tieth year, and poffeffed an uncommon share of beauty, heightened and improved by every graceful accomplishment. Warmly attached to my father, the found no relief from her forrows, as I have often heard her fay, but in those cares and in that attention which it was neceffary to pay to me in my infancy. As I grew up, I became the sole object of my mother's folicitude, and she transferred to me all the affection which she had borne to my father. I was not ungrateful for all this kindnefs; and in my mother I found not only a parent whom I refpected, but a friend whom I loved; one to whom I was accustomed to unbofom myself with perfect freedom and confidence. Except a few years, which on account of my education we paffed in town, we refided chiefly at the family-feat in the country. As we faw but few company, much of our time was spent in reading, which indeed came to be our favourite amusement. My mother's tafte in books coincided entirely with mine. Though we fometimes read a little history, yet novels were our favourite amusement; and though my mother poffeffed tafte enough to admire the elegance of a Robertfon and the fimplicity of a Hume, yet we read fuch authors as a fort of task, from which we returned with pleasure to the delightful page of a Richardfon or Riccoboni. In this charming

charming folitude my days glided sweetly along, and I never formed a wish to quit the fociety of my beloved mother, or to change the condition of my life. Before I had finished my eighteenth year, propofals of marriage had been made to me by feveral gentlemen of rank and condition. As it had ever been the avowed principle of my mother, that in that important particular a woman ought to be left at perfect freedom, the upon every fuch occafion declined to give any opinion, telling me, that as the happiness of my life was to depend upon the choice I fhould make, I had only to confult the dictates and feelings of my heart. Thus left by the tenderness of my mother, to the free dom of my own will, I found no difficulty in giving an answer to my fuitors. Refpectable as they might be, they could not bear a comparison with those characters which I had been accustomed to love and to admire. in my fa vourite authors; and it had long been my fixed opinion, that without a certain hallowed fympathy of foul, a facred union of hearts, there was a degree not of indelicacy only, but of criminality, in forming the nuptial bond.

One day, as my mother and I were upon our way to pay a vifit at the house of a lady in the neighbourhood, our road led us along the fide of a river, whofe high banks, covered with wood,

wood, formed a moft romantic and delightful scene. While we were admiring the beauties of it, fome accident feared our horfes on the very brink of a steep precipice; and in all likelihood the confequence would have proved fatal, had not a gentleman at that inftant come to our affistance, and rescued us at the hazard of his own life. Charmed with the spirit of our deliverer, I had now time to examine him with a little more attention. In the bloom of of youth, he poffeffed one of the finest forms I ever beheld, with a countenance animated and interesting in the highest degree. Perhaps the little adventure which introduced him to us, disposed me to view him at that moment with a partial eye. Little accustomed as I was to conceal the emotions of my mind, he must have been blind indeed, if he did not perceive that I was pleased at finding he was going to the fame house where my mother and I intended to pay a vifit. If the firft appearance of the ftranger pleafed me, his address, and manner, and converfation, charmed me still more. a word, Sir, I found in him all the graces of a Lovelace, all the virtues and accomplishments of a Grandifon, all the fentiment and tendernefs of a Lord Offory. Sir W. Denham (for that was his name) appeared to me the most amiable man I had ever feen. I need not trouble you

In

the acquaintance of Mifs Louifa M. Al. though accustomed to fee and to admire beauty, yet I could not help being forcibly ftruck with that of Mifs M. Beauty, however, though

it

may dazzle for a moment, feldom makes a lafting impreffion on one who had feen fo much of the world as I had. But there was something at once interefting in the looks and engaging in the manners of Louisa, that attracted me with an irresistible charm. Even her artlefs fimplicity, and her ignorance of the world, rather pleased from its novelty; accustomed to the coteries of Paris, and the fociety of women whofe converfation, ideas, and manners differed little from that of the men with whom they lived, I was charmed with the naïveté of Louifa. In her obfervations there was a remarkable delicacy and juftness of thought, often, it is true, accompanied with a degeee of romantic wildness and enthufiafm, which, fo far from displeasing, served rather to throw an additional charm around her.

I foon found that I was not indifferent to Mifs M; and having paid my addreffes to her, was honoured with her hand. For fome time after our marriage, I was completely hap`py; and would have continued fo, were it not for one fingle weakness in my Louifa, which has occafioned much uneafiness to us both, and will, I fear, if not corrected, embitter all our

future

future days. 'Tis of such a fort, Mr. Lounger, that I have no term by which to blame it; I can only describe it by inftances. When I went home after my marriage, my neighbours naturally came to pay their compliments on the occafion. Although, I fometimes would rather have difpenfed with their prefence, which I could not help feeling as an interruption to that happiness which I experienced in the converfation of my Louifa; yet common civility required that I fhould receive them with politenefs. One day Sir George Hearty, an old friend of my father's, and ever warmly attached to the interest of our family, came to dine with me. As I knew that Sir George liked his bottle, I, though naturally averse to any approach to excess in the way of drinking, could not help indulging the good old man in a glass extraordinary. When we rose from table, I found my wife in her apartment dissolved in tears. nifhed and affected to the laft degree, I inquired the cause with all the impatience of the most anxious folicitude. At length fhe, with a look of melancholy that diftreffed me to the foul, faid, that the found no happiness in any society but mine; and that if I loved like her, I could find no pleasure but in her's.

Afto

Not long after, I received a letter from the fon of an English nobleman, with whom I had VOL. III.

D

been