I have written accordingly to your dear Clemen-tina; but it could not be expected, that I should give the argument all the weight that might be given it: yet, being of opinion that she was in duty obliged to yield to the entreaties of all her friends, I have been honest. But surely no man ever was involved in so many difficult situations as your Grandison: who yet never, by entcrprize or rashness, was led out of the plain path into difficulties so uncommon.

You wish, my dear friend, that I would set an example to your excellent sister. I will unbosom my heart to you.

There is a lady, an English lady, beautiful as an angel, but whose beauty is lier least ]Mjrfection, either ill my eyes, or her own: had I never known (Clemen-tina, i could have loved her, and on/// her. of all the women I ever beheld, it would not be doing her justice, if I could not say, I c/o love her; but with a flame as pure as the heart of Clementina, or as her own heart, can boast. Clementina’s distressed mind affected me: I imputed her suffirinj;s to her esteem for me. The farewell interview denied her, she demonstrated, I thought, so firm an affection for nie, c 2 at the same time that she was to me, what I may truly call, a first love: that, though the difficulties in my way seemed insuperable, I thought it became me, in honour, in gratitude, to hold myself in sus-pense, and not offer to make my addresses to any other woman, till the destiny of the dear Clemen-tina was determined.

It would look like vanity in me to tell my Jero-nymo how many proposals, from the partial friends of women of rank and merit superior to my own, I thought myself obliged, in honour to the ladies themselves, to decline: but my heart never suffered uneasiness from the uncertainty I was in of ever succeeding with your beloved sister, but on this lady’s account. I presume not, however, to say, I could have succeeded, had I thought myself at li-berty to make my addresses to her: yet, when I suffered myself to balance, because of my uncer-tainty with your Clementina, I had hopes from the interest my two sisters had with her (her affections disengaged), that, had I been at liberty to make my addresses to her, I might.

Shall I, my dear Jeronymo, own the truth? The two noblest-minded women in the world, when I went over to Italy, on the invitation of my lord the bishop, held almost an equal interest in my heart; and I was thereby enabled justly, and with the greater command of myself, to declare to the mar-chioness, and the general, at my last going over, that I held myself bound to you; but that your sis-ter, and you all, were free. But when the dear Clementina began to shew signs of recovery, and seemed to confirm the hopes I had of her partiality to me; and my gratitude and attachment seemed of importance to her complete restoration; then, my Jeronymo, did I content myself with wishing another husband to the English lady, more worthy of her than my embarrassed situation could have made me. And when I farther experienced the condescending goodness of your whole family, all united in my fa-vour; I had not a wish but for your Clementina.