And now that I have gone so low, don’t you wish me to put an end to this letter? — I believe you do.

Well then, with duty and love ever remembered where so justly due, believe me to be, my dear Lucy, Your truly affectionate

HARRIET BYRON.

I will write separately to what you say of Mr. Greville, Mr. Fenwick, and Miss Ormc; yet hope to be time enough for the post.

Letter VI.

Miss Byron to Miss Selby.

Sat. Jan. 28. As to what you say of Mr. Greville’s concern on my absence (and, I think, with a little too much feeling for him) and of his declaring himself unable to live without seeing me; I have but one fear about it; which is, that he is forming a pretence from his violent love, to come up after me: and if he does, I will not see him, if I can help it.

And do you indeed believe him to be so much in love? By your seriousness on the occasion, you seem to think he is. O my Lucy! What a good heart you have! And did he not weep when he told you so? Did he not turn his head away, and pull out his handkerchief! — O these dissemblers! The hyaena, my dear, was a male devourer. The men in malice, and to extenuate their own guilt, made the creature & female. And yet there may be male and female of this species of monsters. But as women have more to lose with regard to reputation than men, the male hyaena must be infinitely the. more dangerous creature of the two; since he will come to us, even into our very houses, fawning, cringing, weeping, licking our hands; while the den of the female is by the highway-side, and wretched youths must enter into it, to put it in her power to devour them.

Let me tell you, my dear, that if there be an art-ful man in England, with regard to us women (art — ful equally in his free speaking, and in his syco — phancies) Mr. Greville is the man; and he intends to be so too, and values himself upon his art. Does he not as boldly as constantly, insinuate, that flat-tery is dearer to a woman than her food? Yet who so gross a flatterer as himself, when the humour is upon him? And yet at times he wants to build up a merit for sincerity or plain-dealing, by saying free things.

It is not difficult, my dear, to find out these men, were we earnest to detect them. Their chief strength lies in our weakness. But however weak we are, I think we should not add to the triumph of those who make our weakness the general subject of their satire. We should not prove the justice of their ridicule by our own indiscretions. But the traitor is within us. If we guard against ourselves, we may bid defiance to all the arts of man.