The noble manner in which you have explained yourself on a subject which has greatly embarrassed you, has abundantly satisfied Airs. Selby, and my-self: we can have no scruples of delicacy. Nor am I afraid of suffering from yours by my frankness. But, as to our Harriet You may perhaps meet with some (not affectation, she is above it) difficulty with her, if you expect her Khole heart to be yours. She, Sir, experimentally knows how to allow for a double, a divided love Dr. Bartlett, perhaps, should not have favoured her with the character of a lady whom she prefers to herself; and Mrs. Selby and I have sometimes, as we read her melancholy ^;tory, thought, not unjustly. If she can be induced to love, to honour, the man of her choice as much as she loves, honours, and admires, Lady Clemen-tina; the happy man will have reason to be satisfied. You see, 8ir, that we, who were able to give a preference to the same lady against ourselves [Harriet Byron is ourself J can have no scruples on i/oiir giving it to the same incomparable woman. May that lady be happy! If she were not to be so, and her luiliappiness were to be owing to our happiness; that, dear Sir, would be all that could pain the hearts of any of us, on an occasion so very agreeable to

Your sincere friend and servant,

HENRIETTA SHIRLEY.

But, my dear Lady G. does your brother tell you and Lady L. nothing of his intentions? Why, if he does, do not you But I can have no doubt. Is not the man Sir Charles Grandison? And yet, me-thinks, I want to know what the contents of his next letters from Italy will be.

You will have no scruple, mv dear Lady G. to shew my whole letter to Lady L. and, if you please, to my Emily But only mention the contents, in your own way, to the gentlemen. I beg you will yourself shew it to Mrs. Reeves: she will rejoice m Imv j))o^;no.sf/C(if/ons. Use that word to lier: she will understand you. Your brother must now, less than ever, set what I write. I depend upon \ouv discretion, my dear Lady G,

IIARRII.T 15 V RON

Letter IX.

Lady G. to Miss Byron.

Saturday, September 23,

Excellent Mrs. Shirley! Incomparable woman! How I love her! If I were such an excellent an-cient, I would no more wish to be young, than she has so often told us, she does. What my brother once said, and j’ou once wrote to your Lucy, is true (in her case, at least); that the matronly and ad-vanced time of life, in a Avoman, is far from being the least eligible part of it; especially, I may add, when health and a good conscience accomptmy it. What a spirit does she, at her time of life, write with! But her heart is in her subject I hope I may say that, Harriet, without offending you.