ther and Miss Clifford, as well as by Mr. Clifford and Miss Proctor, have frequent téle-à-têtes with each other, in which we are seldom interrupted by any of the persons above mentioned.

I am pleased to find myself a favourite with this good man, who, according to Shakespeare's expression, in all his actions and words, is as downright and true as truth's simplicity.

All the company being assembled this morning at breakfast, a thought seemed suddenly to strike Mr. Proctor, who, drawing me to the most remote corner of the room, said, in a kind of half whisper, you must remember, colonel, what I told you lately concerning the incomprehensibility of women,-nothing can prove this better than the conduct of my own daughter Mary,-you see how much attached she is to Mr. Clifford. So indeed he seems to be to her; but that is not to be wondered at, for every body is fond of Mary. But, though she was acquainted with him from her childhood, she never showed any partiality to him until he was shot through the body, and greatly weakened by the loss of blood. Now, what the girl could find in these two circumstances to engage her fancy, is, I must confess, what I cannot comprehend.'

This long and circumstantial epistle will, I hope, my lord, compensate for the brevity of those I wrote from the period at which we began to entertain hopes of Mr. Clifford's recovery ;-that being now ascertained, I intend to leave this, for Ashwood, to-morrow-Miss Clifford and your brother accompany me. Mrs. Sommers, in a letter I have just received, desires me to inform you, that she flatters herself with the honour of a visit from your lordship, and that she has a tolerably commodious apartment prepared for you. You will find it difficult ever to make a journey on a happier occasion, to join a happier society, or one from which you will receive a more cordial welI am your lordship's most obedient servant,

come.

RICHARD SOMMERS.

THE reader now foresees the marriage of Mr. Mordaunt to Miss Clifford, and that of Mr. Clifford to Miss Proctor, which took place about a month after: events which were the sources of happiness, not only to the parties themselves, but likewise to their friends, and to many of their acquaintance.

When Lady Diana Franklin became more intimately acquainted with Mr. Mordaunt, and saw his continued affection, and the just estimation in which he held the fine qualities of his wife; when her ladyship also perceived the happiness and exultation of her young friend, from the consciousness of having a husband who met her fondness with equal affection, and of whom she was as proud as she was fond; she could not refrain from exclaiming, one day, when they were alone,- What short-sighted creatures we are! Did I not endeavour, my dearest Horatia, to prevent the woman I love best from becoming the happiest woman on earth'

Mr. Proctor is equally satisfied with his son-in-law, on whose character his own reflections on the adventure at Heathfield, and the mild complacent temper of his wife, made a very favourable alteration. As Mr. Proctor was a stranger to violent passions, had found his fortune continually increasing through his own industry; and, above all, as he was a man of benevolence and undiviating integrity, it is highly to be presumed that he had lived a very happy life; yet, when he saw the mutual affection, confidence, and cordiality, that existed between Mr. Clifford and his daughter, he declared that he never had been so happy before.

Those who feel themselves happy are generally satisfied with silent enjoyment, without troubling themselves with long communications to their friends. The unhappy or discontented are more apt to make frequent demands on the sympathy of their acquaintance, (even when they require no other species of relief), by circumstantial, and sometimes exaggerated narratives of their misfortunes. After the two events above mentioned, though the different families of this society passed much of their time together, their correspondence by letters was less frequent and less interesting. It is not thought proper to publish any other of their letters, except the following.

LETTER CXVIII.

The Honourable JOHN MORDAUNT to LORD MOE

MY DEAR BROTHER,

DAUNT.

I AM glad you have prevailed on Lady Blunt to decline prosecuting the butler ;-was it to be expected that a man

in his situation could resist the persuasions of such a wo man as Mrs. Demure? Besides, there is no great satis faction in the punishment of underling agents, when the leading criminal escapes.

But though she has escaped to the continent she has not less escaped punishment; her real character is known to all the world: a whole life of painful hypocrisy is now rendered useless to her; infamy has attended her across the sea. She must have found herself as much shunned in Frankfort as she was in England before she could determine to form the connexion you mention with Grindill-though, if she knew that he was enraged against Lady Deanport, that would be an inducement; but, whatever it was, I am convinced they will become the instruments of each other's torture; any reciprocal confidence, between people of their character, seldom fails to have that effect.

The fate of those two persons, and other incidents with which I have been acquainted, since my last return to England, incline me to Mr. Darnley's opinion, that vice, and abjectness of conduct, though they should elude the grasp of law, generally meet with severe punishment even in this world.

I am not acquainted with a man of more thorough good sense, more calmness of temper, and what I take to be one of the rarest qualities to be met with among mankind, more entirely free from every species of affectation, than that gentleman. His wife was one of the last who gave credit to the rumours against Mrs. Demure; and, of all her numerous acquaintance, the person who felt the sincerest concern on their proving true. That wretched woman's name being mentioned the other day, when I was with Mr. and Mrs. Darnley,- What a pity,' said the latter, that a woman of such a cultivated understanding, and so much good sense, should have proved so wicked.'

6

6

Depend upon it, my dear,' replied her husband, she has not so much good sense as has been imputed to her; for it requires no great penetration to perceive that up20

VOL. VII.

rightness, integrity, and somewhat of an independent spirit, lead with more certainty even to worldly prosperity than hypocrisy, fraud, and fawning.

Independent, therefore, of what will most assuredly take place in a future state, no person of a cultivated understanding, and thorough good sense, will choose the three latter for his guides.'

Though I am by no means convinced that the remark is just, I quoted, against his opinion, merely to draw an answer from him, the following passage in the Rambler which had struck me a good deal.→

The most obsequious slaves of pride, the most rapturous of the gazers upon wealth, the most officious of the whisperers of greatness, are collected from seminaries appropriated to the study of wisdom and virtue.' *

If the observation is well founded,' resumed Mr. Darnley, it must proceed from persons of that description not having had sufficient opportunities of seeing what Power werk? passes in the world; if they had, they might have been induced, even from selfish motives, to adopt a different plan of conduct. I have lived much in the world, have been somewhat of an observer, and I am clearly of opinion, that, bad as the world is, and in spite of many exceptions, the obsequious slaves of pride, and officious whisperers of greatness, oftener meet with contempt than promotion; and those who do succeed by such means, though they may be what is called prosperous, cannot be happy; for who can be happy who is conscious of his own baseThis consideration ought to deter every person of sound sense from searching for happiness in paths where there is no chance of finding it; but,' continued he, I cannot help remarking that no man of my acquaintance has more reason than you, Mr. Mordaunt, to believe that spirit, generosity, and benevolence, are the best guides to happiness even in this world; since, without these, you never would have gained the heart and the hand of one of the most accomplished and agreeable women in it.' You need not doubt that I received this compliment as Rambler, No. 180.

ness.

I ought, and with the more satisfaction, because Horatia was included. This leads me to what I wished to in

form you of.

Though you were at pains to remove all my objections against matrimony, particularly that founded on my unlucky propensity to tire of every enjoyment, yet I have furnished you with so many instances of it, that I should not be surprised if your solicitude for my happiness still gave you uneasiness on that account.

In the first place, however, I must acknowledge that no arguments would have been able to have overcome my prejudice, unassisted by the attractions of Horatia; I felt them, indeed, so powerful, that I am by no means certain that I should not, contrary to all argument and common sense, have offered her marriage, even although I had been sure of repenting in a month. You see, my dear lord, what a philosopher your brother is :-but, however enthusiastically fond I was of her then, I have the happiness of assuring you now, that the three months I have lived with her have only added fresh esteem to undiminished love.

Three months you will think no great trial. But what chance is there of change where the sources of constancy are always augmenting? I declare to you, that I did not know half the value of this charming woman when I first fell in love with her. I perceived, indeed, beauty, cheerfulness, and sensibility beaming from every feature of her countenance; I saw politeness without restraint, and gaiety devoid of boldness in the whole of her manner; and I heard observations replete with good sense, and characteristic of a just taste, flow from her lips; but I could not then know the extent of her benevolence, nor the steadiness and warmth of her friendship.-She flew with exultation to me lately with a letter just received. What joyful news!' cried she: the dear marchioness has had a happy meeting with her husband-they are comfortably situated.-Oh, thanks be to heaven!'

The sensibility of Horatia's character appears in genu