merit. If they difplay lefs genius or invention than the origi nal, they are fuperior to most of the copies, in respect to good fenfe, and that knowledge of the world which conftitutes the chief merit of all works of this kind; at least fo far as fuch knowledge can be fuppofed to come within the sphere of female obfervation. It were to be wifhed, indeed, that even the Author of Pamela and Clariffa, had been contented fometimes to defcribe rather lefs than he had feen, and not to have told all that he knew. Man is fo ftrange a compound of reason and paffion, of fenfe and fenfibility, that the description of a scene, or the relation of a tale, which is intended to improve the heart by affecting the mind with refentment or honour, proves often difgufting only to readers of refined tafte; while there are others grofs enough to find it feductive. It requires the greatest art, and the nicest pencil, to delineate the vices of mankind, and paint them in their true colours, without exciting the paflions or the curiofity of the unexperienced, to know more than they ought. Ignorance is not perhaps the best proof or fecurity of innocence in general. There are fome particular cafes, however, in which they are undoubtedly infeparable. Hence it is that we find perfons, well acquainted with the world, and fhrewd obfervers of the effects of opinions on manners, fo doubtful of the utility of this kind of writing. That our young people, and particularly the female part, are rendered much wifer by them, is not to be doubted; but that they are improved, or that our daughters are in general more chafte and virtuous, or make better wives than their grandmothers did, is to be queftioned. Leaving this matter therefore, as it really is, fomewhat problematical; we have only to fay, as it regards thefe Letters, that they are lefs exceptionable, in this particular, than moft we have read: the Author always preferving the moft amiable characteristic of her fex, and treating every circumstance and character with becoming delicacy and decorum.

The Marquis de Rofelle was the fon of an officer of diftinction, who was killed at the head of his Regiment, in Italy, and left his widow, with a fon and daughter, both very young. The Marchionefs furvived long enough to educate her daughter, and to marry her to Count St. Sever. The good old Lady dying, left the young Marquis, who was many years younger than his fifter, to the care of her daughter and Son-in-law. The Hiftory opens on the young Gentleman's coming of age; at which time he enters into the fervice, and, growing acquainted with the young officers of his corps, and other rakes of quality, he is introduced, by one Mr. Valville, to Leonora an Opera-finger, whom he is advised to take into keeping, in order to give himfelt an air of gallantry fuitable to his fortune and diftinction. Leonora,

Leonora, finding what a young and unexperienced spark she had to deal with, plays off all her arts to captivate the Marquis in good earnest; who, accordingly, falls defperately in love with her, and instead of courting her as a mistress, thinks seriously of making her his wife.

His Sifter, and his Brother-in-law, who had projected a scheme of marriage for him with one Mifs St. Albin, are very naturally thrown into grief and confufion at hearing of this infatuation. His new friend, Valville, is alfo much diffatisfied with his pupil, rallying him pretty feverely on the occafion. The following extracts may serve to give the Reader fome idea of thefe entertaining epiftles.

From the Marquis, to Mr. de Valville.

"Yesterday, my dear Valville, I faw Leonora, who has restored my heart to its ufual ferenity; I am affured of her affection. Even her repulfes are fo kind and tender, that I fhould be pleafed with them, if I were lefs in love. Her mind is indeed replete with delicacy. It is her love, it is her virtue, my friend, that render me unhappy: and at this price I can even consent to be fo.-No, I hope ftill to overcome her reluctance; I will triumph over it by the force of my own tenderness; fuch a triumph will but add to my happiness. The fufpicions I imparted to you the other day, were altogether groundless. How fincerely do I reproach myself for them; fince he has effaced them without endeavouring at her own juftification! Caft off, my dear friend, any prejudices which my angry jealoufy may have given you against her. Indeed you know but little of Leonora, and are apt to confound her with her affociates.-No, Valville, fhe is an object worthy of my heart; he has engroffed it; and I am no longer engaged in an intrigue, but have contracted a real paffion. "A real paffion!-And for Leonora !" It is even fo, I will not retract what I have faid.-I feel-but thou art the only perfon in the world to whom I can open my heart on this occafion. Forgive those effufions, of which it really ftands in need. I am much afraid my fifter will difcover my paffion. She is a very deferving woman, to whom I am obliged as to a mother. She is very dear to me; but her prejudices are as great as her virtues. I know that he would think me totally ruined, if the knew of this attachment of mine to the most amiable of women. To an Opera-girl! That, that, would be enough to involve her in the greatest affliction. I muft. be very cautious therefore of my behaviour on her account, and that even before my own fervants.

My Sifter has a mind I fhould marry. Judge whether I can give L13

into

into her propofal. I fupped with her two days ago, in confequence of an invitation fhe had previoufly given me; when it had been easy for me to fee through her defigns, had not her hufband, M. de St. Sever, thought proper not to leave it to my own penetration. I had hardly entered the house, when he took me afide, and, with an air of fecrefy, extolled the beauty, accomplishments, and particularly the fortune of Mifs de St. Albin from which I immediately faw into the scheme; and was confirmed in my opinion by being very particularly prefented to Madam de St. Albin and her two daughters. The company, which was pretty numerous, were all met, when I arrived; and confifted, firft of ladies, to whom I should very willingly give the appellation of agreeable, if they did not affect that of pretty; fecondly of fenfible men, who laboured to be entertaining; thirdly of frigid fcholars, who fet up for wits; and laftly of boys and girls, timid, aukward, and bathful. You may judge from the fingle figures what must be the effect of the groupe. The converfation foon began to flag; on which cards were introduced. I played a game or two, and won, but was tired to death; notwithstanding, Mifs St. Albin was of the party. It must be confeffed that both the and her fifter are pretty; but fo referved and formal! It was with difficulty I could hear a word they faid; fpeaking fo extremely low, and with their eyes always fixed on their mama. It seems they were put upon difplaying their talents, the eldeft finging while the youngest played on the harpsichord. Thus we were entertained with a cantata, which by their manner one would have taken for the Stabat of Pergolese.

*

These two beauties are just come out of a Convent. Ifhould have almost taken them for two mutes, had not I remarked, that while their Mama was at cards and did not fee them, they got into a corner to difcourfe quite low with another young perfon of the fame age. I liftened a while to their conversation, but found it fo extremely infipid, and their tongues fo exceffively voluble, that I foon left them to themfelves. At table, I had the particular honour of being placed by the Miffes de St. Albin, from whom it was hardly poffible for me to get a single word. If I asked them any queftion, it was always answered with a referved and formal Yes, Sir, or No, Sir; the good Lady their Mother, ever taking upon herself to answer for them if it went beyond a monofyllable..

After fupper, my Sifter, being abfolutely determined to make the evening agreeable to me, propofed the opening a ball: to

mufic.

The Stabat-mater, a remarkable, grave, folemn piece of Church

which

which I found a good deal of company had been invited. Indeed for fo little an affair, it was very elegant and brilliant. We danced very decently, talking, however, only to the mothers: for as to the daughters, they refembled ftatues moving about on fprings. In a word, I do not believe that gloominels and difguft ever wore the mask of gaiety with fo ill a grace. It was neceffary, notwithstanding, to feem pleased, and to keep up this grave farce till four in the morning. For my part, I was most intolerably tired and chagrined; which I am forry my Sifter perceived; though knowing myself the hero of the entertainment, I did all I could to carry it off with a good grace. Judge, my. dear friend, from this project of my Sifter, what I fhould have to encounter, if she knew the real state of my heart. You fee how much reafon there is for my caution. Will you, therefore, take upon you the commiffion of buying a chariot; which Í have a mind to prefent to Leonora? You will oblige me in it effentially, as I cannot, for the above reasons, make the purchase myself. Adieu, dear Valville! Yours fincerely.".

DE VALVILLE to the MARQUIS, in Anfwer to the foreging.

"I thought, Marquis, you had at least common-fenfe. Upon my honour, I thought fo! You have taken leffons of a pretty able mafter, and have profited by them moft egregioufly! Come, come, I find you must not be trufted out of your leading-ftrings. The first emotions of these young hearts are fo violent, they are fo very preffing, that the understanding is not able to keep them within any bounds, when excited by the fmalleft allurement of a pretty female. Understanding! do I say? No, no. To have understanding, we muft have a knowledge of the world. No people of your age poffefs understanding. Believe me you are only hurried away by a blind and foolish inclination. I fhall know exactly the true ftate of your heart to-morrow. You grown children are very subject to mistake your first palpitations for a paffion. I foresee it will be no eafy matter to remove the effects of that wrong education you have received. You have been trained up for a man of noble fentiments and refined conduct: ridiculous! We never get any thing by being fuperiour to thofe with whom we live and converfe. And indeed the trueft Philofophy is, to cultivate that fpecies of merit which is moft generally admired. I introduced you to Leonora, in order to give you the fafhionable ton, and establish your reputation as a man of gallantry and tafte; and you truly fall actually in love with her. How puerile and abfurd! The whole affair nowa-days is to render one's felf agreeable: there is no neceffity for one's falling in love. This will never render one agreeable, unlefs indeed to the object of one's paffion. Nothing more is requifite

LI 4

quifite than gallantry, or the love of the fex in general. And this is natural; for are not all women so much like one another, that we may eafily make an exchange between them. The tafte for exclufive attachments is quite out of vogue. Instead of

overcharging the heart with one grand paffion, we divide its affections into a thoufand little, light, tranfitory likings, tastes and attachments, as people change gold into filver, preferving ftill. the value of the whole. A convenient houfe, fplendid equipages, agreeable entertainments, kind miftreffes, gallant adventures, all thefe little pleasures amount to a confiderable sum of happinefs; enough in confcience, I should think, for any reasonable

man.

As to the particular article of mistresses; the fashionable way is to take fome celebrated Laïs into keeping; but not to put one's felf in her livery; to love her juft as much as is neceffary to make her company agreeable, and no more than will permit one to caft her off, whenever it is convenient.

You are very good Marquis, to entertain an opinion of the I virtue of women. But you would be a very great fool to place any confidence in that of an Opera-girl. Leonora would pafs on you for a modeft woman; fhe knows her bufinefs. The artful jade! he knows the way to entrap those innocents who wifh to efteem what they admire; let her alone for that: fhe will diffufe an odour of fan&tity throughout the whole family; and you, an, unfufpecting dupe, will run into the fnare. She would lead you a fine dance, if fomebody better acquainted with female arts fhould not come to your relief.

Thou ftandeft in need of a director; and if I knew one more capable than myself, I have fo much regard for you that I would recommend you to him: but I imagine that my abilities may be fufficient. Follow the plan which I fhall lay down for your conduct, and Leonora will in a few days be yours; Valville will answer for it. Begin immediately by throwing off that fimple air of paffion which by no means becomes you. Talk of love with an air of indifference and gaiety. Give your nymph fome hints of your generous inclinations; of your inclinations only-you understand me-It is time enough to think in reality of the equipage you talk of. What difpofitions have you made together on that head? If you are defirous of Leonora's fpeedy compliance, appear to have taken up with fome ether miftrefs; excite her jealoufy, give a check to her vanity, and alarm her avarice (for fhe is covetous) in refuming the chearful air of a man reitored to his liberty; and if you should vifit her again, let it not be for fome time, and then with indifference.