How delightful the domestic connexion! To bring to the paternal and fraternal dwellings, a sister, a daughter, that shall be received there with tender love; to strengthen your own interest in the world by alliance with some noble and worthy family, who shall rejoice to trust to the Barone della Porretta the darling of their hopes-This would, to a generous heart, like yours, be the source of infinite delights. But could you now think of introducing to the friends you revere, the unhappy objects of a vagrant affection? Must not my Jeronymo even estrange himself from his home, to conceal from his father, from his mother, from his sister, persons shut out by all the laws of honour from their society? The persons, so shut out, must hate the family to whose interests theirs are so contrary. What sincere union then, what sameness of affection, between Jeronymo and the objects of his passion?

But the present hour dances delightfully away, and my friend will not look beyond it. His gay companions applaud and compliment him on his triumphs. In general, perhaps, he allows, that the welfare and order of society ought to be maintained by submission to divine and hu'man laws; but his single exception for himself can be of

no importance. Of what, then, is general practice made up?--If every one excepts himself, and offends in the instance that best suits his inclination, what a scene of horror will this world become! Affluence and a gay disposition tempt to licentious pleasures; penury and a gloomy one, to robbery, revenge, and murder. Not one enormity will be without its plea, if once the boundaries of duty are thrown down. But, even in this universal depravity, would not his crime be much worse, who robbed me of my child from riot and licentiousness, and under the guise of love and trust, than his who despoiled

me of my substance, and had necessity to plead in extenuation of his guilt?

I cannot doubt, my dear friend, but you will take, at least, kindly, these expostulations, though some of them are upon subjects on which our conversations have been hitherto ineffectual. I submit them to your consideration. I can have no interest in making them; nor motive, but what proceeds from that true friendship with which I desire to be thought

• Most affectionately yours.

You have heard, my good Miss Byron, that the friendship between Mr. Grandison and Signor Jeronymo was twice broken off: once it was, by the unkindly-taken freedom of the expostulatory letter. Jeronymo, at that time of his life, ill-brooked opposition in any pursuit his heart was engaged in. When pushed, he was vehement; and Mr. Grandison could not be over-solicitous to keep up a friendship with a young man who was under the dominion of his dissolute companions; and who would not allow of remonstrances, in cases that concerned his morals.

Jeronymo having afterwards been drawn into great inconveniencies by his libertine friends, broke with them; and Mr. Grandison and he meeting by accident at Padua, their friendship, at the pressing instances of Jeronymo, was again renewed.

Jeronymo thought himself reformed; Mr. Grandison hoped he was: but, soon after, a temptation fell in his way, which he could not resist. It was from a lady, who was more noted for her birth, beauty, and fortune, than for her virtue. She had spread her snares for Mr. Grandison before Jeronymo became acquainted with her; and revenge for her slighted advances taking possession of her

heart, she hoped an opportunity would be afforded her of wreaking it upon him.

The occasion was given by the following letter, which Mr. Grandison thought himself obliged, in honour, to write to his friend, on his attachment; the one being then at Padua, the other at Cremona.

I AM extremely concerned, my dear Jeronymo, at your new engagement with a lady, who, though of family and fortune, has shewn but little regard to her character. How frail are the resolutions of men! How much in the power of women! But I will not reproach-Yet I cannot but regret, that I must lose your company in our projected visits to the German courts: this, however, more for your sake than my own; since to the principal of them I am no stranger. You have excused yourself to me: I wish you had a better motive: but I write rather to warn, than to upbraid you. This lady is mistress of all the arts of woman. She may glory in her conquest; you ought not to be proud of yours. You will not, when you know her better. I have had a singular opportunity of being acquainted with her character. I never judged of characters, of women's especially, by report. Had the Barone della Porretta been the first for whom this lady spread her blandishments, a man so amiable as he is, might the more assuredly have depended on the love she professes for him. She has two admirers, men of violence, who, unknown to each other, have equal reason to look upon her as their own. You propose not to marry her. I am silent on this subject. Would to Heaven you were married to a woman of virtue! Why will you not oblige all your friends? Thus liable as you are-But neither do I expostulate.

Well do I know the vehemency with which you are wont to pursue a new adventure. Yet I had hoped-But again I restrain myself. Only let me add, that the man who shall boast of his success with this lady may have more to apprehend from the competition in which he will find himself engaged, than he can be aware of. Be prudent, my Jeronymo, in this pursuit, for your own sake. The heart that dictates this advice is wholly yours: but, alas! it boasts no further interest in that of its Jeronymo. With infinite regret I subscribe to the latter part of the sentence the once better-regarded name of

GRANDISON.

And what was the consequence? The unhappy youth, by the instigation of the revengeful woman, defied his friend, in her behalf. Mr. Grandison, with a noble disdain, appealed to Jeronymo's cooler deliberation; and told him, that he never would meet as a foe, the man he had ever been desirous to consider as his friend. You know, my lord, said he, that I am under a disadvantage in having once been obliged to assert myself, in a country where I have no natural connexions; and where you, Jeronymo, have many. If we meet again, I do assure you it must be by accident; and if that happens, we shall then find it time enough to discuss the occasion of our present misunderstanding.

Their next meeting was indeed by accident. It was in the Cremonese; when Mr. Grandison saved his life.

AND now, madam, let me give you, in answer to your second inquiry,

The particulars of the conference which Sir Charles was put upon holding with Clementina, in favour of the Count of Belvedere; and which her father and mother, unknown to either of them, overheard.

You must suppose them seated; a Milton's Paradise Lost before them: and that, at this time, Mr. Grandison did not presume that the young lady had any particular regard for him.

CLEM. You have taught the prelate, and you have taught the soldier, to be in love with your Milton, sir: but I shall never admire him, I doubt. language hard and crabbed?

Don't you reckon the

GR. I did not propose him to you, madam: your brother chose him. We should not have made the proficiency we have, had I not began with you by easier authors. But you have heard me often call him a sublime poet, and your ambition (it is a laudable one) leads you to make him your own too soon. Has not your tutor taken the liberty to chide you for your impatience; for your desire of being every thing at once?

CLEM. You have; and I own my fault-But to have done, for the present, with Milton; what shall I do to acquit myself of the addresses of this Count of Belvedere?

GR. Why would you acquit yourself of the count's addresses?

CLEM. He is not the man I can like: I have told my papa as much, and he is angry with me,

GR. I think, madam, your papa may be a little displeased with you; though he loves you too tenderly to be angry with you. You reject the count, without assigning

a reason.

CLEM. Is it not reason enough, that I don't like him?