S8 THE HISTOnY OF and he sees himself respected in the respect paid her: she extends his dignity, and confirms it. There is such a tenderness, such a helpfulness, such a sym-pathy in suffering, in a good woman, that I am al ways for excusing men in years, who marry pru — dently; while I censure, for the same reason, women in years. Male nurses are unnatural creatures! [There is not such a character that can be respectable] Womens’ sphere is the house, and their shining place the sick chamber, in which they can exert all their amiable, and, shall I say, lenient qualities! Marry, my lord, by all means. You are not much more than fifty; but were you seventy, and so often indisposed; so wealthy; no children to rejjine at a mother-inlaw, aud to render your life or hers uncomfortable by their little jealousies: I would advise you to marry. The man or woman deserves not to be benefited in the disposition of your affairs, that would wish you to continue in the hands of mean people, and to rob you of the joys of confidence, and the comfort of tender help, from an equal, or from one who deserves to be made your equal in degree. Only, my lord, marry so, as not to defeat your own end: marry not a gay creature, who will be fluttering about in public, while you are groaning in your chamber, and wishing for her presence.

Blessings on your heart, my nephew 1 Best of men! I can hold no longer. There was no bearing, before, your generosity: what can I say now? But you must be in earnest.

Have you, my lord, asked I, any lady in your eye?

No, said he; indeed I have not.

I was the better pleased with him, that he had not; because I was afraid, that like our Vlllth Hen-ry, he had some other woman in view, which might have made him more uneasy than he would other-wise have been with GiiFard: for though it were better that he should marry, than Hve in scandal; and a woman of untainted character, rather than one who had let the world see that she could take a price for her honour; yet I thought him better jus-tified in his complaints of that woman’s misbeha — viour, than in the other case he would have been: and that it was a happiness to both (if a right use were made of the event) that they had been unable to live on, as they had set out.

He told me, that he should think himself the hap-piest of men, if I could find out, and recommend to him, a Woman, that I thought worthy of his ad-dresses; and even would court her for him.

Your lordship ought not to expect fortune.

I do not.