our acquaintance, who, being equally culpable, have avoided all éclat, and of course are received every where, notwithstanding an univerfal conviction that they deserve to be comprehended within the bill of exclufion.

This incident will certainly produce a ftruggle between the purity of lady Diana Franklin and her friendship for the fallen nymph, before fhe will be able to determine. whether to break with her entirely or not. As for Mordaunt, I make no doubt of his aban

doning mifs Clifford juft as he did others, with whom his connection has-not as yet been fo completely afcertained. He has refigned the French woman that he brought over already. She pretends, I understand, to be a marchioness; but, more probably, is the wife or daughter of fome Parifian tradesman. Several of the real nobility of France, I hear, have been under the neceffity of exercifing trade fince they left their own country; but a

far greater number of real trades-people from

France have affumed the titles, and give themfelves the airs of nobility..

I wonder how Mr. Clifford will behave, when he comes to the knowledge of his sifter's conduct. He has the reputation of being of a very violent temper, and is a hero in gallantry as well as Mordaunt; with this difference, however, that he is lefs filènt on the fubject of his victories. He was expected in town; but, I understand from my fon, with whom he keeps up a constant correfpondence, that he is wonderfully captivated by a young lady in his own neighbourhood, who seems to have driven from his memory all recollection of those who languish for his return to the capital.

Being informed that you intended to stay
I thought

three or four days with lady

it right to acquaint you with these particulars, because I am certain that your friendhip for Mrs. Darnley will prompt you to

come directly to town, on purpose to do all

LETTER XCIX.

Mifs HORATIA CLIFFORD to Lady DIANA

FRANKLIN,

Ashwood.

HAPPY news! the doctor has pronounced Juliet out of danger. I am giddy with joy. After reciprocal congratulations, I told the colonel I was going to communicate the tidings to you. He faid he was also going to write on the fame subject to his friend Mr. Mordaunt.

This put me in mind of your laft letter

I asked of the colonel how it happened that his friend Mr. Mordaunt, who is generally thought an agreeable man, had so many enemies.

His answer was-" Mordaunt is a man of

wit."

"A man of wit!" faid I.

"Yes," rejoined he;

"of all the gifts of

Nature to the human race, wit is the most envied, and the leaft forgiven."

But, of all my acquaintance, you are the perfon, my dear lady Diana, whom I should have thought the leaft likely to envy, and the most likely to forgive, a man for his wit. With refpect to the gentleman in question, you will recollect that it was through your means that I became acquainted with him; for I first met him at the lodgings of the marchioness: from her I received the most favourable opinion of him. My uncle and aunt conceived the fame: they invited him freely to their house. But it seems the man avows a determination never to marry: this is very afflicting news to be fure. Yet if any woman, who made no objection to being of his acquaintance before the received this information, were to avoid it immediately after,