Puslapio vaizdai
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fon had every charm, his manner every advantage. Lady Arabella looked, liftened, admired, and went home vastly rejoiced, that fuch a delightful young man had escaped the odious democrats. The next morning, at an early hour, lady Fitzofborne rushed into her friend's dreffing-room. Enchanting news!

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my dearest Bella," said the; "we "fhall never more be diftreffed for "want of a cecifbeo. My lord has "afked Edward to live with us till he "forms an establishment of his own. "Is not he a divine fellow? And this "morning he looks more refiftless than "ever. Such fpirit! fuch information! "it would have been a fhame to have "had him confounded with a parcel of "emigrant defperadoes. He spoke "very fine things of you, my dear; he "feems quite ftruck, I affure you.

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If

you were but a little more Greek in

your drapery, he declared, you would

"have put him in mind of La Liberté

on the day of deification, who was "the handfomeft courte fan in all "Paris.

"But, blefs me!" continued the British peerefs, looking at her watch, "how I trifle. I vow I have fifty "vifits to make this morning. Good-. bye! I fhall call upon you for the

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opera this evening. I long to fhow "Edward the new house. O, I declare "I have not had the humanity to in"quire after aunty; but I can't stay to "hear now. You'll tell me to night all "the process of the foot, and the doctor. "Sparkle my love: Edward is amaz"ingly fond of wit."

Pity is faid to be near akin to Love: and when blended with admiration, and infpired by the idea of awakening reci procal fentiments in the bofom of another, it may certainly be styled the parent

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parent of the soft infatuation. Though philofophy was Mr. Fitzofborne's chief forte, he did not belong to the school of Diogenes. One prime article in his creed was, that an an adept did not study to lefs advantage for poffeffing the good things of this life. Indeed, as his views were not very clear on the fubject of a future ftate, he confidered it to be his bounden duty to embrace all the advantages which the present afforded. Gentlemen of his principles do not mean by their general declamations in favour of liberality, honour, and philofophical equanimity, to convey the precife idea, that fuch qualities are indifpenfably requifite in their own characters: for they know, that the exterior resemblance exactly answers the fame end. Superficial obfervers (and the major part of mankind belong to this clafs) will give you credit for pof

feffing

feffing a virtue, provided you are loud in your cenfures of an oppofite vice. Good notions of public liberty give the licence which permits you to be a private tyrant. The daring atheist and fophifticating fceptic may alike shelter under the veil of religious moderation and provided the words honour, fentiment, and philanthropy, be upon your tongue, you may disturb the repofe of mankind, either individually or collectively, with impunity.

To illuftrate the analogy in the prefent inftance: Could the enlarged foul of Edward Fitzofborne have heard the fhameful tale of mercenary indigence concealing difguft under the mask of admiration to entrap the wealth of inanity into a degrading connexion, without expreffing the most generous emotion? How would his ftrong feelings have revolted at the fight of those fordid fhackles

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fhackles which militated against the natural liberty of man, and the idea of that confirmed habit of diffimulation which annihilated his fuppofed inherent perfection. He could certainly have been very eloquent upon these themes, if they referred to the conduct of a methodist or a formalift; but when applied to his own concerns it was foon adjufted. The girl wanted a husband, the gentleman a fortune; the balance, therefore, was as nicely trimmed as the most equalizing fpirit could defire. This confideration might have been farther useful, as it neceffarily diffolved all ties of gratitude; but Mr. Fitzofborne had long before difcovered, that private gratitude is inconfiftent with public virtue.

Lady Arabella had no doubt that her wit and beauty held out fufficient attractions to a gentleman fo profeffedly

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