Excuse this serious conclusion, my dear Lady G. My cousin shall not see it. ^lay she know nothing but felicity! In hers is bound up that of Sir Charles Grandison; and in his that of hundreds. I long, though we parted so lately, to throw myself at your feet, and to assure you, that whatever defects there are in my pen, there are none in the love borne you, by

Your ladyship’s most sincere admirer, and humble servant,

LUCY SELBY,

Letter IV.

Lady Grandison to Mrs. Shirley.

Thursday, December 7. Lucy (my ever-honoured grandmamma) has given you the particulars of the rapturous reception I met with on Saturday, from my dear Lady L. on the visit we made her in her chamber. She, as well as her lord, welcomed and congratulated us, and her-self, with such a grace! They are a charming pair! We all rejoiced with her, on the addition she had made to two families so worthy.

Mrs. Eleanor Grandison received us also in rap-tures.

How did the tenderly kind notice which Sir Charles took of the lovely little infant {it is a fine child) delight the happy mother, and eveiy-body!

Lord and Lady G. met us atLadyL.‘s; Emily, and the Earl ofG. and Lady Gertrude, with them. How affectionately did the dear girl welcome us, after a few tears, which she endeavoured to hide, and which we passed over as tears of joy! But Lucy has given you all particulars;* and the noble manner also, in which Sir Charles gave me posses-sion of his house, on our first arrival. Every-body was charmed with it. It cost my aunt some tears.

The christening was delayed till Monday: because Sir Charles was desirous it should be performed at church. He had some few difficulties to get over, before he carried his point; and this was the sub-”“stance of his reasonings on the subject: People of fashion, he said, should consider themselves as exjimples to the lower orders of people. They should

* This letter of Miss Selby does not appear. shew a conformity to the laws of their country, both ecclesiastical and civil, where they can do it with a good conscience. In the present case, baptism, said he, is one of our two sacraments; and shall it not be performed, when it can, as the church directs: the child in full health?

I will give you, my dear grandmamma, journal-wise, I think, an account of our proceedings: still referring myself to my Lucy for such particulars as now I shall not have time to give. For you know, madam, my time is not now my own, as it used to be; though I shall think myself very ungrateful, and undutiful too, if I permit my new duties so wholly to engross me, as to furnish an excuse for the neglect of those which from my very birth I owe to you.