and I fhall no doubt fall into my old track with redoubled alacrity from this recefs. So don't despair, my old friend: you will always find me,

Your lordship's devoted,

W. STANLEY.

WH

LETTER II.

To THE SAME.

'HAT a reftless discontented animal is man! Even in Paradise unbleft. Do you know I am, though furrounded with felicity, languifhing for fin and feacoal in your regions. I fhall be vapoured to death if I ftay here much longer. Here is nothing to exercise the bright genius with which I am endued: all one calm funshine;

"And days of peace do ftill fucceed "To nights of calm repose.'

How unfit to charm a foul like mine! I, who love every thing that the moderns call pleasure. I must be amongst you, and that presently. My Julia, I

am

am certain, will make no refiftance to my will. Faith! fhe is the wife for me. Mild, paffive, duteous, and innocent: I may lead my life juft as I pleafe; and fhe, dear creature! will have no idea but that I am a very good husband!

And when I am weary of wandering all day,

To thee, my delight, in the evening I

come.

I did intend, when first I began my correspondence with your lordship, to have informed you of the whole procefs of this affair; but, upon my foul, you must excuse me. From being idle, I am become perfectly indolent ;-befides, it is unfashionable to talk fo much of one's wife. I fhall only fay, I endeavoured, by all those little attentions which are fo eafily affumed by us, to gain her affections,-and at the fame time, to make fure work, declared myself in form to her father.

One day, when I could hobble about, I took occafion to fay to Mr. Grenville, that I was meditating a return for his civilities, VOL. I. which

C

which was no other than running away with his daughter Julia: that, in the whole courfe of my life, I had never feen a woman whom I thought fo capable of making me happy; and that, were my propofals acceptable to him and her, it would be my highest felicity to render her fituation fuch. I faw the old man was inwardly pleased. In very polite terms he affured me, he should have no objection to fuch an alliance, if Julia's heart made none; that although, for very particular reasons, he had quarrelled with the world, he did not wish to feclude his children from partaking of its pleasures. He owned, he thought Julia feemed to have an inclination to see more of it than he had had an opportunity of fhewing her; and that, as he had for ever renounced it, there was no protector, after a father, so proper as a husband. He then paid me fome compliments, which perhaps, had his acquaintance been of as long ftanding as your's and mine, he might have thought rather above my defert: but he knows no more of me than he has heard from me,-and the

⚫ devil

devil is in it, if a man won't speak well of himself when he has an opportunity.

It was fome time before I could bring myself to the pious refolution of marrying. I was extremely defirous of practifing a few manoeuvres firft, juft to try the strength of the citadel ;-but madam house-keeper would have blown me up. "You are in love with my master's daugh

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ter," faid fhe, one day, to me; if you "make honourable propofals, I have not

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a doubt but they will be accepted ;-if "I find you endeavouring to gain her heart "in a clandeftine manner, -remember

you are in my power. My faithful fer"vices in this family have given me fome "influence, and I will certainly use it for "their advantage. The beft and loveliest "of her fex fhall not be left a prey to the "artful infinuating practices of a man too "well verfed in the fcience of deceit. "Marry, her; she will do you honour in "this world, and by her virtues enfure your happiness in the next."

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I took the old matron's advice, as it fo perfectly accorded with my own wishes. C 2

The

The gentle Julia made no objection.-Vanity apart, I certainly have fome attractions; especially in the eyes of an innocent young creature, who yet never faw a reafonable being befides her father; and who had likewise a secret inclination to know a little how things go in the world. I fhall very foon gratify her wifh, by taking her to London.-I am fick to death of the conftant routine of circumftances herethe fame to-day, to-morrow, and for ever. Your mere good kind of people are really very infipid fort of folks; and as fuch totally unfuited to my tafte. I shall therefore leave them to their pious meditations in a fhort time, and whirl my little Julia into the giddy circle, where alone true joy is to be met with.

I fhall not invite her fifter to accompany her; as I have an invincible dislike to the idea of marrying a whole family. Befides, fifters fometimes are more quick-fighted than wives and I begin to think (though from whence she has gained her knowledge I know not, I hope honeftly !) that Louisa is mistress of more penetration than my