I would not have you imagine, that a correspondence, by letter, is hoped for, as a rctiu n for the present of which I entreat your acceptance: but when I can assure you, that your advice will probably be of great service to me, in the conduct of my future life, as I have no doubt it will, from the calm effects that the letter, which has now a place in my bosom, has already produced there, I am ready to natter myself, that a wish so ardent, and so justifiable, will be granted to the repeated request of

OLIVIA.

Letter, No. XL.

Continuation of Sir Charles Grandison’s to Dr. Bartlett.

Begun p. 267.

Olivia, you see, my dear Dr. Bartlett, concludes her letter, with a desire of corresponding with me. As she has put it, I cannot refuse her request. How happy should I think myself, if I could be a means effectually to serve her in the conduct of her future life!

I have written to her, that I shall think an inter-course by letters an honour done me, if she will allow me to treat her with the freedom and the sin-gleness of heart of an affectionate brother.

As to her particular recommendation of a third person, I tell her, that must be the subject of the future correspondence to which she is pleased to invite me.

Olivia may be in earnest, in her warm commend-ations of a lady, of whose excellencies nobody can write or speak with indifference: but I have no doubt, that she is very earnest to know my sentiments on the subject. But what must be the mind of the Imchelnr-ividoivcr, as she calls me, if already I can enter into the subject with any-bo&y, with Lady Olivia especially? The most sensible, I will not say subtle creature on earth, is certainly a woman in love. What can escape her penetration? What can bound her curiosity?

I tell her, that I can neither decline nor accept of her present, till I see the contents of the cabinets she is pleased to mention. It will give me pain, I say, to refuse any favour from Lady Olivia, by which she intends to shew her esteem of me: but favours of so high a price, will, and ought to, give scruples to one who would not be thought ungenerous.

I had always admired, I tell her, her collection of medals: but they are a family collection, of two or three generations: and I should not allow myself to accept of such a treasure, unless I could have an opportunity given me to shew, if not my merit, my gratitude; and that I saw no possibility of being blessed with, in any manner that could make the acceptance tolerably easy to myself. I cannot, my dear Dr. Bartlett, receive from this munificent lady a present that is of suchhigh intrinsic worth. Had she ottered me any-thing that would have had its value from the giver, or to the receiver, for its own sake, and not equally to any-body else; for instance, had she desired me to accept of her picture, since the original could not be mine; I would not have refused it, though it had been incircled with jewels of price. But, circumstanced as this unhappy lady and I are, could I have asked her for a favour of that nature?