moft paffionate moods, he fecretly wifhed fhe might not comply with his importunate defires, as that would have infallibly ruined her; that he bleffed God, who had enabled her courageoufly to refift all his attempts; that confcience smiting him for what he had done, perceiving the grief his treatment occafioned to her, and finding he had a real love to her, he had proposed to make her his wife; that her refufal increafed his opinion of her good fenfe and merit; and though his love to her continued moft exceffive, yet reafon fuggefted to him the propriety of fubmitting to a delay of completing his happinefs, till he was comfortably fettled. "And now," continued he, the long-wifhed-for time arrived, when, by the goodness of God, I became poffeffed of the moft lovely and virtuous woman as my lawful wife, and in her embraces have felt all the pleafures of the connubial ftate. I hope we fhall continue to esteem and love one another most tenderly till the time appointed by God for our feparation fhall come, which, with fubmiflion to his holy will, I wifh may be at a late period; as I hope long to enjoy my amiable Mally, in whom I difcover new beauties every day *. A fhort time after this fhe accompanied her husband to his country feat, and was received by all his friends and acquaintance with every mark of the moft cordial affection and regard. Every

I had afterwards occafion to be intimately ac quainted with this lady, who is the most extraordinary perfon, for piety, judgment, and good fenfe, of any of her fex that I have known. I used to vifit her frequently. She furnished me with materials for the third part of thefe Memoirs, in a series of anecdotes that will not be found inferiour to any related in these volumes. Happy is the man that findeth fuch a wife, for he is bleffed of the Lord.

body loves Mally, and fome ladies of even noble rank have not thought it unbecoming their high ftation to vifit this fenfible woman, who is a real ornament to her fex. She continues to correfpond with me, and entertains me with a recital of all her adventures, which afford great pleasure both to my dear Henry and me. I must inform you, that the hath already born two pretty children, who are the darlings of this agreeable couple, Her husband's love to her rather increases than diminishes; and it is his cuftom to make her a valuable present at every birth. Happy those who are fo equally and affectionately matched. It will be worth your while, Sir, in your travels, to visit this incomparable woman, who, for fenfe and piety, as well as a graceful appearance, is inferiour to none of the most accomplished ladies in this country.

"Thus, Sir, I have fatisfied your curiofity, by giving a particular account of my own life, and that of the fervant-maid who expreffed fo much regard to me. I am happy in a husband and children, and am poffeffed of every bleffing I can defire. My former ftudies are not without use even in my married ftate, as my dear Henry and his Fanny fometimes fpend whole days in reviewing the beauties of a claffical author, and examining the fubtilties and niceties of the arts and sciences that delighted us in our younger years. But our principal time has hitherto been, as I hope it ever will be, devoted to the business of religion, that having begun in the Spirit, we may not end in the flesh. We have a very large library, furnished with the best books in most languages, which af ford us a noble entertainment; but the facred fcriptures, approved expofitions of them, with books in divinity and devotion, have the prefefence. And I must inform you, that as we

j

were,

were, for a number of years previous to our happy marriage, engaged in a mutual correfpondence by letters; fo, for our improvement in knowledge and writing, we maintain the fame correfpondence ftill; which is chiefly confined to the refolution of cafes of confcience, remarks on paffages of fcripture, illuftrations of the fundamental doctrines of the gospel, and meditations on a variety of fubjects. We generally each of us write an effay once a-week on fome fubject, in the form of a letter to one another; which, after a full examination, I collect into a book, in the order they are written. We refolve to continue the practice, as it tends to our pleasure and profit. We are not much troubled with vifitants, except our own relations, who are generally people of the fame difpofition with ourfelves. Thus our time paffeth pleafantly away, in ftudies that tend to our fpiritual improvement, and in preparation for the future ftate. Now, Sir, I will be obliged to you for an account of your friend till his death, and of your own adventures fince that period."

In anfwer, I told this excellent lady, that I was greatly obliged to her for her entertaining narrative, and highly approved her manner of life, which would afford her and her happy husband much more rational pleasure and fatisfaction, than one spent in a perpetual circle of diverfion, races, routs, vifits, and affemblies. I then gave her a particular account of my friend's behaviour from the time the faw him to his bleffed death; and having the memoirs in my pocket, I read to her all his fpeeches, even that fhe had heard, his letters, dying behaviour, and the interview I had with his friends. The lady and her husband expreffed the utmost pleasure at the narrative, faid they were highly edified by it, and preffed me to Сса publish

publish it, as what might be very useful for promoting the interests of religion and virtue in this licentious age. As to my own adventures, I told her, they were by no means important; that, being of a weak conftitution, it was my custom to travel in the fine season, and visit the noted towns. in the kingdom, where I had become acquainted with many good people of different denominations, with whom I correfponded, and picked up feveral remarkable anecdotes, which I would make a proper use of.

CII A P. II.

Extracts from the epiftolary correspondence of the female ftudent, and her lover. Henry's account of the happy fate of a young country girl, that had been debauched and abandoned by her betrayer.

THi

His amiable lady, after tea, told me, that, with the permiffion of her husband, fhe would indulge me with a reading of the literary correfpondence the held with him at the univerfity."As," fays fhe, "we both preferved our letters very carefully, I collected them, after our marriage, and copied them into a book, and we fometimes entertain ourselves with the perufal of them. Perhaps they will divert you, and you will find in them a few interefting anecdotes and hiftories, not unworthy of your notice, which you are welcome to add to your collection." This excellent family having fupped early, and worship being ended, I took leave of the gentleman and lady for that night, and retired to the apartment allotted to me, being curious to perufe the large volume given me. I read it till two in the morning; and having rifen about five, I had glanced the whole of it before breakfaft. I.

found

found in this volume of letters the warmeft effufions of love and friendship, the fublimeft ftrains of devotion, a ftring of excellent advices relating to the conduct of life and government of the paffions, fenfible and judicious obfervations on the conduct of Providence, and feveral very entertaining anecdotes. I fhall first of all give a few extracts from the letters, and then felect fome of the moft ftriking anecdotes; with which I fhall conclude this fecond part of these memoirs.

The epithets Henry and Fanny give one another in these letters, indicate the great love they bore to one another; and the tranfcribing them might afford entertainment to fome readers; but I must pass them.

Henry's first letter to Fanny after her arrival at the univerfity, begins thus: "My honey, my love, I have been feized with a deep melancholy fince you left me; which difables me from profecuting my ftudies with that ardour I would incline. When I was bleffed with your charming company, ftudy was an agreeable amulement; but now it is become unpleasant. If I am fo dull for the want of my deareft jewel for a few days only, how fhall I bear your absence for two years and a half? Oh! that you would fhorten the time, abridge the period you have fixed to your absence, and bless a loving husband with the company and converfation of his dear wife. I can have no other comfort during fo killing an abfence, but in the exercises of religion. O, that my heart were weaned from you for a time, that I might bestow it upon the Chief among ten thoufand, who hath written his love to my Fanny and me in characters of blood! O, to love him with all my heart! O, to have my affections centered upon him entirely, as the fole object of my highest love and moft elevated affection !”. Cc 3

Fanny