Letter IX.

THE

WEST-INDIANS.

I HAVE remarked with great fatisfaction, my Eliza, that you entertain a very high opinion of our late gueft, Mrs. Warren: in fo doing you fhow your quickness and difcrimination in appreciating worth. On all occafions in which you speak of this lady, and thefe are frequent, you exprefs your aftonishment at finding fo many and fuch varied talents improved to fuch a degree of perfection in the fame perfon, and poffeffed by one not yet more than thirty. You have spoken more than once of your furprise at her reading in English to your grandfather fome paffages from the Cyrus of Metaftafio, when you accidentally difcovered that she had only the Italian edition of his works in her hand. You have repeated the queftion of monfieur l'abbé Ferval,

Ferval, who, after converfing with her fome time in French, asked her whether he had been educated in Paris. Her mufical talents and her drawing have alfo excited your admiration, and your emulation; for you have profited confiderably from her inftructions. Did your praises of this lady stop at these attainments folely, I fhould subscribe to your taste, but I should not respect your understanding: but when you expatiate on her fimplicity of manners, the sweetness of her temper, and the charms of her converfation, I congratulate myfelf on poffeffing a daughter who is able to diftinguish the folid as well to admire the brilliant.

Mrs. Warren is indeed, my Eliza, a very extraordinary woman. Her mind is stored with principles which render her an honour to her fex, and the delight of her friends. She is the ornament of the fociety fhe frequents, and confers upon it a distinction which they are proud to acknowledge. What will you fay when I tell you, that to

the

the languages of which you know her to be fo perfectly a mistress, she joins a knowledge of the Latin tongue which would not difgrace the most literary man? Your grandfather, who is eminently a claffical scholar, affures me that she read to him the most difficult authors in that language with ease and elegance, and entered into their fubjects with critical tafte and judgment. She rarely difplays this talent, because fhe wishes to avoid a competition not unfrequently cenfured as a vain parade, and to which is affixed, not over liberally, the ftigma of female pedantry and affectation.

This forbearance is not, however, either the refult of fear, or respect for such com mon-place farcafms; but fimply because fhe is more emulous of exhibiting the graces of a life of purity and genuine modefty, than thofe of an accomplished and cultivated mind; and a cordial and frank reception in the world has more charms for her, than the reputation which would place her at a diftance from those who now love her.

After

After this imperfect sketch of this amiable woman, neither you, my Eliza, nor any one not in her moft intimate confidence, could easily credit, that in her youth, all the natural endowments of her mind, and all the excellencies of her heart, were kept inactive by indolence. Habitual floth funk the former into ingenuity in regard to childish amusements, and the latter into apathy; or rendered them acceffible only to the debafing and corrupting influence of idleness.

You are not difpofed to queftion your mother's veracity. I will therefore proceed to give you Mrs. Warren's history, as nearly in her own words as poffible.

We firfl became intimate at Bath, where the gentlemen of the faculty had recommended to your grandfather a trial of the water during the fummer; and in confequence of that advice we remained fixteen months there.

On my arrival I frequently met Mrs. Warren at the houfe of a common friend,

VOL. II.

H

who

who did not any more than ourselves enter into the amufements of the place. Mrs. Warren was then in her weeds, and not more than five- or fix-and-twenty. You will not wonder that this circumftance had its intereft with me; but independently of it I saw her with increafing efteem. She was a refident of Bath, but had for the fummer feafon a houfe at fo fhort a diftance from the town as to admit of its being a walk to the robuft. She preffed me with cordiality to fhare her cottage, as she styled her neat and pretty habitation; and your grandfather and myself often availed ourselves of her hofpitality, to escape from the fuffocating heat of Bath in fultry weather. The autumn settled us all in Alfred-ftreet; and our intercourfe was now ripened into old and accuftomed friendship.

One morning I received a note from her: it was hastily written, and contained words to this effect: "Come directly. You must dine with me. My happiness is incomplete