He  wrote  to  me  on  that  subject :  I  enclose  his  letter,  and  a
copy  of  my  answer.  As  to  my  opinion  of  hiin,  1  must  say,
that  I  have  not  met  with  any  British  man  abroad,  of  whoie
discretion,  sobriety,  and  good-nature,  I  tlnnk  more  higiily


SIR    CHARLES    GRANDISON".  20/

than  I  do  of  Lord  L 's.     Justice  requires  of  me  this

testiiiiouy.  But  as  to  the  affair  between  him  and  my  sister,
I  sliall  be  extremely  sorry,  if  Lord  L 's  Jirst  impro-
priety of  behaviour  Avere  to  you ;  and  if  my  sister  has  suf-
fered her  heart  to  be  engaged  against  her  duty.
You  have  the  goodness  to  say,  that  my  return  will  be  a
strengthening  of  your  hands.  May  my  own  be  weakened ;
uiay  I  ever  want  the  power  to  do  good  to  jnyself,  or  to
tJiose  I  love;  when  I  forget,  or  depart  from,  the  duty
owing  to  the  most  indulgent  of  fathers,  by  his

CHARLES  GKANDISON!

What  an  excellent  young  man  is  this! — But  b])serve,
Lucy ;  he  says  he  will,  on  his  return  to  England,  unbosom
his  whole  lieait  to  his  father;  and,  till  then,  he  desires  him

to  discontinue  the  begiui  treaty  with  Lord  N .     Ah,

my  d»;ar ! — What  has  any  new  acquaintance  to  expect,
were  she  to  be  entangled  in  a  hope/ess  pf/ssiou  7  But  let  us
consider — Had  Sir  Charles  been  actually  married,  would
his  beiiia;  so,  have  enabled  a  wonian's  rciison  to  triumph
over  her  passion? — If  so,  passion  is  surely  con(juerable:
and  did  I  know  any  body  that  would  allow  it  to  be  so  ia
the  one  case,  and  not  in  the  Oi'/ur,  I  would  bid  her  take
shame  to  herself,  and,  with  deep  humiliation,  mourn  her
imgovernuble  folly.
