"justify but applaud your conduct. "That fyftem of univerfal benevolence, "which fuperfedes all written precept, "gains ground. To that do we appeal, and not to the infane morality "of specific injunctions, which foolishly "and even wickedly attempt to bring "individual actions under the limita"tion of one general rule. Man in "fociety must retain all his natural rights; and the restraints that cir"cumfcribe thofe rights (if founded upon false principles) must foon fub"mit to the refiftlefs voice of public " opinion. Nor does this fyftem tend "to encourage general profligacy of "manners. No! it can only apply to "thofe more intelligent characters, "whose refinement is a fecurity against "licentioufnefs. "So acute is my own confciousness "of error, that my heart ftarts from VOL. III. << the "the remorseful recollection of fome <. indirect means not wholly con"fiftent with the lovely fincerity of "truth, which my refiftless paffion for you urged me to adopt. For the de"ceptions which only love can excufe, " I humbly entreat your pardon, and I "faithfully promise you, that as they "were the firft, fo they fhall be the "laft inftances of moral turpitude "which you shall ever difcover in the " conduct of "Madam, "Your entirely devoted "EDWARD FITZOSBORNE." "TO THE HONOURABLE EDWARD FITZOSBORNE. "Does Mr. Fitzofborne fuppofe the "unhappy victim of his treachery as "meanly base as he has proved her to "be weakly credulous, that he affronts "her with a proposal, which atrocious guilt alone empowers him to make; "and from the indignity of which she "was once happily fecured by infur"mountable barriers, till he reduced "her to the dire neceffity of furrender"ing the facred name of wife, and mingling her blushes with her tears, "when the hears the once joyful ho"nourable appellation of mother. "You seem, fir, to disown the "charge of deliberate cruelty. Ac"count, if you can, for your conduct by any other motive. You know "what I was when I had first the mif"fortune of seeing you. You know "how foon you formed a plan for my deftruction, and by what arts you have "made me what I am. You know "too, how your infidious friendship "feduced lord Monteith, and made "him unconsciously acceffary to my " undoing. To you he owes the con"tamination of his once unfullied ho"nour. From you, my innocent, dif graced, deferted children, require "their mother, their inftructor, the "guardian of their infant years. From "you I demand my ruined peace, my "unfullied fame, my loft health, and every blafted prospect, which, while "they rendered life valuable, taught "me to look on death with ferenity. "I not only require of you the life of "my dear venerable father, but I also charge you with having given in<conceivable anguifh to the laft hours " of one who lived but to make others happy; whose benevolence would "not have hurt a worm !-He is at "reft.-Would I were fo too!-O << that I were now joined to his pure beatified fpirit!-But I muft firft pafs " through "through many a purifying fea of for "row. How excruciatingly refined has your cruelty been! Life is infupport"able, but I dare not ask to die. For "I fcorn to reply to the arguments "urged in your infamous letter. Ad"drefs them, fir, to thofe who, while "the lead a life of guilt, with cheaply "to purchase the reputation of virtue. "Yet beware how you confide in them, "when the awful fummons of death "calls you to an invifible world. "me, all my temporal views have ter"minated. I feek no fubterfuges. I "will endure the cenfures of the world; "they are my juft portion. Its vindi"cations I would reject with difdain. "I fubmit to whatever punishment lord "Monteith's lawful refentment inflicts. "It does not belong to imprudence "like mine either to justify its actions, |
