to controul, had the not provoked me, more than ever, by the infulting, impertinent, and ironical manner in which the announced mifs Clifford's having rejected the hand of my fon. As my defire was, that this marriage should not take place, you will think that the intelligence ought naturally to have given more fatisfaction than her impertinent manner of communicating it could give pain; you, with a manly arrogance, will affert, that to feel otherwife is contrary to reafon, and feeling like that weak creature woman, but would be quite unworthy of that mighty rational being man.-So continue to think; but allow me, wife fir, to be convinced that the latter is by much the fillieft, moft capricious, inconfiftent animal, of the two of which I could give many proofs if I had time; but at prefent I can only tell that if you what is fuppofed above, you are quite ignorant of what is natural. I acknowledge that I find the infolence and mockery of a perfon, who ufed to fawn upon me like a spaniel, more in

you,

think

tolerable, and that it excites ftronger refentment, than even her forming a serious plan against my intereft. Befides, this woman has given herself some very fublime airs of late on another fubject, and is as provoking with her cant about virtue as lady Diana Franklin with her conduct. For those rea-. fons, I heartily with her married to Mr. Clifford.

This again, in the depth of your reasoning, you will reckon unnatural.--What! to punish the woman you hate, will you promote her marriage with the man fhe loves? And can you afk the queftion with surprise,-you who are acquainted with fo many miferable couples, all of whom married from what they called love? What feverer punishment could I wish to two of my greatest enemies, of different fexes, and incompatible tempers, than that they should be married together, however defirous both may be of the union. Should it take place, depend upon it, this will be the fate of the couple in question.

I have made you acquainted with the one, and I am told that the other is one of the moft paffionate men alive.

Another reason, that has confiderable weight in making me defirous of the accomplishment of that alliance, is, that I know it will vex and mortify lady Diana and mifs Clifford ; by which I fhall have the fatisfaction of feeing two wo men mortified who have frequently mortified me; especially if I can by any means get to the bottom of Mrs. Demure's affair with Mordaunt, which at prefent, I have reason to think, neither of them believe. And if, notwithftanding their incredulity on that fubject, they diflike the connection, I leave you to imagine what their abhorrence will be, when the refined sentimental widow's intrigue shall be made manifeft.

I cannot express the pleasure I should take in wishing the chafte goddess, and her favourite nymph, joy of their virtuous relation,

Until I have the pleasure of enjoying their confufion at some fuch perfiflage, I shall think

myself in Mrs. Demure's debt for the infulting sarcastic manner in which she told me mifs Clifford had rejected my son, and for the pleasure she evidently takes in whatever she thinks will give me pain. Until then, alfo, I fhall confider myself as the debtor of the other two ladies, for various articles which I am impatient to clear off.

I defire that you will not imagine that I neglect any opportunity of re-establishing you on a good footing with my fon: depend on it I am as anxious for that as you can be: but he is not to be spoken to as yet; he is still in all the horrors of disappointment, and has not as yet been able to digest the repulse. I intend to enter on the subject with him foon. I have a particular plan in view :-you shall hear of it in my next.

Yours, &c.

E. DEANPORT.

LETTER LXXXIX.

From the Same to the Same.

London.

AFFAIRS wear a more favourable afpect:

:

the wheel of fortune, which has of late rolled so much against your wishes, now begins to turn in a contrary direction. Nothwithstanding the mad perfeverance which mifs Clifford displayed in refufing the addreffes of my fon, I was not without fear that, after her fit of enthusiastic arrogance fhould be over, and whên fhe had fully gratified her pride, fhe would return to her fenfes, I therefore watched for a proper opportunity of converfing with him. He had anxiously avoided meeting me from the moment he determined to make the abject propofal of marriage; and he had been fo mean as to employ the brother to negociate for him; and even wrote a penitential letter to her, after he had quarrelled with her brother on his