would place your affections on another. No, my dear, were that to happen, I would act the part of General Campbell, at the fatal battle of Fonteney, by rushing on the sword of the enemy to put an end to a weary existence. I should cheerfully lay down my life, which could be of small value, were I to be separated from you. But why do I doubt ? I know my charmer is as virtuous as she is beautiful, and that nothing but my own conduct can ever make her discard me.

But is not absence death to those who love? However, I have the pleasing reflection yet left, that whilst I am in a distant part of the world, attending my duty, I shall be remembered by her whose prayers for my preservation will be acceptable to that God who loves virtue, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. Nothing in this world can ever be so dear to me as you are. Believe all I say, and I am happy. If I do any thing that may appear wrong, inform me of it, and it shall be my first care to confess my fault and amend. I desire your advice in every thing; but, alas! separation will render it difficult, though not impossible. Not having had time to settle with our agent, I have left an order for that purpose. Let me beg that you will visit my dear mother; she will esteem it as a respect shown to me. I have often told you what an excellent woman she is, and I am fully persuaded you will find her so; yes, more so than I ever mentioned. We are to stop at Gibraltar, where I hope to have a letter from you. If it comes too late the Governor will forward it to Minorca. Once more, my dear, farewell; continue to be mine, and all the vicissitudes and dangers of war will appear as trifles; and, when peace shall again bless the nations, 1 will fly on the wings of love to the arms of my dearest angel, and spend with her the remainder of my days. I am vour sincere lover.

LETTER 128.

The Lady's Answer.

DEAR CHARLES,

If your hand could scarcely hold the pen, I am afraid this will appear unintelligible, being wet with tears from beginning to end. When your letter arrived we were drinking tea, and my father reading the newspaper, wherein it was said that all the officers in the army were ordered to join their regiments. I was a good deal alarmed, but some hopes remained, till the fatal letter convinced me that my suspicions were too well founded. Alas! how vain are human expectations! In the morning we dream of happiness, and before evening are really miserable. I was promising to myself that one month would have joined our hands, and now we are separated, perhaps for years, if not forever. For, how do I know but the next post may bring me an account of your being killed in battle, and then farewell every thing in this world. My pleas ing prospects will then vanish, and, although unmarried, will remain a widow till death. And is it possible you can doubt one moment of my sincerity; or do you think that those affections can ever be placed on another which were first placed on you, from a convincing proof of your accomplishments and merit? No, my dear, my fidelity to you shall remain as unspotted as this paper, before it was blotted with ink and bedewed with tears. I know not how others love, but my engagements

are for eternity. You desire me to remind you of your duty. I know not of any faults, nor am I disposed to look for them. I doubt not but the religious.e.lucation you have received in your youth will enable you to resist the strongest temptation; and, like that everlasting honor to the army, Col. Gardner, although not afraid to fight yet you will be afraid to sin. However terrifying it may be to meet death in the field, yet it is far more awful to appear before a just God whom we have offended by our iniquities. I have been reading Hume's History of England, who says, that at the battle of Hastings, when the Saxon monarchy was overthrown by the Normans, the latter, though under arms all night, yet were fervent in their devotions, whilst the English, who thought themselves secure of victory, were spending their time in riot and drunkenness. But, alas! the next day exhibited a different scene. The Normans became conquerors, after killing many thousands of the enemy; and such are commonly the fatal effects of debauchery. There is not one body of people in the world accused of irreligion more than the military, and from the very nature of their employment none are more obliged to practice every Christian duty. They see thousands of their fellow creatures hurried into eternity, nor do they know but the next may be themselves. My dear Charles, never be ashamed of religion. A consciousness of your integrity will inspire you with real courage in the day of battle; and if you should at last die in defence of the just rights of your country, the divine favor will be your comfort through eternity. In the mean time my prayers shall constantly be for your safety and preservation, and my earnest hopes fixed on your happy re

turn.

I have obtained leave of my parents to reside with your mother dur ing the summer, which will at least be some consolation to me in your absence. Let me hear from you as often as possible, but never doubt of my fidelity. Consider me as already yours and I am satisfied. Farewell, my dear, and may the wisdom of God direct you, and his provi dence be your guard, is the sincere prayer of her who prefers you before all the world.

LETTER 129.

From a Gentleman to a young Lady of superior fortune. MADAM,

I can no longer do so great violence to my own inclinations, and injustice to your charms and merits, as to retain within my own breast those sentiments of esteem and affection with which you have inspired mé.

I should have hazarded this discovery much sooner, but was restrained by a dread of meeting censure for my presumption in aspiring to a lady whom beauty, wit, and fortune have conspired to raise so high above my reasonable expectations.

You have judgment enough, both of your own good qualities, and the characters of those with whom you converse, to make a proper estimate of my sincerity on this occasion. I am above deceit, and have not therefore, at any period of our acquaintance, pretended to be a man of greater property than I am, which conduct I hope will tend to convince

you of my general sincerity. Believe me, my dearest Annette, wers our circumstances reversed, I should hardly take to myself the credit of doing a generous action, in overlooking the consideration of wealth, and making you an unreserved tender of my hand and fortune. I shall await vour answer in a state of unpleasant impatience, and therefore rely on your humanity not to keep me long in suspense.

SIR,

I am, madam, your most humble servant.

LETTER 130.

The Answer.

Giving you credit, as I do, for an elevation of mind capable of the most generous sentiments, I cannot believe you guilty of the meanness of speculating on the heart of a lady with a view to her property. Knowing your accomplished manners, and cultivated understanding, I feel the greatest obligation to you for the polite and affectionate declaration contained in your letter. In an affair of so much importance, however, I must refer myself entirely to the discretion of my father. At the same time 1 must caution you against feeling hurt at minute inquiries, and resolute objections, which perhaps may be inade; young people think too little of wealth, old ones perhaps too much; but I know my father's prudence and kindness so well, as to pledge myself to abide by his final decision, whatever pain it may cost me. Yet I advise you not to despair of success, as you will find a warm and zealous advocate in Your sincere friend and humble servant.

LETTER 131.

From a Gentleman of some fortune, who had seen a Lady in pub. lic, to her Mother.

MADAM,

I shall be very happy if you are not altogether unacquainted with the name which is at the bottom of this letter, since that will prevent me the necessity of saying some things concerning myself which had better be heard from others. Hoping that it may be so, I shall not trouble you on that head; but only say, that I have the honor to be of a family not mean, and not wholly without a fortune.

I was yesterday, madam, at the rehearsal at St. Paul's, and have been informed that a lady who commanded my attention there has the happiness to be your daughter. It is on account of that lady that I now write to you; but I am aware you will say this is a rash and an idle manner of attempting an acquaintance. I have always been of opinion that nothing deserves censure which is truly honorable and undisguised. I take the freedom to tell you, madam, that I believe she is worthy of a much better offer; but I am assured my happiness will depend upon her accepting or refusing this. In the first place I request to know whether the lady be engaged, for I am an entire stranger; and if she be not, I beg, that after having informed yourself who it is that wishes to be introduced to her, you will do me the favor of letting me be answered. I am very much an enemy, madam, to the usual nonsense upon these ooeasions; but it would be injustice to myself to conclude without saying

that my mind would be very ill at ease until I know how this address is received. I have the honor to be, inadam, with the greatest respect, Your very obedient humble servant.

SIR,

LETTER 132.

The Mother's Answer. ·

The letter which you have done me the honor to write to me speaks you a gentleman and a man of sense. I am sorry to acquaint you, that after such a prepossession in your favor, I am for inore than one reason desirous to decline the offer you are pleased to make of an alliance in my family. My daughter is very dear to me, and I think she has cast an eye elsewhere: I think there is something indelicate and improper in this wild manner of engaging in an attachment, and in pleading in favor of it. I wish you had known my daughter more before you had spoke so much, and had met with me anong my acquaintance to have inentioned it. I am convinced, sir, I do not think more of you than I may with justice, when I confess to you that I believe you would be more than an equal match for my daughter; for though she has (and suffer me, sir, although she is my child, to say it) great merit, her fortune, although not quite inconsiderable, is not great. You will see, sir, that I waver in my opinion upon this subject; but you must attribute it to the true cause; and believe that every thing which has, be it ever so remote, a tendency to my daughter's welfare, will make me very cautious of determining. To give you my final sense, (at least what is final to me at present) I have not a thought of asking who it is that has thus favored us, nor would advise my daughter to remember it. I thank you, sir, in her name as well as my own, for the honor you intend us, and am, sir, Your most obedient servant.

LETTER 133.

From a young Tradesman to a Gentleman, desiring permission to visit his Daughter.

SIR,

I flatter myself that the integrity of my intention will excuse the freedom of these few lines, whereby am to acquaint you of the great regard and esteem I have for your daughter. I would not, sir, attempt any indirect address, that should have the least appearance of inconsistency with her duty to you, and my honorable views to her, choosing by your influence, if I may approve myself to you worthy of that honor, to commend myself to her approbation. You are not insensible, sir, by the credit I have hitherto preserved in the world, of my ability, by God's blessing, to make her happy. This rather emboldens me to request the favor of an evening's conversation with you, at your first convenience; when I will more fully explain niyself, as I earnestly hope, to your satisfaction, and take my encouragement or discouragement from your own mouth. I am, sir, in the mean time, with great respect, Your humble servant.

LETTER 134.

From the same to the young Lady, by permission of the Father. MISS,

I hope I shall stand excused in venturing to make known to your honored father the great desire I have to be thought worthy of a relation to him. As he has not discouraged me in the hopes I have entertained, that I may possibly be not unacceptable to him, and to all your worthy family, I propose to do myself the honor of a visit to you next Monday. Though he has been so good as to promise to introduce me, and I make no doubt has acquainted you with it, I nevertheless give you the trouble of these lines, that I might not appear wanting in any outward demonstration of that inviolable respect with which I am, dear Miss, Your devoted humble servant.

SIR,

LETTER 135.

From a Widow to a young Man, rejecting his suit.

The objections I have to make to the proposal contained in your letter are but few, but they demand some attention, and will, I believe, be rather difficult to be answered.

You are, by your account, two and twenty; I am, by mine, six and forty. You are too young to know the duties of a father; I have a son who is seventeen, and consequently too old to learn the duties of a son from one so little his senior. Thus much with respect to age. As to the little fortune I possess, I consider myself as merely a trustee for my children, and will not therefore impose on you by acceding to the common report that I am rich. However, as you have borne a lieutenant's commission these three years, as you tell me, you may have reserved out of the profits of that a sufficient sum to obviate every difficulty on that head.

I will press these objects no farther; when you have convinced me that in point of age, fortune and morals, you are such a person as I can, without reproach, take for a husband, and admit as a guardian of my children, I shall cease to think, as I now candidly confess I do, that motives far from honorable, or disinterested love, have influenced your application. Till that happens I must regret that an ill-timed effort of gallantry on your part deprives me of the pleasure of subscribing myself Your sincere friend.

LETTER 136.

From a young Lady to a Gentleman that courted her, whom she could not esteem, but forced by her parents to receive his visits.

SIR,

It is an exceedingly ill return that I make the respect you have for me, when I acknowledge to you, though the day of our marriage is appointed, that I am incapable of loving you. You may Irave observed in the long conversations we have had at those times that we were left together, that some secret hung upon my mind. I was obliged to an am