been tolerably genteel, and that I have nothing in my temper exceffively unfortunate.

However, fuch as I am, a young gentleman of a middling fortune has thought it worth his while to pay his addresses to me these two years, and to folicit my hand with the moft paffionate tendernefs.

Mr. Blandmore, at the firft, had my father's permiffion to make the declaration of his fentiments, and was look'd upon by all my friends as a very proper, nay, a very advantageous match; as my father's circumftances, by fome unforeseen accidents in trade, were rather upon the decline; and he was, in a very little time after, actually obliged to stop payment of fome bills, which foon caufed a ftatute to be iffued against him, and he was accordingly declared a bankrupt.

The alteration of circumftances, however, made no change in the heart of Mr. Blandmore; he now more than ever preffed for my confent, and declared himself almoft pleafed at the misfortune which had happened, fince it gave him an opportunity of proving the fincerity of his paffion, and that fortune was not in the leaft the object of his adoration. I muft candidly own how deep an impreffion his generofity made on me, and if I felt

any

any fentiments in his favour before, they were now confiderably increased by fo difinterested, fo noble a behaviour; and I found I know not how much fatisfaction in his winning folicitations, and tender importunity; but ridiculous pride opposed an indulgence of my own inclinations, and my very gratitude to the dear youth was the only impediment to his happiness.- How I was able to refift him I know not, but I wish my father had at that time used as great an authority over me in his favour, as he has fince in vain, exerted to make me forget him.-Forget him!-No, dearest object of my earliest love!--When this adoring bofom shall wear any images but thy own, as the greatest misfortune, may'st thou retain no remembrance of the wretched Maria!-O reader! if you knew the excellence of his foul, and could form an idea of the beauty of his perfon!-He has a mind exalted as the roof of heaven, and a faceBut, bless me, what am I faying!-An unaccountable flood of tenderness has imperceptibly borne me away. But why fhould I be afhamed of dif covering my esteem for the very best of men? No, I should rather blufh to entertain a fentiment I was afhamed to hear.-But to proceed-Upon the fettling of his affairs he was found able to pay his. creditors twenty fhillings in the pound, befides being poffeffed of the fum of two thousand pounds,

which appeared to be due on the face of the books. With the capital of two thousand pounds my father again entered trade, and Mr. Blandmore was kind enough to lend him a couple of thoufands more. With this additional fum matters. went on tolerably well, and our credit was foon eftablifhed on its former foundation. Providence was pleased to blefs my father's industry with the greateft fuccefs, and to fend me an unexpected bounty, in one of the most confiderable prizes in the laft lottery.

My father foon acquainted me with my good fortune, which I heard with additional fatisfaction, as I had now an opportunity of rewarding the generofity of Mr. Blandmore, to whom, but that very day, I had confented to give my hand on the Saturday following; but the moment I hinted to my father my defire that it fhould be kept a fecret from Mr. Blandmore, till that time was paft, in order the more agreeably to surprize him, he knit his brows into a kind of feverity I had never seen him wear before, and he told me I had beft confider of it a little longer; that marriage was a very important circumftance: I might poffibly alter my opinion: that, to be fure, every thing was agreed between him and Mr. Blandmore, for whom he entertained the

highest

higheft efteem, and to whom he had many obligations; but what of that? he had but four thousand pounds in the world: that he would pay Mr. Blandmore intereft for the fum he had lent him: that I was now a confiderable fortune, and ought to look about me; and that if I would take his advice, I fhould devife fome means of breaking off with Mr. Blandmore, before the circumftance was publicly known, which would carry the appearance of honour, and juftify me in the opinon of the world for fince marriage was a kind of traffick, every one ought to make the most of a bargain, and that I could not be infenfible how feveral young women of my acquaintance had married knights and aldermen, and were pub

lickly mentioned in the news-papers with my lord

-and his grace-as ladies of diftinction.

Aftonifhed at fo unexpected, fo ftrange a declaration, a fhower of tears was my only reply, and before I could poffibly recover myself, Mr. Blandmore came into the room, who expreffed the most tender uneafinefs for the fituation he faw me in, begged I would inform him of the caufe

I perceived my father was prodigiously ftruck; but as he was refolved to break off the match at any rate, he took but little pains to mince the

matter,

1

matter; fo telling Mr. Blandmore the real occafion, he concluding with begging his pardon for being obliged to decline the honour of his alliance, and, in the city phrafe, hoped there was no harm done. Amazed at fuch behaviour, Mr. Blandmore remained in a state of the utmost furprize, and fcarcely believing what he had heard, again demanded the reafon of it.

When he had a little recovered the fhock, he turned to my father-"I am, Sir, fincerely rejoiced at the good-fortune of my dear Maria, unhappy foever as it may make me. I fhall not prefume to make any obfervations upon your conduct in this affair, because you are her father. I would only beg leave to afk if you can reconcile it to yourself. As for my dear girl, if her happiness is in the leaft promoted by breaking off the match with me, I fhall very readily submit to the severity of my own fate, fince, to promote that happiness would have been the business of my life. As it is, I am above complaining, Sir.-I may be wretched, but I hope I fhall never be contemptible."

I must have been loft to feeling, as well as dead to love, to bear this unmoved, especially when I faw the dear youth endeavouring to hide his tears, by pretending to wipe his face. I immediately