And now will your ladyship doubt of an affirma-tive answer to your second question, Whether love has listed me in the number of her particular ad-mirers?

He has: and the devil take me if I can help my-self: and yet I have no encouragement — nor any — body else; that’s my consolation. Fenwick is deeper in, if possible, than I. We had at our first acquaintance, as you have heard, a tilting-bout on the occasion: but are sworn friends now; each having agreed to try his fortune by patience and perseverance; and being assured that the one has no more of her favour to boast of, than the other*. “ We have indeed blustered away between us half a score more of her admirers. Poor whining Orme, however, perseveres. But of him we make no account: he has a watery head, and though he finds a way, by his sister, who visits at Mr Selby’s, and is much esteemed there, to let Miss Byron know his passion for her, notwithstanding the negative he has received; yet doubt we not that she is safe from a flame that he will quench with his tears, before it can rise to a head to disturb us.

“You ladies love men should whine after you; but never yet did I find, that where a blustering fellow was a competitor, the lady married the milksop.”

* The passages in this letter thus marked (") are those which in the preceding one are said to be scratched out; but yet were legible by holding up the letter to the light.

But let me in this particular do Miss Byron justice: how she manages it I cannot tell; but she is cour-teous to all; nor could ever any man charge her either with pride or cruelty. All I fear, is, that she has such an equality in her temper, that she can hard-ly find room in her heart for a particular love: Nor will, till she meets with one whose mind is nearly as faultless as her own; and the general tenor of whose life and actions calls upon her discretion to give her leave to love. “ This apprehension I owe to a conversation I had with her grandmother Shirley; a lady that is an ornament to old age; and who hint-ed to me, that her grand-daughter had exceptions both to Fenwick and me, on the score of a few indulgencies that perhaps have been too public; but which all men of fashion and spirit give themselves, and all women, but this, allow of, or hate not men the worse for. But then what is her objection to ‘Jrme? lie is a sober dog.”

She was but eight years old when her mother died She also was an excellent woman. Her death •was brought on by grief for that of her husband; which happened but six months before — a rare instance!