by its attractions, and by which he had fuffered fo much,

Do you know, I have formed the wish of knowing fome of thofe incidents in his hiftory which have governed his actions? will you, my dear Louifa, hint this to him? He may, by fuch a communication, be very ferviceable to me, who am fuch a novice.

I foresee I shall stand in need of inftructors; otherwise I shall make but an indifferent figure in the drama. Every thing, and every body, makes an appearance fo widely oppofite to my former notions, that I find myself every moment at a lofs, and know not to whom to apply for information. I am apprehenfive I fhall tire Sir William to death with my interrogatories; befides, he gave me much fuch a hint as I gave Win, not to betray my ignorance to every perfon I met with; and yet, without asking queftions, I fhall never attain the knowledge of fome things which to me appear extremely fingular. The ideas I poffeffed while among the mountains feem intirely useless to me here. Nay, I begin to think, I might as well have learnt nothing; and that the time and expence which were beftowed on my

education

education were all loft, fince I even do not know how to walk a minuet properly. Would you believe it? Sir William has engaged a dancing-mafter to put me into a genteel and polite method of acquitting myfelf with propriety on the important circumftance of moving about a room gracefully. Shall I own I felt myfelf mortified when he made the propofition? I could even have fhed tears at the humiliating figure I made in my own eyes; however, I had refolution to overcome fuch an appearance of weakness, and turned it off with a fmile, faying, "I thought I had not "stood in need of any accomplishments, "fince I had had fufficient to gain his affec"tions." I believe he faw I was hurt, and therefore took fome pains to re-affure me. He told me," that though my person was "faultlefs, yet, from my feclufion from it, "I wanted an air of the world. He himself "faw nothing but perfection in me; but "he wished those, who were not blinded "by paffion, fhould think me not only the

most beautiful, but likewife the most "" polished woman at court." Is there not a little vanity in this, Louifa? But Sir C 6 William

William is, I find, a man of the world; and it is my duty to comply with every thing he judges proper, to make me what he chufes. < Monfieur Fierville pays me great compliments. "Who is he?" you will ask. Why my dancing-mafter, my dear. I am likewife to take fome leffons on the harpfichord, as Sir William finds great fault with my fingering, and thinks I want tafte in finging. I always looked on tafte as genuine and inherent to ourselves; but here, taste is to be acquired; and what is infinitely more aftonishing ftill, it is variable. So, though I may dance and fing in taste now, a few months hence I may have another method to learn, which will be the taste then. It is a fine time for teachers, when scholars are never taught. We used to think, to be made perfect mistress of any thing was fufficient; but in this world. it is very different; you have a fresh leffon to learn every winter. As a proof, they had laft winter one of the first fingers in the world at the opera-houfe; this winter they had one who furpaffed her. This affertion you and I fhould think nonsense, fince, ac

cording

cording to our ideas, nothing can exceed perfection the next who comes over will be fuperior to all others that ever arrived. The reason is, every one has a different mode of finging; a tafte of their own, which by arbitrary cuftom is for that caufe to be the taste of the whole town. Thefe things appear incomprehenfible to me; but I fuppofe ufe will reconcile me to them, as it does others, by whom they must once have been thought ftrange.

I think I can discover Sir William Stanley has great pride, that is, he is a flave to fashion. He is ambitious of being a leading man. His houfe, his equipage, and wife-in short, every thing which belongs to him must be admired; and I can fee,. he is not a little flattered when they meet with approbation, although from perfons of whose taste and knowledge of life he has not the most exalted idea.

It would look very ungrateful in me, if I was to make any complaints against my fituation; and yet would it not be more fo to my father and you, if I was not to fay, I was happier whilft with you? I certainly was. I will do Sir William the juftice to

Lay,

fay, he contributed to make my last two months refidence very pleasant. He was the first lover I ever had, at least the firft that ever told me he loved. The diftinction he paid me certainly made fome impreffion on my heart. Every female has a little vanity; but I muft enlarge my ftock before I can have a proper confidence in myself in this place.

My finging-mafter has just been announced. He is a very great man in his way, fo I muft not make him wait; befides, my letter is already a pretty reasonable length. Adieu, my dearest fifter! fay every thing duteous and affectionate. for me to my father; and tell yourself that I am ever your's,

JULIA STANLEY.

I

LETE R IV.

To Colonel MONTAGUE.

Dear JACK,

WAS yesterday introduced to the loveliest woman in the univerfe; Stanley's wife. Yes, that happy dog is ftill