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ties; but fo flightly, or rather artfully, as to give play to the imagination. She prepares herself for managing a family of her own, by managing that of her father.

She

3. Cookery is familiar to her, with the price and quality of provifions; and she is a ready accountant. Her chief view, however, is to ferve her mother and lighten her cares. holds cleanliness and neatness to be indispensable in a woman; and that a flattern is disgusting, especially if beautiful.

4. The attention given to externals, does not make her overlook her more material duties. Sophia's understanding is folid without being profound. Her fenfibility is too great for a perfect equality of temper; but her fweetness renders that inequality harmlefs. A harsh word does not make her angry; but her heart fwells, and the retires to difburden it by weeping.

5. Recalled by her father and mother, she comes at the in, ftant, wiping her eyes and appearing cheerful. She fuffers with patience any wrong done her; but is impatient to repair any wrong he has done, and does it fo cordially, as to make it appear meritorious. If the happens to difoblige a companion, her joy and her careffes, when restored to favor, fhew the burthen that lay upon her good heart.

6. The love of virtue is Sophia's ruling paffion. She loves it, because no other thing is fo lovely; She loves it because it is the glory of the female fex: She loves it as the only road to happinefs, mifery being the fure attendant of a woman withShe loves it, as dear to her refpectable father and tender mother. These fentiments infpire her with a degree of enthufiafm, that elevates her foul, and fubdues every irregular appetite.

out virtue.

7. Of the abfent fhe never talks but with circumfpection, of her female acquaintance especially. She has remarked, that what renders women prone to detraction, is talking of their own fex; and that they are more equitable with refpect to the men. Sophia therefore never talks of women, but to exprefs the good fhe knows of them: Of others the fays nothing

8. Without much knowledge of the world, the is attentive, obliging, and graceful in all fhe does. A good difpofition does much more for her than art does for others. She poffeffes a degree of politenefs which, void of ceremony, proceeds from a define to pleafe, and which confequently never fails to please.

CHAP. XII.

MODESTY, DOUBT, AND TENDER AFFECTION.

AGATHOCLES and CALISTA.

CALISTA was young and beautiful, endowed with a

great fhare of wit and folid fenfe. Agathocles, whofe age very little exceeded hers, was wel! made, brave and prudent. He had the good fortune to be introduced at Calista's, where his looks, wandering indifferently over a numerous circle, foon diftinguished and fixed upon her.

2. But recovering from the fhort ecftacy occafioned by the first fight, he immediately reproached himself, as being guilty of rudeness to the rest of the company; a fault which he had endeavored to correct, by looking round on other objects. Vain attempts! They were attracted by a powerful charmi, and turned again towards Califta. He blushed as well as the, while a fweet emotion, till then unfelt, produced a kind of fluttering in his heart, and confufion in his countenance.

3. They both became at the fame time more timid and more curious. He was pleafed with gazing at Califta, which he could not do without trembling; whilst Califta, fecretly fatif. fied with this flattering preference, caft her eyes on him by ftealth. They were both under an apprehenfion, but efpecially Califta, of being caught by the other in the fact-and yet caught they were almost every moment,

:

The hour of feparation came, which to them appeared too fudden Melancholy were the reflections they made on the rapidity of time. Imagination, however, did not permit them to be entirely abfent from each other; for the image of Califta was deeply engraved on the mind of Agathocles, and bis features were ftrongly impreffed on that of Califta. They both appeared lefs cheerful the reft of the day. A lively sentiment, which they did not well comprehend themselves, entirely employed their minds, in fpite of every attempt to di, vert themselves.

5. Two days paffed without feeing one another again; and tho this interval of time had been filled up either by business or recreations, yet they both, notwithstanding, experienced a wearinefs and diffatisfaction in their minds, for which they could no way account. But the moment which brought them together again explained it to them; The perfect contentC

ment they felt in each other's company, made them fenfible of the real fource of their melancholy.

6. Agathocles took more courage that day: He addressed Califta in a moft obliging manner, and had the happiness to converfe with her for the first time. As yet he had feen only her outward charms; but now he discovered the beauty of her mind, the integrity of her heart, the dignity of her fentiments, and the delicacy of her wit; but what charmed him the moft, was the opinion he conceived that she did not judge him unworthy of her esteem.

7. From this time he made her frequent vifits; in every one of which he difcovered fome new perfection in the fair Calista. This is the characteristic of true merit; it gains by being expofed to the eye of a judicious perfon. A man of fenfe will foon diflike a coquet, a fool, or a giddy woman: But if he falls in love with a woman of merit, time, far from weakening, will only ftrengthen and augment his paffion.

8. The fixed inclination of Agathocles convinced him, now, that what he felt for Calista. was love, and that of the moft tender nature. This he new; but Calista did not as yet kuow it, or at least had not learnt it from his lips. Love is timorous and diffident. A bold fuitor is not the real lover of the lady whom he addreffes: He feeks for nothing but pleasure.

9. Agathocles at last resolved to open his heart to Calista ; but he did not do it in the affected lauguage of a romantic paffion. "Lovely Califta" faid he ingenuously," it is not mere esteem that binds me to you, but a moft paffionate and tender love. I feel that I cannot live without you: Can you, without violence to your inclinations, confent to make me happy? I may love you without offense; 'tis a tribute due to your merit: But may I flatter myself with tthe hopes of fome

ímall return?"

10. A coquet would have affected to be displeased at fuch a declaration. But Calista not only liftened to her lover without interrupting him, but answered him without ill-nature, and gave him leave to hope. Nor did fhe put his conftancy to a tedious trial: the happiness for which he fighed was no longer delayed than was neceffary to prepare the ceremony.

11. The marriage fettlements were eafily regulated betwxit the parties; for intereft was out of the question: The chief

article confifted in the mutual exchange of hearts, which was already fulfilled. What will be the lot of the new married couple? The happiest, I may venture to foretel, that mortals can enjoy upon earth.

12. No pleasures are comparable to thofe that affect the heart, and there are none, as I have obferved before, that af fect it with fuch exquifit delight, as loving and being loved. To this tender union we can never apply the words of Democritus, that the pleasure of love is but a fhort epilepfy. He meant without doubt mere fenfual pleafure, which has fo little in it of the nature of love, that a man may enjoy it without loving, and love without ever enjoying it.

13. They will be conftant in their love. This I dare alfo to predict; and I know the reason. Their affection is not founded on the dazzling charms of beauty; they are both the friends of virtue; they love each other on this account. They will therefore, continue to love, as long as they are virtuous and their union itself is a pledge of their perseve. rance for nothing fo much fecures our continuance in the paths of virtue, as to have perpetually before our eyes the example of a perfon whom we love.

14. Nothing is capable of disturbing their happiness, but thofe difafters and misfortunes from which their love cannot fhelter them. But fuppofing fuch a reverse of fortune, would not their fate in this refpect be common with that of the rest of mankind? Thofe who have never tafted the pleasures of love, are not exempt from the like cafualties; and the lover is at least a gainer in regard to thofe pleafures which conftitute no fmall part of the happinefs of life.

15. Befides, even love itfelf will greatly diminish the fenfe of their misfortunes. For love has the peculiar property of alleviating the sufferings of two fond hearts, and of rendering their pleafures more exquifit. By this communication of diitrefs, they seem to divide its weight: and on the contrary, by participation, their fatisfaction is doubled.

16. As a fquadron of horse is with greater difficulty broken thro by the enemy, in proportion to its clofenefs: fo the happy pair refift the attacks of adverfity with so much the more ftrength and fuccefs, as they are the more clofely united.

CHAP. XIII.

SORROW, PIETY, DEVOTION, FILIAL OBEDIENCE.
STORY OF LA ROCHE.

1. ORE than forty years ago, an English philofopher,
whofe works have fince been read and admired by
all Europe, refided at a little town in France.
Some difap
pointments in his native country had first driven him abroad,
and he was afterwards induced to remain there, from having
found in his retreat, where the connections even of nation and
language were avoided, a perfect feclufion and retirement,
highly favorable to the developement of abftract fubjects, in
which be excelled all the writers of his time.

2. Perhaps in the ftructure of fuch a mind, the finer and more delicate fenfibilities are feldom known to have place; or, if originally implanted there, are in a great meafure extinguished by the exertions of intense study and profound investigation.

3. Hence the idea that philofophy and unfeelingness are united, has become proverbial, and in common language, the former word is often used to exprefs the latter. Our philofopher has been cenfured by fome, as deficient in warmth and feeling; but the mildnefs of his manners has been allowed by all; and it is certain that if he was not eafily melted into compaffion, it was, at leaft, not difficult to awaken his benevolence.

4. One morning, while he fat bufied in thofe fpeculations which afterwards aftonifhed the world, an old female domeftic, who ferved him for a houfe-keeper, brought him word, that an elderly gentleman and his daughter had arrived in the village, the preceding evening, on their way to fome diftant country; and that the father had been fuddenly seized in the night with a dangerous diforder, which the people of the inn, where they lodged, feared would prove mortal :

5. That he had been fent for as having fome knowledge of medicin, the village furgeon being then abfent; and that it was truly piteous to fee the good old man, who feemed not fo much affected by his own diftrefs, as by that which it caufed to his daughter.

6. Her mafter laid afide the volume in his hand, and broke off the chain of ideas, it had infpired. His night-gown was exchanged for a coat, and he followed his governant to the fick man's apartment. It was the best in the little inn where

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