saw Miss Moyston at the play-house in York, when Othello was acted. To be sure that young lady's countenance cannot be called exceedingly beautiful; but I hope his lordship will view her visage in her vast fortune, just as Desdemona says she viewed the black visage of her lover in his mind.

I have delivered your ladyship's affectionate compliments to my aunt, who desires me to return the same to you; and I am sure she understands politeness too well to refuse your request, that I should wait on you this season in London, where I can enjoy as much rural felicity as in the country; so that your ladyship will not need to leave it for Willow-Bank sooner than is quite convenient. Indeed, I must confess that my aunt could part with me now more easily than at any other time, because she has just began a very long romance, and likewise expects a visit from her sister-in-law, who will stay with her at least three weeks; and over and above, she has just received a present, which never fails to comfort her when she is nerv ous or in low spirits.

As for Mr. Proctor, whose proposals your ladyship took so much pains to prevail on me to refuse, on account of his age and being morose, and living in Northumberland, I own I have suffered a good deal of ill-humour from my relations on that account. They are continually telling me of young women like myself, who, notwithstanding their being married to men older than Mr. Proctor, are the mothers of several children; that, so far from being morose, he is a cheerful, good-natured man, with whom I could do what I pleased, and might easily persuade to live a good part of the year in London. I am determined, however, never to repent having followed your ladyship's counsel, though he should never renew the same proposal, which surprises me a little that he never has; but I am fully convinced that your ladyship will never allow me to be a loser by having followed your advice.

My aunt informed me yesterday that she understood that Mr. Proctor's journey to York was delayed; and herefore I shall not have an opportunity of speaking to

him on the subject your ladyship mentions: but, that I may show my obedience to your commands, and do all in my power to procure you the information you require, I wrote to him directly, and have no doubt of his answering my letter speedily.

Had it not been to oblige your ladyship, I should have scrupled to have written to any man that is not a near relation, and far less to him, particularly as he has never repeated his proposal, which several of my relations think, in politeness, he ought to do; because a lover that takes the first refusal, they say, is no lover at all. But as for that, he may do as he pleases; for I am quite certain, as I said before, that your ladyship is too generous to allow me to be a loser by following your advice, being all from one who is, and ever will be, your ladyship's most faithful, most obedient, and most obliged, humble servant,

MARGARET ALMOND.

LETTER XLVII.

MISS ALMOND to DANIEL PROCTOR, Esq.

SIR,

York.

My Y aunt desires me to return you thanks for the potted shrimps you were so good as to send, as well for the six bottles of cherry brandy that came by the same coach.

I am obliged to you for the favourable opinion you still retain of me, as expressed in your letter to my aunt. I can assure you that my declining your proposal did not proceed from any objection to your person, or even to your age; for, I must confess, I never was an approver of those giddy women who have a taste for husbands that are too young.

My hesitation respecting your proposal of marriage, arose entirely from a kind of delicacy, which, as I am sometimes nervous, produces a dread of matrimony, that I cannot, all at once, overcome. From the friendship you still express for me, I dare say it will afford you plea.

sure to know that I have less of this nervous complaint since I took steel-pills, by the advice of young Dr. Ironsides, who has great skill in women's complaints: he is the son of your acquaintance, the old doctor, who has left off practice. But, to proye to you that you possess a great deal of my confidence and esteem, I will inform you, that a person of high rank in the state has applied to me for as many circumstances as I can collect respecting the family of the late Mr. Clifford of Northumberland, against some of whom, particularly the daughter, it is easy to perceive that my friend has received unfavourable impressions. As you were long acquainted with that whole family, and, I have heard, have been ungratefully used by them, I thought you the properest person I could apply to for such an account of her as will be agreeable to my friend, whom I have it much at heart to oblige.

Miss Clifford is said to have something the appearance and air of a French woman; but that may be her misfortune more than her fault; for, no doubt, she would rather look like an English woman, if she could; though, it must be owned, the French dress the neatest.

It is also said, that in Northumberland she used to go a-hunting with men, and that her father carried her a broad very suddenly, which occasioned various rumours through the country. I hope you will be able, soon, to send a satisfactory answer, as to the above particulars, to, sir, your most obedient servant,

M. ALMOND.

P. S. We hear you intend to live, for the future, one half of the year, at least, in London; which gives great pleasure to my aunt, and many of your friends at York, because they will have the pleasure of seeing you as you

go and return.-It is also reported, that Miss Proctor is just going to be married, and, therefore, to leave your house for that of her husband. This must give great satisfaction to her as well as her husband; for I hear she is very pretty. So I give you joy, with all my heart, and hope you will let me know if the report be true.

ส

LETTER XLVIII.

MR. PROCTOR to MISS ALMOND,

DEAR MISS ALMOND,

Morpeth

I

I AM glad that the shrimps and brandy arrived safe. The last time I had the pleasure of dining with you, remember your having praised a dish of the former, which made me order some to be potted for you. And, as your worthy aunt complained of a pain in her stomach, which obliged her to take a glass of cherry-brandy before she could venture to taste the port after dinner, I presumed to send a few bottles for her particular use. This explains the reason of my choosing these two articles, which otherwise might seem unsuitable presents to ladies.

As to the requests conveyed in your letter, now lying on the desk before me, I assure you that you cannot be more earnest to oblige any person, however high in point of rank, or of whatever importance in the state, than I am to fulfil your desire; for which reason, that I may fulfil it in the circumstantial manner you require, I shall postpone all other business until I shall have finished this letter, which I foresee will be pretty long. I begin this task the more willingly, because it will remove the prejudices of your correspondent against a worthy family; and few can be more worthy than that of my late honoured friend Mr. Clifford, with the exceptions however that shall be hereafter excepted,

To avoid prolixity, without farther preface, for brevi ty's sake I must acquaint you, that Mr. Clifford was a gentleman of a respectable family and good estate in Northumberland,

Soon after he returned from his travels he married Lady Horatia Fitzherbert, a young woman of quality, with a very moderate fortune; but, were I to enumerate all the good qualities of this admirable lady, my letter would extend to a very great length indeed; and therefore, for brevity's sake, as a worthy old friend of mine used to say, and I said before, I shall only assure you that she was

universally acknowledged to be the most accomplished woman in all Northumberland, which is the largest county in England except Yorkshire.

For the space of ten years after their marriage, Mr. Clifford and Lady Horatia spent a few months every year in London, and the rest in the country. At the end of that period, their family consisted of a son of nine years of age, and a daughter of six, for whose education Mr, Clifford and his lady resolved to live entirely at London; a resolution which occasioned much sorrow in the neighbourhood they quitted. I was then intrusted with the management of Mr. Clifford's affairs, and had always opportunities of seeing him when I went to London; which was as seldom as I could, because I greatly prefer Mor, peth not from any foolish partiality to my native city, or because there are not agreeable society to be met with in London, but merely on account of the other being on the whole the pleasantest place of the two,

Mr. Clifford's son was put to Westminster-school: the daughter received the instruction that was thought necessary under the eye of her mother; and the progress she made in various accomplishments, in the space of two years, are said to be wonderful. At that period Lady Horatia died. This affected her husband so much, that, leaving his son at Westminster-school, he retired with his daughter to his house in Northumberland, and never entirely recovered his spirits afterwards. So far from resuming that style of hospitality in which he had lived formerly, and for which his family had long been distinguished in the county, he now entertained only a very few friends, and those but seldom,

It has been said, that men who are passionately fond of hunting have no great relish for books; but Mr. Clifford had a very great relish for both: from which you will observe, my dear young lady, that there is no rule without an exception. But it must be acknowledged, that, for a considerable time after the death of his lady, Mr. Clifford entirely left off hunting, and spent most of his time in his library; and his chief pleasure was to ob