object of her affections, or of murdering him, is as little reconcilable to common fense as to common religion. How much lefs fo to commit complicated murder, which must cut off all hopes in other worlds!

Yet, could I believe (which I own I cannot, from the evidence in this cafe), that the idea of destroying her never ftruck him till his finger was at the trigger-that his only intention was to lay the breathless body of an injured lover at her feet-Had this been the fact, however I might have condemned the deed, I certainly should have wept over the momentary phrenzy which committed it. But, as nothing appears to have paft which could at all make him change his plan, I muft (impoffible as it feems) fuppofe him to have deliberately formed fo diabolical a plan-and must rejoice that he was not of the fame country, while I lament that he was of the fame order of beings, with myself.

If

If the favour I mentioned to you o’Saturday be at all out of course, pray don't afk it. Yet the worthy veteran I want to ferve has now and then feen things happen not altogether in courfe., When he called this morning to learn how I had fucceeded, I observed to lum, while we were talking, that he got bald. "Yes," faid he, shaking his grey hairs," it will happen fo by people's continually ftepping over one's head."

He little fufpected the channel of my application, but he asked me this morning,. whether 50l. if he could fcrape it together,. properly flid into Miss's hand, might not forward his views. My answer was, that I had no acquaintance with the lady, but I knew for certain that he had never in her life foiled her fingers with the smallest prefent of this fort.

Happy, bleft, to know you, to love. you, and be loved by you!

.

ЬЕТ TER

To the Same.

XLIX.

Hockerill, 5 Sept. 1778.

Here did I fit, more than two years ago, in this very room, perhaps in this very chair, thanking you for blifs, for paradise; all claim to which I foon after voluntarily refigned, because I hoped they would foon be mine by claims more juft, if poffible, than those of love. Two years.-how have I borne exiftence all the while! But delicacy, and respect for you, enjoined forbearance. And hope led me on from day to-day, deceiving time with diftant profpects which I thought at hand. When will the tedious journey end? When will my weary feet find reft? When shall I fleep away my fatigues on the down-foft pillow of the bofom of love? Should hope continue to deceive me, you never shall make me happy, till you make me your huf

band.

band. Yet, as we fate upon the grafs, under the trees near the water, yesterday, just before you returned me my ftick, because 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 refolution, 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 fcene must be fhifted. -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 ex pect the miser to fleep in the place where raptures over a hidden

he once hung in

treafure 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 almoft 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 which prevents the propagation of monfters, does not fuffer fuch monfirous examples as these to propagate.

One Empfon, a footman to Dr. Bell, having in vain courted for some time a fervant belonging to Lord Spencer, at last caused the bans to be put up in church, without her confent; which the forbad. Being thus difappointed, he meditated revenge; and having got a perfon 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 discharged a piftol at her,

and