it, the other day set herself in a blaze with her torturing curling-irons. She has scorched her left-hand and arm, and her neck; for her papers first, and her handkerchief, or neckkerchief, which is it to be called? took fire, and without a Jove she made herself another Semele. She is, however, in a fair way of recovering from the mischief. Chide her, for a warning to her sex, in verse. Has she not been often warned by her mother against playing with fire?.

Your affectionate

and obliged

S. RICHARDSON.

TO MR. RICHARDSON.

Turrick, Feb. 28, 1752.

DEAR SIR,

I TAKE the first opportunity of returning you my thanks for your kind remembrance of

the 21st. I am very sorry that my fears were so prophetic, and cannot help lamenting in prose what Miss Mulso has so sweetly bewailed in verse, that your health, which is of conse-, quence to so many people, should be precarious but God knows what is fittest for us;. our part is to submit and adore.

I hope the shortness of the present session will make you some amends for the hurry it. has given you; and when you have recovered the fatigue of it, I shall long to hear something. of Miss Harriet, whom I left in a suspense that gives me no small uneasiness on her account.

The mention of these two ladies may be a not improper introduction to a commission. which I beg leave to trouble you with. I often entertain myself with reading over those charming Odes of Miss Mulso's, and admire them more and more every time I read them. I am so proud of the honour she has done me in one of them, that my gratitude has forced from me another sonnet, (you see how told I grow upon encouragement,) which I desire

you

you to give her; and, in hopes of seeing more of her verses, I have presumed to give her a subject. I send you a copy: but as there is a name in it which you have scratched out of better verses, I have taken the precaution to seal up that which is for Miss Mulso; and if you either sink it, or alter the name to Robinson, or any thing else, I will have the sonnet printed, and hawked about under your window

in terrorem.

I desire my humble service to Mr. Highmore and Miss. I am very sorry for her misfortune, and doubt it is a subject too serious for verse. But a poet would not suppose the conflagration to have proceeded from the heat of the irons, but from the love-verses which she used on that occasion; and which, as Mrs. Mincing says, make the curls so pure and so crisp, that they are often put to that use; and the blaze happening on the left side, he would imagine to be extinguished by the prevalent force of the cold about her heart. But if she has spoiled her hair, it is no jesting matter.

I have not heard from the Speaker, but I am very glad to hear that he is well. I doubt he will feel his loss more in his retirement, where the dear girl was more his play thing. Adieu! I beg my service to Dr. Heberden, and all who remember.

Your

T. EDWARDS.

TO MR. EDWARDS.

London, March 16, 1752.

Is it kind, my dear Mr. Edwards, to make apologies for the honour you do me, as if you supposed it possible that I should not be delighted with your correspondence?

I have executed your commission to Miss Mulso. She thinks herself greatly obliged to you for your favour. I have told her that if she answers it not, I shall be ready to guess

that

that it will be owing to her disrelish of the subject, not the performance: so you must thank yourself for that.

I told Miss Sutton how kindly you took her remembrance of you. She desired her compliments to you. She is sure, she says, you. are a good man, though she is far from giving up her old friend, as an old friend. She and a lovely cousin of hers will dine with me here on Wednesday. We shall remember you again and again.

What think you of the following criticism, of a lady, on these lines of Pope?

He sees, with equal eye, as God of all,
A hero perish, or a sparrow fall ;

Atoms or systems into ruin hurl'd;

And now a bubble burst, and now a world.

"This thought," says the lady, "

appears

to me far from a just one, and rather a poetical flight than sound reasoning. It is true, that in the sight of the Supreme Being the greatest of his works may be very inconsiderable, as

there