ftar that conducted and enliven'd the dif courfe. And when I talked not of thee, ftill didft thou fill my mind, and warmed every thought I uttered, for I am not afhamed to acknowledge I greatly mifs thee. Beft of all good girls! the fufferings I have fuftained the whole night on account of thine, Eliza, are beyond my power of words.-Affuredly does Heaven give ftrength proportioned to the weight he lays upon us! Thou hast been bowed down, my child, with every burden that forrow of heart, and pain of body, could inflict upon a poor being; and ftill thou telleft me, thou art beginning to get eafe ;thy fever gone, thy fickness, the pain in thy fide vanishing alfo.-May every evil fo vanish that thwarts Eliza's happiness, or but awakens thy fears for a moment!-Fear nothing, my dear!-Hope every thing; and the balm of this paffion will thed its influence on thy health, and make thee enjoy a fpring of youth and cheerfulness, more than thou haft hardly yet tafted.

And fo thou haft fixed thy Bramin's portrait over thy writing-defk; and wilt confult it in all doubts and difficulties. Grateful and good girl! Yorick fimiles contentedly over all thou doft; his picture does not do juftice to his own complacency.

Thy fweet little plan and diftribution of thy time-how worthy of thee! Indeed, Eliza, thou leaveft me nothing to direct thee in; thou leaveft me nothing to require, no

thing to afk-but a continuation of that conduct which won my efteem, and has made me thy friend for ever.

May the rofes come quick back to thy cheeks, and the rubies to thy lips! But truft my declaration, Eliza, that thy hufband (if he is the good, feeling man I with him) will prefs thee to him with more honeft warmth and affection, and kifs thy pale, poor dejected face with more tranfport, than he would be able to do in the beft bloom of all thy beauty; and fo he ought, or I pity him. He must have ftrange feeling, if he knows not the value of fuch a creature as thou art !

I am glad Mifs Light* goes with you. She may relieve you from many anxious moments. I am glad your fhip-mates are friendly beings. beings. You could leaft difpenfe with what is contrary to your own nature, which is foft and gentle, Eliza.-It would civilize favages.-Though pity were it thou fhouldft be tainted with the office! How canft thou make apologies for thy laft letter? 'tis moft delicious to me, for the very reafon you excufe it. Write to me, my child, only fuch. Let them fpeak the eafy careleffnefs of a heart that opens itself, any how, and every how, to a man you ought to efteem and truft. Such, Eliza, I write to thee, and fo I fhould ever live with thee,

*Mifs Light afterwards married George Stratton, Efq. late in the fervice of the Eaft-India Company at Madras. She is fince dead.

moft

moft artlessly, moft affectionately, if Providence permitted thy refidence in the fame fection of the globe :--for I am, all that honour and affection can make me,

THY BRAMIN.

LETTER LXXXIV.

TO THE SAME.

I WRITE this, Eliza, at Mr. James's, whilft he is dreffing, and the dear girl, his wife, is writing, befide me, to thee. I got your melancholy billet before we fat down to dinner. "Tis melancholy indeed, my dear, to hear fo piteous an account of thy fickness! Thou art encountered with evils enow, without that additional weight! I fear it will fink thy poor foul, and body with it, paft recovery-Heaven supply thee with fortitude! We have talked of nothing but thee, Eliza, and of thy sweet virtues, and endearing conduct, all the afternoon. Mrs. James, and thy Bramin have mixed their tears a hundred times, in fpeaking of thy hardfhips, thy goodnefs, thy graces.-The ****'s by heavens, are worthless! I have heard enough to tremble at the articulation of the name.-How could you, Eliza, leave them (or fuffer them to leave you rather) with impreffions

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S,

preffions the leaft favourable? I have told thee enough to plant difguft againft their treachery to thee, to the laft hour of thy life! Yet ftill thou toldeft Mrs. James at laft, that thou believeft they affectionately love thec. Her delicacy to my Eliza, and true regard to her cafe of mind, have faved thee from hearing more glaring proofs of their bafenefs-For God's fake write not to them; nor foul thy fair character with fuch polluted hearts-They love thee! What proof? Is it their actions that fay fo? or their zeal for those attachments, which do thee honour, and make thee happy? or their tendernefs for thy fame? No-But they weep, and fay tender things.-Adieu to all fuch for ever. Mrs. James's honeft heart revolts against the idea of ever returning them one vifit.- I honour her, and I honour thee for almost every act of thy life, but this blind partiality for an unworthy being.

Forgive my zeal, dear girl, and allow me a right which arifes only out of that fund of affection I have, and thall preferve for thee to the hour of my death! Reflect, Eliza, what are my motives for perpetually advifing thee? think whether I can have any, but what proceed from the caufe I have mentioned! I think you are a very deferving woman; and that you want nothing but firmness and a better opinion of yourfelf, to be the beft female character I know. I wish I could infpire you with a fhare of that vanity your enemies lay to your charge

(though

(though to me it has never been vifible); becaufe I think, in a well turned mind, it will produce good effects.

I probably thall never fee you more; yet I flatter myfelf you'll fometimes think of me with pleafure; because you must be convinced I love you, and fo interest myself in your rectitude, that I had rather hear of any evil befalling you, than your want of reverence for yourfelf. I had not power to keep this remonftrance in my breaft.-It's now out; fo adicu. Ileaven watch over my

To whom fhould Eliza apply in her diftrefs, but to her friend who loves her? why then, my dear, do you apologize for employing me? Yorick would be offended, and with reason, if you ever fent commiffions to another, which he could execute. I have been with Zumps; and your piano-forte muft be tuned from the brafs middle ftring of your guittar, which is C.

I have got you a hammer too, and a pair of plyers to twift your wire with; and may

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every