachablenefs, if I may fo exprefs myfelf; and received the doctor's anivers to them with as much fatisfaction as if he were then newly enlightened by them.-Ah, my Lucy! you imagine, I dare fay, that this admirable man loft nothing in my eyes by this his polite condefcenfion. Referve, and a politenefs that had dignity in it, fhewed that the fine gentleman and the clergyman were not separated in Dr Bartlet.-Pity they fhould be in any of the function!

Sir Charles gave Lord G. an opportunity to fhine, by leading the difcourfe into circumstances and details, which Lord G. could best recount.

He

He is a connoiffeur in antiquities, and in thofe 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 Mifs Grandifon. Upon my word, Lucy, the makes very free with him. I whispered her, that she did A very Mifs Howe, faid I. va burd

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To a very Mr Hickman, re-whifpered fhe.--But here's the difference: I am not determined to have Lord G. Mifs Howe yielded to her mother's recommendation, and intended to marry Mr Hickman, even when the used him worst. One time or other (archly continued the the whisper, holding up her fpread hand, and with a countenance of admiration) my Lord G. is to fhew us his collection of butterflies, and other gaudy infects: Will you make one?

Of the gaudy infects? whifpered I.—

Fie, Harriet!One of the party, you know, I muft mean. Let me tell you, I never faw a collec tion of these various infects, that I did not the more admire the maker of them, and of all us infects, whatever I thought of the collectors of the minute ones.-Another word with you, Harriet-Thefe little playful studies may do well enough with perfons 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 fmilingly, yet earneftly, at us, as we whifpered behind the Countefs's chair; who heard what was faid, and was pleafed with it.

LETTER

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Mifs BYRON. In Continuation.

Thursday morning, March 2. SHOULD have told you that Mifs Grandi

go round it; for I know you expect I fhould. But I have not yet done with Lord G. Poor man! he is exceffively in love, I fee that. Well he may. What man would not with Mifs Grandifon? Yet is the too fuperior, I think.

What can a woman do, who is addreffed by a man of talents inferior to her own? Muft the throw away her talents? Must she hide her light under a bufhel purely to do credit to the man? She cannot pick and chufe as men can. She has only her negative; and, if she is defirous to oblige her friends, not always that. Yet, it is faid, women must not encourage fops and fools. They muft encourage men of fenfe only.

And it is well faid. But what will they do, if their lot be caft among foplings? If the men of fenfe do not offer themfelves? And pray, may I not ask, if the taste of the age, among the men, is not drefs, equipage, and foppery? Is the cultivation of the mind any part of their study.? The men, in fhort, are funk, my dear; and the women but barely fwim.

Lord G. feems a little too finical in his drefs. And yet I am told, that Sir Walter Watkyns outdoes him in foppery. What can they mean by it,

when Sir Charles Grandifon is before them? He fcruples not to modernize a little; but then you fee, that it is in compliance with the fafhion, and to avoid fingularity; a fault to which great minds are perhaps too often fubject, though he is fo much above it.

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