Harriet, could she have found time (but, by mu-tual consent, they are hardly ever asunder) would have given you a better account of this conversation than 1 have done; so would Lucy: but take it, as it offers, from

Your ever-affectionate

CHARLOTTE G.

Letter LVI.

Miss Lucy Selby to Lady L.

Sunday, November 19. My dear Lady G. insists upon my writing to your ladyship an account of the appearance which the loveliest couple in England made this day at church.

We all thought nothing could have added to the charms of our Harriet’s person; but yet her dress and jewels did. I sighed from pride for the honour of female beauty, to thin/c they did. Can my dear Harriet, thought I, exquisitely lovely as she is in any dress, be ornamented by richer silks than common, by cosUy laces, by jewels? Can dress add grace to that admirable proportion, and those fine features, to which no painter yet as ever done justice, though every family related to her has a picture of her, drawn by a different hand of emi-nence?

We admired the bridegroom as much as we did her, when (before we could have thought he had been half ready) he j oined Mrs. Shirley, my aunt iSelby, and nic, in the great parlour, completely

\oi,. \i V. 2 L dressed. But what we most admired in him was that native dignity and ease, and that inattentiveness to his own figure and appearance, which demon-strate the truly-fine gentleman, accustomed, as he is, to be always elegant.

When his lady presented herself to him, and to us, in all her glory, how did the dear creature daz-zle us! We involuntarily arose, as if to pay our homage to her. Sir Charles approached her with rather an air of greater freedom than usual, as if he considered not the dress, as having added to the value he has for her: yet, loveliest of women, he called her; and, taking her hand, presented her to her grandmamma: Receive, and again bless, my angel, said he, best of parents! How lovely! But what is even all this amazing loveliness to the graces of her mind? They rise upon me every hour. She hardly opens her lips, but I find reason to bless God, and bless you both, my dear ladies: for God and you Jiave given her goodness. My dearest life, allow me to say, that this sweet person, which will be your first perfection in every stranger’s eye, is but a second in mine.

Instruct me, Sir, said she, to deserve your love, by improving the mind you have the goodness to prefer; and no creature was ever on earth so happy as I shall be.

My dear daughter, said her delighted grandmo-ther, you see, can hardly bear your goodness, Sir. You must blame her for something, to keep down her pride.