Adieu, ray dear friend.

Letter XII.

Miss Byron to Miss Selby.

Tuesday, March 21. Dr. Bartlett went to town yesterday. He returned early enough to breakfast with us. He found at dinner with his patron, the whole Danby family, and Mr. Sylvester; as also, the two masters of the young gentlemen, with Mr. Galliard, whose son is in love with Miss Danby, and she with him. There all the parties had confirmed to them the generous goodness of Sir Charles, of which he had assured Mr. Sylvester and the two brothers and sister before.

I am sorry, methinks, the doctor went to town: we should otherwise, perhaps, have had the parti-culars of all, from the pen of the benevolent man. Such joy, such admiration, such gratitude, the doctor says, were expressed from every mouth, that his own eyes, . as well as Mr. Sylvester’s, and most of those present, more than once, were ready to overflow.

Every thing was there settled, and even a match proposed by Sir Charles, and the proposal received with approbation on both sides, between the elder Miss Galliard, and that audacious young man, the drug-merchant; who recovered, by his behaviour in this meeting, his reputation with Sir Charles, and every body.

The doctor says, that Mr. Hervey and Mr. Pous-sin, the two masters of the young gentlemen, are very worthy men; so is Mr. Galliard: and they behaved so handsomely on the occasion, that Sir Charles expressed himself highly pleased with them all. For Mr. Hervey and Mr Galliard offered to accept of less money than Sir Charles made the young people worth; the one for a portion with Miss Danby; the

Other for admitting the elder Danby into a partner-ship with him on his marriage with his niece: but Sir Charles had no notion, he said, of putting young men, of good characters and abilities, to difficulties at their entrance into the world: the greatest expences, he observed, were then incurred. In slight or scanty beginnings, scanty plans must be laid, and pursued. Mr. Galliard then declared, that the younger Danby should have the handsomer for-tune with his daughter, if she approved of him, for the very handsome one Miss Danby would carry to his son.

Sir Charles’s example, in short, fired every one with emulation; and three marriages, with the hap-piest prospects, are likely very soon to follow these noble instances of generosity. Mr. Sylvester proposed the celebration on one day: in that case, the gentle-men joined to hope Sir Charles would honour them with his presence. He assentingly bowed. How many families are here, at once, made happy!

Dr. Bartlett, after he had given us this relation, said, on our joining in one general blessing of his patron, You know not, ladies, you know not, my lord, what a general philanthropist your brother is: his whole delight is in doing good. It has always been so: and to mend the hearts, as well as for-tunes of men, is his glory.