attempt to gain her affections. I believe I must beg you to desist writing on the subject. Take care, take care, do not persuade me to so damnable an act. - I have saved her from some savage villain, and shall I place a canker-worm in her breast? You speak of her as she deserves: "Such a woman does not present herself every day." It It may be even true that "such a woman is all I want;" but think not, my friend, that all that is wanted by her soul (for she has a soul) can be found in me.

I am "no longer the dreaded character at Godfrey's."-Why? They know me not; and they estimate me by a few late acts, which sparkle. — Vernon, I must open my heart to you, cost me what it will -but not now not on paper

when we next meet it will be time enough. You shall judge whether it be madness in me, or virtue, to refuse the hearts of this group." I merit not love, but I would not be hated-abhorrence from such beings would be the height of misery. Refuse their hearts! Why, man, I would give the world to possess them

but

think you it is on me they would bestow them? No, it is on virtue : — what of that they have seen in me effaces even slander by its native brightness, which illumines every agent of it with its glory. They know no more, they seek no more; but the heart itself rejects that homage which it cannot claim. I know not whether hatred is not more tolerable than love, which a clear sight of its object would convert to abhorrence.

"An empty and a desolate heart she will fill, and she will renovate." What honied words are these! Where have you collected such sweet poison? It is

the insane root

That takes the reason prisoner.

It binds the senses to imagination, and gives a seeming reality to the unsubstantial conceptions of the brain the thought alone filled my heart, renovated my blood for a moment but for a

moment and the void and the desolation became more intolerable.

You see I answer your letter almost word by word. You are, in general, as

attentive to points as myself; in yours - but it is very excusable where you are one or two things escaped you to which mine might have suggested a reply. I expressed an inclination to have the meeting with Lady Betty at Malvern cleared up, to have it satisfactorily proved that it was accidental. This is one thing you make no reply to. I requested, if you had an opportunity, that you would let Miss Saville know how I was occupied :-a second point unnoticed. I think I may mention, as a third, your not telling me whether you had had an opportunity of not saying that I was unhappy or gloomy, that is, of contradicting the idea, if it happened to be expressed. Pray laugh on; but after your laugh, be serious.

-

I will now tell you something of my studies, of which you may impart as much as your friendship appreciates. I cannot boast of much progress in the religious history of the Jews. I meet stumbling-blocks at every step I take. The subsequent dispensation in favour of the rest of the world equally gravels

me.

Vicarious compensation! and the victim a Deity!-- One advance in favour of the Bible I have made-I do not open it to laugh. I do not, it is true, find conviction in it; but I have met with many sublime and exquisite passages. I have shut it up for a time, but intend to return to it; meanwhile I have been studying Plato, and with rather more success. If the Son of Joseph and Mary had had sufficient education, I should suspect he too had studied him. In the works of that divine philosopher we find the embryo of a Trinity, and the full birth of immortality. You must read these works, Vernon, with great attention; you must resume your Greekthat I know will cost you but little time; but if it took you ten years it would repay you. That great mind conceived Divine attributes; and the Being possessed of them must be a Deity. He conceived noble qualities flowing from a deity to a being created by him. Man must be this noble creature:- the existence of a good God and of a good man necessarily implies Omnipotence in the former and

immortality in the latter: if a good man dies eternally, what shall be said of the goodness, of the justice of the Deity? What is chance? Incongruity, or a soli tary consonance amidst universal disorder. What is order? Uniform direction. Order is the proof of intention intention proves mind-infinite intention an infinite mind- an infinite mind is God. So far these deductions are clear; but there is one attribute of a God wanting, or is not so clear, a prime attribute too in respect to mankind, Į I told you I could not be a Manichean, What am I to do? I every where see signs of malignity. Here it is then that my faith is to have its first trial.

It

There is a God proved in every other respect to my understanding-it only remains for me not to believe either in my senses or in the reasoning faculty with which nature has endowed me. is a hard morsel to digest - I must give it time. I do not hesitate, however, to say at once that there is a GOD, and that there ought to be an immortality, but not an immortality of vipers. These