in my opinion, to break thofe laws one fhould rather join all one's interest to ⚫inforce. In a word, therefore, pride, vanity, thoughtleffuefs, were my mifguiders, as I laid. The Countefs's honour and character, and your virtue and merit, my dear, and my obligations to you, were my defences: but I find one should ⚫ avoid the first appearances of evil. One knows not one's own ftrength. 'Tis prefumptuous to depend upon it, where wit and beauty are in the way on one fide, and youth and ftrong paffions on ⚫ the other.' You certainly, Sir, fay right. But be pleafed to tell me what her ladyfhip faid when the knew you were married." The Countefs's woman was in my intereft, and let me into fome of her ◄ lady's fecrets, having a great fhare in her confidence; and particularly acquainted me, how loth her lady was to ⚫ believe I was married. I had paid her three vifits in town, and attended her once to her feat upon the Foreft, before fhe heard that I was. But when fhe was affured of it, and directed her Nelthorpe to afk me about it, and I readily owned it, he was greatly incenfed, though nothing but general civilities, and intimacies not inconfiftent with honourable friendship, had paffed between us. The confequence was, the forbad my ever feeing her again, and fet out with her fifter and the Vifcount for Tunbridge, where the ftaid about three weeks. I thought I had already gone too far, and blamed myself for permitting her ladyship fo long to believe me a fingle man; and here the matter had dropped, in all probability, had not a ball, given by my Lord, to which, unknown to each other, we were both, as alfo the Vifcountefs, invited, brought us again into one another's company. The lady withdrew, after a while, with her fifter, to another apartment; and being refolved upon perfonal recrimination, (which is what a lady, who is refolved to break with a favoured object, fhould never truft herself with) fent for me, and reproached me on my conduct, in which her fifter joined. I owned frankly, that it was rather gaiety than defign, that made me give caufe, at the mafquerade, for her ladyfhip to think I was not married; for that I had a wife, who had a thousand • excellencies, and was my pride, and my boaft: that I held it very poffible ⚫ for a gentleman and lady to carry on an innocent and honourable friendship, in a family way; and I was fure, when fhe and her fifter faw my spouse, they would not be difpleafed with her acquaintance; and all that I had to reproach myfelf with, was, that after having, at the masquerade, given reafon to think I was not married, I had • been loth, officiously, to fay I was, although it never was my intention to • conceal it. In fhort, I acquitted myfelf fo well with both ladies, that a family intimacy was confented to. I renewed my vifits; and we accounted to one another's honour, by entering upon a kind of Platonick fyftem, in which fex was to have no manner of concern. But, my dear Pamela, I must own myfelf extremely blameable, because I knew the world, and human nature, I will fay better than the lady, who < never before had been trufted into it upon her own feet; and who, notwithstanding that wit and vivacity which every one admires in her, gave herself little time for confideration, as she had met with a man, whofe perfon and converfation fhe did not diflike, and whose circumstances and spirit set him above fordid or mercenary views: and befides, I made myself useful to her in fome of her affairs, wherein she had been grofsly abufed; which brought us into more intimate and frequent ⚫ converfations than otherwise we should have had opportunities for. I ought therefore to have more carefully guarded against inconveniencies, which I knew were fo likely to arife from fuch intimacies; and the rather, as I hinted, because the lady had no apprehenfion at all of any fo that, mỹ dear, if I have no excufe from human frailty, from youth, and the charms of the object, I am intirely deftitute of 'any." 'rit, had it not been for thefe vile mafquerades. Never, dear Sir, think of going to another.' Why, my dear,' he was pleafed to fay, thofe are leaft of all to be trufted 'at these diverfions, who are most defirous to go to them. Of this I am now fully convinced." Well, Sir, I long to hear the further particulars of this ftory: for this generous openness, now the affair is over, 'cannot but be grateful to me, as it 'fhews me you have no referves, and as 'it tends to convince me, that the lady was lefs blameable than I apprehended fhe was: for dearly do I love, for the honour of my fex, to find ladies of birth and quality innocent; who have fo many opportunities of knowing and practifing their duties, above what ⚫ meaner perfons can have.-Elfe, while the one fails through furprize and ignorance, it will look as if the others were faulty from inclination: and what a difgrace is that upon the fex in general? And what a triumph to the wicked ones of yours?' Well observed, my dear: this is like your generous and deep way of 'thinking.' Well, but, dear Sir, proceed, if you pleafe Your reconciliation is now effected: a friendship quadrupartite is * commenced. And the Viscountefs and myfelf are to find cement for the ' erecting of an edifice, that is to be devoted to Platonick love. What, may I ask, came next? And what did you ⚫ defign fhould come of it?" The Oxford journey, my dear, followed next; and it was my fault that you were not a party in it: for both ladies were very defirous of your company; but it being about the time you were going abroad, after your lying-in, I excufed you to them. Yet they both longed to fee you; especially, as by this time, you may believe, they knew all your ftory: and befides, whenever you were mentioned, I always did juftice, as well to your mind, as to your perfon; and this, not only for the fake of juftice, but, to fay truth, because it gave the two fifters, and the Viscount, (whofe foftly character, and his lady's prudent and refpectful conduct to him, notwithstanding that, are both fo well known) lefs caufe of fufpicion, that I had any difhonourable defigns upon the dowager lady.” Mifs Darnford will have it, permit me, my good lady, to obferve, that I' fhall have fome merit, with regard to the rest of my fex, if I can be a means to reform fuch a dangerous spirit of intrigue as that of your dear brother: and the hiftory of this affair from his own mouth, made me begin to pride myself on this head for was he not, think you, Ma dam, in this cafe, a fad man?-And how deeply was he able to lay his mifchiefs! And how much had this fine lady been to be pitied, had the fallen by his arts; as he was almost the only man, who, by reafon of the gracefulness of his perfon, his generofity, courage, ample fortunes, and wit, could have made her unhappy-God be praised, that it was ftopped in time, (although, as it feems, but just in time) as well for the poor lady's fake, as for Mr. B.'s, and my own! Excufe me, Madam, for this digreffion. But yet, for what I am going to repeat, I fhall ftill want farther excufe; for I cannot refift a little rifing vanity, upon a comparison (though only as to features) drawn by Mr. B. between the Counters and me; which, however the preference he gives me in it may be undeferved, yet it cannot but be very agreeable, in this particular cafe of a rivalry, to one who takes fo much pride in his good opinion, and who makes it her chief study, by all honeft and laudable means, to preserve it; but who, elfe, I hope, am far from confidering fuch a tranfitory advantage, (had I in it as great a degree as his kind fancy imputes it to me) but as it deferves. I will give it, as near as I can, in his own words. It may not be altogether amifs, my She and I were alone in the bow- I began a fubject, which never fails beauty • beauty, and the fymmetry of her features, telling her how much I thought every graceful one in her face adorned the reft, as if they were all formed to give and receive advantage from each other. I added, approaching her, as if the more attentively to perufe her fine face, that I believed it poffible, from the tranfparent whitenefs of her fkin, and the clear bluenefs of her ⚫ veins, to discover the circulation, without a microscope. "Keep your distance, Mr. B." said fhe. "Does your magnifying thus egregiously the graces you impute to my "outward form, agree with your Pla tonick scheme? Your eye, penetrat"ing as you imagine it to be, pierces "not deep enough for a Platonick, if "you cannot look farther than the "white, and the blue, and discover the " circulation of the fpirit; for our "friendship is all mind, you know.” "True, Madam; but if the face is "the index of the mind, when I con"template yours, I fee and revere the "beauties of both in one. And what "Platonick laws forbid us to do juftice "to the one, when we admire the "other?" "Well, fit you down, bold Mr..B. a fit you down and answer me a question or two on this fubject, fince you will "be always raifing my vanity upon it." • You must know, Pamela, I always called you my girl, to her, as I do fre quently to yourself and others.' "So the excels me there, I find!" "I don't fay fo." "Well, but as to the FOREHEAD, "Mr. B.?" "Indeed, Madam, my girl has fome "advantage, I prefume to think, in her "forehead: the has a noble openness and "freedom there, which befpeaks her "mind, and every body's favour, the "moment the appears: not but that your "ladyfhip's, next to hers, is the finest I ever faw." "So!-Next to hers!" rubbing her "forehead-"Well, BROWS, Mr.B.?" "Your ladyship's fine arch-brow is a "beauty in your fair face, that a pencil "cannot imitate; but then your fairer "hair fhews it not to that advantage, I "muft needs fay, which her darker hair "gives to hers; for, as toCOMPLEXION, you are both so charmingly fair, that "I cannot, for my life, tell to which to "give the preference," " "Well, well, foolish man," said she, peevishly," thou art ftrangely taken "with thy girl!-I with thou wouldst go about thy business-What figni"fies a little bad weather to men?-But "if her complexion is as good as mine, "it must look better, because of her dark "hair.-I fhall come poorly off, I find! "Let's have the EYES, however.” I did, faluting her hand only;' that was his word, which I took notice of in the dear Platonick, though I faid nothing." "Tell me now of a truth, with all "the charms your too agreeable flattery "gives me, which is the most lovely, your Pamela, or myself?" ་་ 66 I told her, you were both incomparable, in a different way.' "Well," faid the, "I give up the perfon and air in general, because I "have heard, that fhe is flenderer, and better shaped, than most ladies; but "for a few particulars, as to face, (in"vidious as the comparifon may be, "and concerned as you are to justify your choice) I'll begin with the hair, "Mr. B. Whofe HAIR is of most ad"vantage to her complexion?-Come, "I fancy, I fhall, at least, divide per"fections with your Pamela." "For black eyes in my girl, and blue in your ladyship, they are both the "loveliest I ever beheld." And, Pa'mela, I was wicked enough to fay, that it would be the sweetest travelling in the world, to have you both placed at fifty miles diftance from each other, and to pafs the prime of one's life from black to blue, and from blue to black: and it would be impoffible to know which to prefer, but the prefent." 'Ah! naughty Mr. B.' said I, were you not worse than the Countess a great • deal?' The Countess is not bad, my dear, I only was in fault.' But what, Sir, did fhe fay to you?" Say! Why the saucy lady did what very few ladies have ever done: fhe made the powder fly out of my wig, by a fmart cuff with her nimble fingers. And how, Sir, did you take that?' How, my dear !-Why I kifs'd her revenge. "Your ladyship's delicate light brown is extremely beautiful, and infinitely "better becomes your complexion and features, than would that lovely fhine-in "ing auburn, which fuits best with my "girl's." Fine doings between two Platonicks,' thought I. But |