Permit me to say, that, though a Protestant, I am not an enemy to such foundations in general. I could wish, under proper regulations, that we had nunneries among us I would not, indeed, have the obligation upon nuns be perpetual: let them have liberty, at the end of every two or three years, to renew their vows, or otherwise, by the consent of friends. Celibacy in the clergy is an indispen-sable law of your church: yet a cardinal has been allowed to lay down the purple, and marry. You know, madam, I must mean Ferdinand of Medicis. Family-reasons, in that case, preponderated, as well at Rome, as at Florence.

Of all the women I know. Lady Clementina della Porretta should be the last who should be earnest to take the veil. There can be but two persons in the world, besides herself, who will not be grieved at her choice. We know their reasons. The will of her grandfathers, now with God, is a<:jainst her; and her living parents, and every other person of her family, those tivo excepted, would be made unhappy, if she sequestered herself from the world, and them. Cle-mentina has charity: she wishes, she once said, to take a great revenge upon Laurana. Laurana has something to repent of: let her take the veil. The fondness she has for the world, a fondness which could make her break through all the ties of relation and humanity, requires a check: but are any of those in convents more pious, more exemplarily pious, than Clementina is out of them?

Much more could i urge on the same side of the question; but what I have urged has been a tas/c upon me; a task which I could not have performed, had I not preferred to my own, the happiness of you and your family.

May both earthly and heavenly blessings attend your determination, whatever it be, prays, dearest iTiadam,

Your ever-faithful friend, AfTectionate brother, and humble servant,

CHARLES GRANDISON.

Letter V.

Sir Charles Grandison to Signor Jeronymo Della Porretta.

London, Monday, Septeinber IS 29. I HAVE written, my beloved friend, to Lady Cle-mentina; and shall inclose a copy of my letter.

I own, that, till I received hers, I thought there was a possibility; though not a probability, that she might change her mind in my favour. I foresaw that you would all join, for family-reasons, to press her to marry: and when, thought I, she finds her-self very earnestly urged, it is possible, that she will forego her scruples, and, proposing some conditions-for herself, will honour with her haiid the man whom she has avowedly honoured with a place in her heart, rather than any other. The malady she has been afHicted with, often leaves, for some time, an unsteadiness in the mind: n)y absence, as I proposed to settle in my native country, never more, perhaps, to return to Italy; the high notions she has of obli-gation and gratitude; her declared confidence in my honour and affection; all cooperating, she may, thought I, change her mind; and, if she does, I cannot doubt the favour of her friends. It was not, my Jeronymo, presumptuous to hope. It was justice to Clementina to attend the event, and to wait for the promised letter: but now, that I see you are all of one mind, and that the dear lady, though vehe-mently urged by all her friends to marry some other man, can appeal to me, only as to her fourth bro-ther, and a man jioi interested in the event I give up all my hopes.