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actions. The wife of a neighbouring gentleman delicately hinted, that one of her daughters was fo deeply in love with him, that death muft be the inevitable confequence of his obduracy. The good baronet was thunderftruck; he had no predilection for marriage, and certainly no preference for the young lady thus obtruded upon his choice. His con science entirely vindicated him from any wicked defign of ftealing the fair one's affections; neither his glafs nor his flat. terers had ever attributed to him the most diftant resemblance to an Adonis, and he wondered much that any body should fall in love with his brown bob and Kevenhuller hat; but fince it was fo, (and the lady's mother protefted fhe did not exaggerate,) he never fhould enjoy any peace of mind, if he could think himfelf the cause of making a fellow-creature miferable (for fir William could not give

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give entire credit to the dying part of the ftory). Rather than have fuch a weight upon his confcience, he would marry.

Lady Powerscourt, however, very foon after her marriage, difcovered that fhe had made a great mistake, and was incautious enough to difclofe the fecret to her husband. It was not from the brown bob nor Kevenhuller hat that the god of love took aim when he pierced her tender bofom, nor was the mortal fhaft barbed by the virtues which adorned the refpectable character to which they were appendages. Like Hu dibras's Cupid, he certainly

Fix'd his ftand

"Upon a wealthy jointure land." Powerscourt houfe poffeffed irresistible attractions, and he had heard her papa and mamma frequently affert, that if fir William would but marry a woman of tafte, it might be made one of the sweetest

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sweetest places in all North Wales. She knew that fir Ralph Morgan's lady spent all the winter at Bath, the spring in London, the fummer at her countryfeat, and in the autumn took a tour; that the drove four in hand, gave balls, kept a groom of the chambers, and a French waiting-maid, had twelve new dreffes a-year, and fet the fashions for all the country; yet fir Ralph's eftate was not half fo large as fir William's. What heart could refift fuch invincible attractions? She immediately fell very deeply in love.

I have in a former publication ventured to give my opinion, that the two faces of Hymen are not exact counterparts to each other. The fmiling countenance which fronts the long vifta leading to his temple, has few traits of fimilitude to the auftere phyfiognomy which is defcried by thofe who, after C 5

they

they have offered facrifice, retire behind his altar. The difcuffion of preliminaries might have convinced the lady that the nuptial cup contained fome drops of an acid quality. To the charms of Powerfcourt fhe had annexed one grand ingredient, which unhappily did not exist, at least not in its fuppofed magnitude, I mean, the uneafinefs of fir William's difpofition. Though "gentle as zephyr blowing underneath a violet" upon most occafions, he had upon others a little of the old bachelor's tenacity about him. He would keep lady Powerfcourt a coach and fix with all his heart, but he did not like ladies driving. four in hand. She might have half a dozen English waiting-women if the pleased, and as many Welch ones, but he did not approve of French filles de chambre. He had no objection to her giving balls to the neighbouring young

ladies,

ladies, and he might make them as happy as she could; but he thought that married ladies ought not to be jigging. about themselves: and as to dress, she might be clothed every day in silver brocade; but his wife fhould never wear feathers and flowers in her head-dress, like a stage-player.

The grand point of difpute, however, was the occupation of the four seasons. He was willing to take her to town for three months, because the country must. be rather dull to women in winter, as they could neither fhoot nor hunt; and if she were not well, he would accompany her to Bath or any where that would do her fervice; but to live at Powerfcourt only three months-what would all his neighbours fay, and how would his tenants go on without him! My lady ftrove to convince him that their opinions were not worth regarding; but fir William was c 6 firm.

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