tection, or so zealously defend them. Moreover, there is none can fo foon discover the beauties; and there are fome parts, which it is poffible few befides yourself are capable of understanding. Sir, the honour, affection, and value I have for you, are beyond expreffion; as great, I am fure, or greater, than any man elfe can bear you. As for any defects which others may pretend to discover in you, I do faithfully declare I was never able to perceive them; and doubt not but thofe perfons are actuated purely by a spirit of malice or envy, the infeparable attendant on fhining merit and parts, fuch as I have always esteemed yours to be. It may perhaps be looked upon as a kind of violence to modelty, to say this to you in public; but you may believe me, it is no more than I have a thousand times thought of you in private. Might I follow the impulfe of my foul, there is no fubject I could launch into with more pleasure than your panegyric. But fince fomething is due to modesty, let me conclude, by telling you, that there is nothing so much I defire as to know you more thoroughly than I have yet the happinefs of doing. I may then hope to be capable to do you fome real fervice; but till then can only affure you, that I fhall continue to be, as I am more than any man alive, X N° 5• I Deareft SIR, Your affectionate friend, and Tuesday, March 17. Laudantur fimili prole puerpere. Hor. Od. 5. l. 4. v. 23. The mother's virtues in the daughters shine. HAVE in my fecond paper, mentioned the family into which I was retained by the friend of my youth; and given the reader to understand, that my obligations to it are fuch as might well naturalize me into the interests of it. They have indeed had their deservVOL. I. C ed effect; and if it were poflible for a man who has never entered into the state of marriage, to know the inftincts of a kind father to an honourable and numerous houfe, I may fay I have done it. I do not know but my regards, in fome confiderations, have been more useful than thofe of a father; and as I wanted all that tendernefs, which is the bias of inclination in men towards their own offspring, I have had a greater command of reafon when I was to judge of what concerned my wards; and confequently was not prompted, by my partiality and fondnefs towards their perfons, to tranfgrefs against their interefts. As the female part of a family is the more conftant and immediate object of care and protection, and the more liable to misfortune or dishonour, as being in them. felves more fenfible of the former, and from cuítom and opinion for lefs offences more exposed to the latter; I fhall begin with the more delicate part of my guardianship, the women of the family of Lizard. The ancient and religious lady, the dowager of my friend Sir Ambrofe, has for fome time eftranged herself from converfation, and admits only of the vifits of her own family. The obfervation, That old people remember best those things which entered into their thoughts when their memories were in their full ftrength and vigour, is very remarkably exemplified in this good lady and myself when we are in converfation. I chufe indeed to go thither, to divert any anxiety or weariness which at any time I find grow upon me from any prelent bufinefs or care. It is faid, that a little mirth and diverfion are what recreate the fpirits upon thofe occasions; but there is a kind of forrow from which I draw a confolation that strengthens my faculties and enlarges my mind, beyond any thing that can flow from merriment. When we meet, we foon get over any occurrence which paffed the day before, and are in a moment hurried back to thofe days which ..only we call good ones. The paffages of the times when we were in fashion, with the countenances, behaviour, and jolity, fo much, forfooth, above what we appear in now, are prefent to our imaginations, and aln:cft to our very eyes. This converfation revives to us the ncmory of a friend, that was more than my bro ther to me; of a husband, that was dearer than life to her. Difcourfes about that dear and worthy man ge nerally fend her to her clofet. and me to the dispatch of fome neceffary business, which regards the remains, I would say the numerous descendents of my generous friend. I am got, I know not how, out of what I was going to fay of this lady : which was, that fhe is far gone towards a better world; and I mention her only with respect to this, as the is the object of veneration to those who are derived from her; whofe behaviour towards her may be an example to others, and make the generality of young people apprehend, that when the ancient are paft all of fices of life, it is then the young are to exert themselves in their most laudable duties towards them. The widow of Sir Marmaduke is to be confidered in a very different view. My lady is not in the shining bloom of life, but at thofe years, wherein the gratifications of an ample fortune, those of pomp and equipage, of being much efteemed, much visited, and gene rally admired, are ufually more strongly purfued than in younger days. In this condition-fhe might very well add the pleasures of courtship, and the grateful perfecution of being followed by a croud of lovers: but he is an excellent mother, and great œconomist; which confiderations, joined with the pleasure of living her own way, preferve her against the intrufion of love. I will not fay that my lady has not a fecret vanity in being still a fine woman, and neglecting thofe addreffes, to which perhaps we in part owe her conftancy in that her neglect. Her daughter Jane, her eldelt child of that fex, is in the twenty third year of her age; a lady who forms herfelf after the pattern of her mother: but, in my judgment, as the happens to be extremely like her, the fometimes makes her court unskilfully, in affecting that likeness in her very mien; which gives the mother an uneafy fenfe, that Mrs Jane really is what her parent has a mind to continue to be. But it is poffible I am too obferving in this particular; and this might be overlooked in them both, in refpect to greater circumftances: for Mrs Jane is the right hand of her mother; it is her ftudy and conftant endeavour, to affift her in the management of her houshold, to keep all idle whispers from her, and difcourage them before they can come at her from any other hand; to inforce every thing that makes for the merit of her brothers and fifters towards her, as well as the diligence and chearfulness of her fervants. It is by Mrs Jane's management that the whole family is governed; neither by love nor fear, but a certain rever. ence which is compofed of both. Mrs Jane is what one would call a perfect good young woman: but neither ftrict piety, diligence in domestic affairs, or any other avocation, have preferved her against love; which the bears to a young gentleman of great expectation, but fimali fortune; at the fame time that men of very great estates afk her of her mother. My Lady tells her, that prudence mult give way to paffion: fo that Mrs Jane, if cannot accommodate the matter, must conquer more than one paffion; and, out of prudence, banish the man she loves, and marry the man fhe hates. The next daughter is Mrs Annabella; who has a very lively wit, a great deal of good fenfe, is very pretty; but gives me much trouble for her from a certain difho neft cunning I know in her. She can feem blind and careless, and full of herself only, and entertain with twenty affected vanities; whilit the is obferving all the company, laying up ftore for ridicule: and, in a word, is felfifh and interested, under all the agreeable qualities in the world. Alas, what fhall I do with this girl! Mrs Cornelia paffes away her time very much in reading; and that with so great an attention, that gives her the air of a ftudent, and has an ill effect upon her as the is a fine young woman. The giddy part of the fex will have it fhe is in love; none will allow that the affects fo much being alone, but for want of particular company. I have railed at romances before her, for fear of ber falling into thofe deep ftudies. She has fallen in with my humour that way for the time; but, I know not how, my imprudent prohibition, has, it seems, only excited her curiofity and I am afraid the is better read than I know of; for fhe faid of a glass of water in which the was going to wash her hands, after dinner, dip. ping her fingers with a pretty lovely air, It is cryftalline.' Thall examine further, and wait for clearer proofs. : Mrs Betty is (I cannot by what means or methods imagine) grown mightily acquainted with what paffes in the town. She knows all that matter of my Lord fuch a one's leading my Lady fuch a one out from the play; fhe is prodigiously acquainted, all of a fudden, with the world; and afked her fifter Jane t'other day in an argu ment, "Dear filter, how should you know any thing, "that hear nothing but what we do in our own fami "ly?" I don't much like her maid. Mrs Mary, the youngest daughter, whom they rally,' and call Mrs Ironfide, because I have named her the Sparkler, is the very quinteffence of good-nature and generofity. She is the perfect picture of her grandfather; and if one can imagine, all good qualities which adorn human life become feminine, the feeds, nay, the bloffom of them, are apparent in Mts Mary. It is a weakness I cannot get over, (for how ridiculous is a regard to the bodily perfections of a man who is dead?) but I cannot refift the partiality to this child, for being fo like her grandfather. How often have I turned from her, to hide the melting of my heart when he has been talking to me! I am fure the child has no skill in it; for artifice. could not dwell under that visage: but if I am absent a day from the family, fhe is fure to be at my lodging, the next morning, to know what is the matter. At the head of thefe children, who have very plenti-. ful fortunes, provided they marry with mine and their mother's confent, is my Lady Lizard; who, you can.. net doubt, is very well vifited. Sir William Oger, and his fon almost at age, are frequently at our house, on a double confideration. The Knight is willing (for fo he very gallantly expreffes himself) to marry the mother; or he'll confent, whether that be fo or not, that his fon Oliver fhall take any one of the daughters Null likes best. Mr Rigburt, of the fame county, who gives in his eftate much larger, and his family more ancient,. offers to deal with us for two daughters. Sir Harry Pandolf has writ word from his feat in the country, that he alfo is much inclined to an alliance with the Lizards, which he has dec'ared in the follov. ing letter to my Lady. She fhewed it me this morning. C 3 |