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And ev'ry care refign.'

• And shall we never, never part,

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My life my all that's mine?'

No, never from this hour to part,

We'll live and love fo true:

The figh that rends thy conftant heart,
• Shall break thy Edwin's too.'

While this ballad was reading, Sophia feemed to mix an air of tenderness with her approbation. But our tranquillity was foon disturbed by the report of a gun juft by us, and immediately after a man was seen burfting through the hedge, to take up the game he had killed. This fportfman was the 'Squire's chaplain, who had shot one of the blackbirds that fo agreeably entertained us. So loud a report, and fo near, ftartled my daughters; and I could perceive that Sophia in the fright had thrown herself into Mr. Burchell's arms for protection. The gentleman came up, and afked pardon for having difturbed us, affirming that he was ignorant of our being fo near. He therefore fat down by my youngest daughter, and sportsmanlike offered her what he had killed that morning. She was going to refuse, but a private look from her mother foon induced her to correct the mistake, and accept his prefent, tho' with fome reluctance. My wife, as ufual, discovered her pride in a whifper, obferving that Sophy had made a conqueft of the chaplain, as well as her fifter had of the 'Squire. I fufpected, however, with more probability, that her affections were placed upon a different object. The chaplain's errand was to inform us, that Mr. Thornhill had provided mufic and refreshments, and intended that night giving the young ladies a ball by moon-light, on the grafs-plot before our door. Nor can I deny,' continued he, ́ but I have an intereft in being firft to deliver this meffage, as I expect for my reward to be honoured with Mifs Sophia's hand as a partner.' To this my girl replied,

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that she should have no objection, if she could do it with honour: But here,' continued fhe, is a gentle. 'man,' looking at Mr. Burchell, who has been my companion in the task for the day, and it is fit he 'fhould thare in its amusements.' Mr. Burchell returned her a compliment for her intentions; but refigned her up to the chaplain, adding, that he was to go that night five miles, being invited to an harvest fupper. His refufal appeared to me a little extraordinary, nor could I conceive how fo fenfible a girl as my youngest, could thus prefer a man of broken fortunes to one whofe expectations were much greater. But as men are moft capable of distinguishing merit in women, fo the ladies often form the trueft judgments of us. The two fexes feem placed as fpies upon each other, and are furnished with different abilities, adapted for mutual inspection.

CHAP. IX.

Two ladies of great diftinction introduced. finery ever feems to confer fuperior breeding.

MR.

Superior

R. Burchell had fcarce taken leave, and Sophia confented to dance with the chaplain, when my little ones came running out to tells us, that the 'Squire was come, with a crowd of company. Upon our return we found our landlord with a couple of under gentlemen and two young ladies richly dreffed, whom he introduced as women of very great distinction and fashion from town. We happened not to have chairs enough for the whole company; but Mr. Thornhill immediately propofed that every gentleman fhould fit in a lady's lap. This I pofitively objected to, notwithstanding a look of difapprobation from my wife. Mofes was therefore difpatched to borrow a couple of chairs; and as we were in want of ladies to make up a fet at country-dances, the two gentlemen went with him in queft of a couple of partners. Chairs and partners were foon provided.

The

The gentlemen returned with my neighbour Flamborough's rofy daughters, flaunting with red top-knots; but an unlucky circumftance was not adverted to: though the Mifs Flamboroughs were reckoned the very beft dancers in the parish, and understood the jig and the round-about to perfection, yet they were totally unacquainted with country-dances. This at first dif compofed us: however, after a little shoving and dragging, they at laft went merrily on. Our mufic confifted of two fiddles, with a pipe and tabor. The moon fhone bright, Mr. Thornhill and my eldeft daughter led up the ball, to the great delight of the fpectators; for the neighbours hearing what was going forward, came flocking about us. My girl moved with fo much grace and vivacity, that my wife could not avoid discovering the pride of her heart, by affuring me, that though the little chit did it fo cleverly, all the fteps were ftolen from herself. The ladies of the town ftrove hard to be equally eafy, but without fuccefs. They fwam, fprawled, languished, and frifked; but all would not do: the gazers indeed owned it was very fine; but neighbour Flamborough obferved that Mifs Livy's feet feemed as pat to the mufic as its echo. After the dance had continued about an hour, the two ladies, who were apprehenfive of catching cold, moved to break up the ball. One of them, I thought, expreffed her fentiments upon this occafion in a very coarfe manner, when she obferved, that by the living jingo, she was all of a muck of fweat. Upon our return to the houfe, we found a very elegant cold fupper, which Mr. Thornhill had ordered to be brought with him. The converfation at this time was more referved than before. The two ladies threw my girls quite into the fhade; for they would talk of nothing but high life, and highlived company; with other fashionable topics, fuch as pictures, tafte, Shakespeare, and the mufical glaffes. Tis true, they once or twice mortified us fenfibly by flipping out an oath; but that appeared to me as the fureft fymptom of their distinction (though I am

fince

fince informed that fwearing is perfectly unfafbionable). Their finery, however, threw a veil over any groffnefs in their converfation. My daughters feemed to regard their fuperior accomplishments with envy; and what appeared amifs was afcribed to tiptop quality breeding. But the condefcenfion of the ladies was ftill fuperior to their other accomplishments. One of them obferved, that had Miss Olivia feen a little more of the world, it would greatly improve her. To which the other added, that a fingle winter in town would make her little Sophia quite another thing. My wife warmly affented to both; adding, that there was nothing the more ardently wished than to give her girls a fingle winter's polishing. To this I could not help replying, that their breeding was already fuperior to their fortune; and that greater refinement would only ferve to make their poverty ridiculous, and give them a tafte for pleasures they had no right to poffefs. And what pleasures,' cried Mr. Thornhill, do they not deferve to poffefs, 'who have so much in their power to beftow? As for my part,' continued he, my fortune is pretty large; love, liberty, and pleasure, are my maxims; but 'curse me if a fettlement of half my eftate could give my charming Olivia pleasure, it should be her's; and the only favour I would ask in return, would be to add myself to the benefit.' I was not such a ftranger to the world as to be ignorant that this was the fashionable cant to disguise the infolence of the bafest propofal; but I made an effort to fupprefs my refentment. Sir,' cried I, the family which you now condescend to honour with your company, has ⚫ been bred with as nice a fenfe of honour as you. Any attempts to injure that, may be attended with very dangerous confequences. Honour, Sir, is our only poffeffion at prefent, and of that last treasure we must be particularly careful.' -I was foon forry for the warmth with which I had spoken this, when the young gentleman, grafping my hand, fwore he commended my fpirit, though he difapproved my

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fufpicions.

fufpicions. As to your prefent hint,' continued he, I proteft nothing was farther from my heart than fuch a thought. No, by all that's tempting, the virtue that will stand a regular fiege was never to my taste; for all my amours are carried by a coup

de main.'

The two ladies, who affected to be ignorant of the reft, feemed highly displeased with this last stroke of freedom, and began a very difcreet and ferious dialogue upon virtue: in this my wife, the chaplain, and I foon joined; and the 'Squire himself was at laft brought to confefs a sense of forrow for his former exceffes. We talked on the pleasures of temperance, and of the fun-fhine in the mind unpolluted with guilt. I was fo well pleased, that my little ones were kept up beyond the ufual time, to be edified by fo much good converfation. Mr. Thornhill even went beyond me, and demanded if I had any objection to giving prayers. I joyfully embraced the propofal, and in this manner the night was paffed in a moft comfortable way, till at laft the company began to think of returning. The ladies feemed very unwilling to part with my daughters, for whom they had conceived a particular affection, and joined in a request to have the pleasure of their company home. The 'Squire feconded the propofal, and my wife added her entreaties: the girls too looked upon me as if they wished to go. In this perplexity I made two or three excufes, which my daughters as readily removed; so that at laft I was obliged to give a peremptory refufal for which we had nothing but fullen looks and short answers the whole day enfuing.

CHAP.

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