Sir Charles’s next visit was to the good Earl of G. And here we left my Lord G.; the best-natured, and one of the most virtuous and prudent young noble-men in the kingdom. Your ladyship will not accuse me of flattery, when you read this; but you will, perhaps, of another view Yet, as long as I know that you love to have justice done to my lord; and in your heart are sensible of the truth of what I say, and I am sure rejoice in it; I give cheerful way to the justice; and the rather, as you look upon my lord as so much yourself, that if you receive his praises with some little reluctance, it is with such a modest reluctance as you would receive your own; glad, at the same time, that you were so justly complimented.

My lord will acquaint your ladyship with all that passed at the good earl’s; and how much overjoyed he and Lady Gertrude were at the favour they thought your brother did tlrem in dining with them. His lordship will tell you also, how much they wish for you; for they propose to winter there, and not in Hertfordshire, as once they thought to do.

Here Sir Charles enquired after their neighbour, Mr. Bagenhall.

He is become a very melancholy man. His wife fes as obliging as he will let her be; but he hates her; and the less wonder, for he hates himself.

Poor woman: she could not expect a better fate. To yield up her chastity; to be forced upon him af-terwards, by way of doing her poor justice; what ‘affiance can he have in her virtue, were she to meet with a trial?

But that is not all; for though nobody quertions her fidelity, yet what weight with him can her argu-ments have, were she to endeavour to enforce upon Siis mind those doctrines, which, were they to have proceeded from a pure heart, might now-and-then, have let in a ray of light on his benighted soul? A gloomy mind must occasionally receive great consolation from the interposal and soothing of a com panionable love, when we know it comes from an untainted heart!

Poor Mr. Grandison found in this case also great room for self-application and regret, without my being so officious as to remind him of the similitude; .hough the woman who is endeavoured to be imposed on him for a wife, is a more guilty creature than ever Mrs. Bagenhall was.

And here, madam, allow me to observe, that there is such a sameness in the lives, the actions, the pur-suits of libertines, and such a likeness in the acci — dents, punishment, and occasions for remorse, which attend them, that I wonder they will not be warned by the beacons that are lighted up by every brother libertine whom they know; and that they will so ge-nerally be driven on the same rock, overspread and surrounded as it is, in their very sight, by a thou-sand wrecks! Did such know your brother, and learn from his example and history, what a variety there is in goodness, as he passes on from object to object, exercising, not officiously, but as opportu-nity offers^ his noble talents to the benefit of hiir fellow-creatures, surely they would, like honest Mr. Sylvester, the attorney, endeavour to give them-selves solid joy, by following what that gentleman justly called so self-rewarding an example.