LETTER CCCLIV. To Mrs. Eliz. STEELE. I DEAR BETTY, April 8, 1724. DESIRE you to be carefully dreffed to-day in your black, in order to receive a vifitant in honour of your brother; let your fifter be in her white; and be both as chearfully fuited as you can be. I fhall call upon you foon after dinner, and am your friend upon all occafions. Dear Betty, your obedient, faithful father, RICH. STEELE. LETTER CCCLV. To Mrs. ELIZ. STEELE. DEAR BETTY, I June 25, 1724. WAS much troubled to find you were fent to my lodgings with your keys. I hope you will find every thing right there. But, be exact in all your affairs hereafter, and we shall meet with fewer difappointments than we have hitherto met with. I am, your affectionate father, RICH. STEELE, LETTER CCCLVI. Mr. MORGAN to Sir RICHARD STEELE. HONOURED SIR, Dec. 6, 1724. I CAME on purpose, on Friday evening, to wait on you, in order to return you thanks for all favours, but particularly for the honour you were pleased to do me in fignifying your and pretty Mrs. Steele's thoughts, in relation to her unfortunate, though fincere humble fervant: but it seems my vifit was unfeasonable; and, fince that time, I have not been very well, fo hope you will pardon me for not making my ac knowledgements earlier. Mr. Prichard was very just in delivering me your meffages; but the laft at once awed me into filence, otherwife I fhould not have been under the fame roof without paying my refpects to you; but when I found my company was rather an offence than otherwise, I chose to withdraw. It is with the utmost concern that I obferve the young lady is pleased to conceive a particular prejudice to me. However, notwithstanding all that, I must beg leave to affure you that I fhall always have the utmost veneration for worthy Sir Richard Steele, and his fair, but cruel, daughter, though with a difinterested view; and I fincerely with her all the happiness imaginable in her choice; for fince the lady, as I apprehend, is pleased to command my filence, I must acqui- LETTER CCCLVII. hiefs & the he Sir RICHARD STEELE to Mr. MORGAN *. SIR, Dec. 7, 1724. HAD the other day the honour of a mef fage from you by Mr. Prichard, with an account that you had the greatest refpect and love for my daughter, and a request of my permiffion to make your addrefs to her. I told Mr. Prichard, that he who was to have her, muft win "her and wear her; that fhe was a girl of good "fenfe, and I fhould take that with her in "whomfoever pretended to her;" but, upon speaking of the fame fubject that evening, and mentioning your civility for her, to her, fhe told *From a paper in the hand-writing of Lady Trevor, intituled, "An exact copy of a letter my father wrote to Mr. Edward "Morgan, in anfwer to a meffage he fent him by Mr. Prichard, "December the 6th, 1724." me 4 me with a great deal of calmness and ease, that "fhe was very young, and very well contented "to wait her time and choice under my care; and begged of me to let you know, that nothing could do her a greater offence than fuch an ap plication. I told Mr. Prichard this the fame evening; but I cannot forbid it with more earneftness than I do now, and defire you would give my service to your father, to whom I am, as well as to you, Sir, your most obedient, humble fervant, RICH. STEELE. LETTER CCCLVIII. Mr. MORGAN to Sir RICHARD STEELE. HONOURED SIR, Dec. 19, 1724.. I AM fo much at a lofs for a fufficient apology for my importunity on this occafion, that I fubmit myself entirely to your clemency, which, by all accounts, has hitherto been very extenfive, but particularly fo in favour of the diftreffed; which, fince it is my misfortune to be one of that body at present, I hope to meet with your indulgence, if not compaffion. Self-prefervation is what is natural to moft; and, with that view, I flatter myself, you will pardon me, if I once more beg a favourable thought from you, and, if poffible, from the young lady your daughter; for her most irre fiftible fiftible charms have, in my own defence, obliged me to be thus troublesome. Give me leave then, dear Sir, to tell you, that I find it is impoffible for me to avoid having the utmost love and refpect for pretty Mrs. Steele, though, in pursuance to her fevere decree, which I hope is not yet final, I have made it my study to act as agreeably thereto as poffibly I could; for, rather than give her the least uneafiness, I would torture myself firft. I do not doubt but my father's circumftances and mine have been rendered to you in a worfe light than what, probably, upon a due enquiry, they may appear to be. I beg leave to affure you, that my defigns are grounded upon a foot of honour; and then, I hope, you will imagine thofe affairs must have come to light. However, it is an ufual thing to meet with back-friends upon these occafions; but probably I may find them out at long-run. Were it poffible the lady could conquer all objections to my perfon, I believe I fhould be able to convince you that my fortune is not defpicable; yet I muft own it is a trifle when in competition with fo much perfonal merit, which to me outbalances fortune, any more than what may be abfolutely neceffary to render the affairs of this world as happy as may be: but, were I mafter of ever so great a fortune, I should never think it fo well beftowed as upon your daughter. I heartily ask pardon for trefpaffing fo long upon your |