બ "nettles. It is now burnished with "buildings, and blooming with "flowers. The great beauty of the place, fimply confidered, is fuffi "cient to gratify the most delicate "tafte; but, when one adds thereto. "the generous purposes for which "that beauty has been preparing, and confiders it is defigned to be a paradife for diftreffed virtue in"every form; for merit fuperciliously "over looked; and for genius which is 66 spurned by ignorance; its value "rifes fo on the imagination, that "one is perfectly dazzled. I am fure "I am fo to the greateft degree. The "idea is fo delicious, fo peculiar, "fo uncommon. There is nothing "now wanting but the furniture. I "do not mean chairs, glaffes, tables, "for those will be here in a few days, and are already ordered; but "that nobler furniture of honest minds "and generous hearts, made refpect"able by calamity, and facred "from their misfortunes. Amongst "these, my dear Elliot is invited as "a valuable gueft. She is invited "to enjoy the independence and fe renity which the hath a right to "claim, and which has fo long been "her due. I have already, my σε dear, felected for you a house: "it is embofomed by lillies and rofes "that almost emulate your own complexion. It is in that quarter "which lies nearest to the wood, and "will, therefore, be lefs liable to the "cold air, and make it more agree . "able "able for walking. Here my Elliot "fhall forget to figh; or, if that "cannot be, her fighs fhall be bu "ried in the bofom of a friend. Do not fear that any wrong curiosity "fhall be fet to work to extort "from you that profound fecret "which you fo firmly refolve to con"ceal. It will not be a maxim at "Shenstone-Green to oblige with one "hand and violate with the other. "It is to be a fanctuary where inno"cence neglected, and worth abused, "is to find abfolute independence. "Come then, my dear, come in the "full fecurity of being as private as To fhare your you can wish. 66 66 anxiety it is only neceffary to fee To explore the caufe too 66 it. "veiled from the view, would be હ. ungenerous. Fear nothing, there"fore, but haften to Sir Benjamin' and to "Your most affectionate friend, CHAP. XVII. PETITION THE SECOND. N ON the evening in which this letter was written, and fent by. a fervant to the poft-town, the steward came once more into my room, with his farcaftical face, (just as Matilda and I were in high chit-chat upon the charms of our project) and begged an audience. Speak, Samuel, faid I, gayly. What! another petition, I fuppofe. Sir, replied Samuel, my office obliges me to lay before you fuch things as come to hand upon the fubject of Shenstone Green. At prefent I bear a petition, |