ance, And hope led me on from day to day, deceiving time with diftant prospects which I thought at hand. When will the tedious journey end? When will my weary feet find reft? When fhall I fleecp away my fatigues on the downfoft pillow of the bofom of love? Should hope continue to deceive me, you never fhall make me happy, till you make me your husband. Yet, as we fate upon the grafs, under the trees near the water, yesterday, just before you returned me my ftick, becaufe you thought the gentleman coming along the path by the mill was a certain perfon---yet, had I then loofened another button or two of my favourite habit, which was already opened by the heat; had I then (you remember, my Laura, the converfation and the fcene) forgotten my resolution, forgotten every thing, and riotted in all your glowing charms, which only love like mine could withftand---who is he would dare to blame me? Who would dare to fay I had done what he would not have done? But the scene must be shifted.---Sally Harris, you know, arrived only at the dignity of Pomona at Hockerill, Had my M. her due, mankind at large would admit her double claim to the titles of Minerva and of Venus, To fleep here is impoffible. As well expect the miser to fleep in the place where he once hung in raptures over a hidden treasure which is now loft. This letter I have an opportunity to fend to our old friend, for you, without taking it to town. Let me fill up the remainder of my paper with an almost incredible anecdote I learned from a gentleman who joined me on the road this morning, and travelled fome miles with me. It happened last week, I think. Peter Ceppi you remember. Surely that Providence which prevents the propagation of monfters, does not fuffer fuch monftrous examples as thefe to propagate. One Empfon, a footman to Dr. Bell, having in vain courted for fome time a fervant belonging to Lord Spencer, at laft caufed the bans to be put up in church, without her confent; which fhe forbad. Being thus difappointed, he meditated revenge; and having got a person to write a letter to her, appointing a meeting, he contrived to way-lay her, and furprize her in Lord Spencer's park. On her fcreaming, he difcharged a piftol at her, and made his efcape. The ball wounded her, but not mortally. Oh love, love, can't thou not be content to make fools of thy flaves, to make them miferable, M 2 ΤΟ to make them what thou pleafeft! Muft thou alfo goad them on to crimes! must thou convert them into devils, hell-hounds! LETTER To the SAME. L: freet, 28 Jan. 1779. The short note I wrote to you last night, immediately on my reaching town, you received, I hope. But why no answer to it? Why do you not fay when we fhall meet? I have ten thoufands things to tell you. My fituation in Nor folk is lovely. Exactly what you like. The parfonage-houïe may be made very comfortable at a trifling expence. How happily fhall we spend How glad am 1 that I have taken orders, and what obligations have I to my dear B. to Mr. H. and Dr. V.! Now, my happincfs can be deferred no longer. My character and profeffion arc, now, additional weights in the scale. Oh then, confent to marry me directly. The day I lead you to the altar will be the happiest day of my existence. our time there! Thanks, a thousand thanks for your tender and affectionate letters while I was in Norfolk, Be affured G. could mean nothing by what she faid. faid. She is our firm friend, I am perfuaded. About an hour ago, I called there; but fhe was out. Presently I fhall go again with this, in the hope of hearing fomething about you. Oh M.! every day I live I do but difcover more and more how impoffible it is for me to live with out you. Don't forget the 5th of next month. We must keep that day facred together. LEFTER LI. To the SAME. Atreet, 7 Feb. 1779 While I live I will never forget your behaviour yefterday. Were I to live an hundred years, I could never thank you enough. But, your wilk be done. The task you have fet me about Chatterton is only a further proof of your regard for me. You know the warmth of my paffions; and you think, if I do not employ myself, they may flame out and confume me. Well then, I will spend a morning or two in arranging what I have collected refpecting the author of Rowley's poems. Every fyllable you will read I affure you fhall be authentic. M 3 Did To Did you start at " The author of Rowley's poems?" My mind does not now harbour a doubt that Chatterton wrote the whole, whatever I thought when we read them together at H. The internal evidence of the matter fhall not puzzle you, but you fhall tell me whether you don't think it easier for Chatterton to have imitated the style of Rowley's age (which he has not done exactly, if you believe thofe who think as I think), than for Rowley to write in a flyle which did not exift till so many ages after his time. fuppofe him to have found half, and to have added to them---or to confider him as a cat's paw in the business to fome cotemporary Rowley, in order to extricate a fictitious Rowley from oblivion, would in my humble opinion be nonfenfe. For my own part, though he might find fome old MSS. I cannot believe he found a fyllable which he has attributed to Rowley. Who will engage to prove, from internal evidence, the antiquity of any one of Rowley's compofitions? What he did find certainly fuggefted to him the idea of pretending to have found more; but how fhall we perfuade credulity to believe that all Rowley's pocms were copied from old MSS. when the only MSS. produced in confirmation of the ftory are indifputably proved to be modern? Is any one fool |