these two circumftances to engage her fancy, is, I must confefs, what I cannot comprehend."

This long and circumftantial epistle will, I hope, my lord, compenfate for the brevity of those I wrote from the period at which we began to entertain hopes of Mr. Clifford's recovery; that being now afcertained, I intend to leave this, for Afhwood, to-morrow-Mifs Clifford and your brother accompany me. Mrs. Sommers, in a letter I have just received, defires me to inform you, that she flatters herself with the honour of a visit from your lordship, and that he has a tolerably commodious apartment prepared for you. You' will find it difficult ever to make a journey on a happier occafion, to join a happier fociety, or one from which you will receive a more cordial welcome.

I am your lordship's

moft obedient fervant,

RICHARD SOMMERS.

THE reader now forefees the marriage of Mr. Mordaunt to mifs Clifford, and that of Mr. Clifford to mifs Proctor, which took place about a month after; events which were the fources of happiness, not only to the parties themselves, but likewife to their friends, and to many of their acquaintance.

When lady Diana Franklin became more intimately acquainted with Mr. Mordaunt, and faw his continued affection, and the just estimation in which he held the fine qualities of his wife; when her ladyfhip alfo perceived the happiness and exultation of her young friend, from the consciousness of having a husband who met her fondness with equal affection, and of whom she was as proud as she was fond; fhe could not refrain from exclaiming, one day, when they were alone" What short-fighted creatures we are! Did I not endeavour, my dearest Horatia, to prevent the woman I love beft from becoming the happiest woman on earth?”

Mr. Proctor is equally fatisfied with his fon-in-law, on whofe character his own reflections on the adventure at Heathfield, and the mild complacent temper of his wife, made a very favourable alteration. As Mr. Proctor was a ftranger to violent paffions, had found his fortune continually increafing through his own industry; and, above all, as he was a man of benevolence and undeviating integrity, it is highly to be prefumed that he had lived a very happy life; yet, when he saw the mutual affection, confidence, and cer

diality, that existed between Mr. Clifford and his daughter, he declared that he never had been fo happy before.

Those who feel themfelves happy are generally fatisfied with filent enjoyment, without troubling themselves with long communications to their friends. The unhappy or difcontented are more apt to make frequent demands on the fympathy of their acquaintance (even when they require no other species of relief), by circumftantial, and fometimes exaggerated narratives of their misfortunes. After the two events above mentioned, though the different families of this fociety paffed much of their time together, their correfpondence by letters was lefs frequent and lefs interefting. It is not thought proper to publish any other of their letters, except the following.

LETTER CXVIII.

The Honourable JOHN MORDAUNT, Esq. to Lord

MORDAUNT.

MY DEAR BROTHER,

I AM glad you have prevailed on lady Blunt to decline profecuting the butler ;-was it to be expected that a man in his fituation could refift the perfuafions of fuch a woman as Mrs. Demure? Befides, there is no great fatisfaction in the punishment of underling agents, when the leading criminal escapes.

But though the has efcaped to the continent, she has not escaped punishment; her real character is known to all the world; a whole life of painful hypocrify is now rendered useless to her; infamy has attended her across the fea. She must have found herfelf as much fhunned in Frankfort as fhe was in England before he could determinę to form the connexion you mention with Grindill

though, if the knew that he was enraged against lady Deanport, that would be an inducement; but, whatever it was, I am convinced they will become the inftruments of each other's torture; any reciprocal confidence, between people of their character, feldom fails to have that effect.

The fate of thofe two perfons, and other incidents with which I have been acquainted, fince my laft return to England, incline me to Mr. Darnley's opinion, that vice, and abjectnefs of conduct, though they should elude the grafp of law, generally meet with fevere punishment even in this world.

I am not acquainted with a man of more thorough good fenfe, more calmness of temper, and what I take to be one of the rarest qualities to be met with among mankind, more entirely free from every fpecies of affectation, than that gentleman. His wife was one of the last who gave credit to the rumours against Mrs. Demure; and, of all her numefous acquaintance, the perfon who felt the fincercft concern on their proving true. That