this anima or gold of the understanding, I will give you a sketch of my own outset in life. I was educated under the care of a private tutor, from whom I received not only classic instruction, but many moral inculcations, seldom attended to in public colleges. In short, my sentiments were as perfect a chain of correct and properly combined ideas as could be well imagined, and modesty ruled over me so absolutely that I blushed at every thing; and I could not have spoken first to a young girl if you had given me a guinea to do it; and as for giving her a salute I would sooner have suffered transportation. Upon so moral a ground, it might be imagined a perfect superstructure would have been raised, and indeed so it might, if the materials of the building had been better understood. But to continue, about the age of twenty I began, at the request of my parents, who were rich, to consider something of the character it would become me to establish in the world. I had not any of the material drawbacks upon the inclinations, many experience, such as the want of a liberal education, of fortune, of health, or of figure. It was now that, among other reading, I perused Richardson's Sir Charles Grandison, and that I felt the ardour of making that imaginary gentleman my prototype. I had, in short, determined to be reasonable in all my actions, to abstain from the follies incident to other men, never to drink, never to game, never to visit bad women, never to get in debt, never to borrow money. This desire of the immaculate came on chiefly when I was alone, and then I strutted about the room, imagined the chairs filled

with the wondering spectators of the assembly, admiring my elegance and refinement. No awkward constraint, no mistrust of myself, not an hasty expression, nor a look of impatience, were to be observed; I was perfectly at ease, assured, tranquil, and consistent in the assembly, where I had never been. At last, however, the time arrived when my lady mother, for my father was a country gentleman, saw company. I was of age, and was to put the lessons of my tutor, Sir Charles Grandison, and my dancing-master, into practice. The company were select and brilliant, and I entered the drawing-room with an assurance of success. Judge my astonishment, however, when I tell you that I passed unnoticed in the crowd, except what attention I received from some old women who had surrounded mamma. Still, however, I preserved my ease, until a little ugly foolish looking girl set up a horse laugh as I passed by, whispering at the same time a whole circle of creatures like herself, I wonder how Sir Charles Grandison would have stood this! I confess that it gave me a little physical confusion, but I surmounted the danger by running away, and when I got into a corner was perfectly Sir Charles Grandison again. But my mortification was soon after renewed, for I began to find, even when I forced myself forward, that nobody gave to my morality nor to my manners the character of my original Sir Charles; nobody said, How like Sir Charles Grandison! However, I had sense enough to believe, that when a little more used to company I should soon get rid of those unpleasant

gaucheries which perplex and torment the novice on the town, and that my morals were at any rate safe from attacks like those I had just suffered. Among the rest of the company I observed a gentleman who really did seem the subject of admiration in the circle, His manners were perfectly formed, he conversed with ease and elegance, wore a constant smile upon his countenance, was polite and attentive to the women, and friendly and conversant with the men. It was Lord Lustre, and really I was much prepossessed in the idea of his likeness to Sir Charles Grandison, and of my likeness to him. Fortunately I did not pass the whole night unnoticed, for an extremely gay pleasant young man of fashion, who I had never seen before, Mr. Saunter, came to my relief, took my arm, walked up and down the room with me in the most friendly manner, and engaged me in conversation. I felt as bold as a lion, and I took an opportunity, among other things, to express to him my admiration of my Lord Lustre, who, I observed, was, doubtless, ano, ther Sir Charles Grandison, At this, Mr. Saunter set up a loud laugh, " Damme, Peregrine, that's a good thing, however." "I owe you one for that." "So you know my Lord Lustre?" "Well, come, you have a good deal of wit, damme." I could not, at first, make out what I had said so brilliant, particularly as I had before quoted some witty sayings of the ancients, which I had learnt of my tutor, without the smallest success. 66 Why you know," cried Saunter, as if I had been as well acquainted with life as himself, "you know that Lord Lustre is the greatest

roue upon town; he never speaks to a girl without planning her destruction, nor to a man without fishing for a loan." My blood stagnated in my veins at these observations, and I scarcely believed Saunter in earnest. I had, however, good sense enough to conceal the mistake I had laboured under about his lordship, and looked as cunning as I could. My friend Saunter, who had entertained a very different opinion of me than I wished to establish, asked me to dine the next day at a hotel, with two or three of his friends, which invitation I thought I might accept. Dancing had now begun, and I took by the hand a beautiful and accomplished woman as a partner; but no sooner did my fingers come in contact with hers than I felt that I was in a state of perspiration, my knees trembled, and when I had to lead down the middle, I forgot all the new fashionable steps Mons. Crapaud had taught me, bounced against my partner's back in the allemande, and fell upon my nose in swinging corners. I made, however, an awkward apology, complained that I had sprained my ankle, and left off dancing, almost convinced that I was not very much like Sir Charles Grandison. The next day I attended at the hotel, to meet my friend Saunter, who introduced me to Col. Brilliant, Capt. Dash'em, and Mr. Cog the counsellor, and now I began to think something of myself. I had determined, however, notwithstanding their free and easy politeness, to be upon my guard against every thing that might endanger the system of pure morality which I had proposed to establish; I could not, however, you

know, refuse to take a glass of wine with Col. Brilliant, Capt. Dash'em, Mr. Cog the counsellor, or my friend, that was quite impossible. The wine happened to be Madeira, which presently warmed the chillness of my cold philosophy, and I began to find a material and not unpleasant change taking place. I did not resist another and another glass, it was quite impossible, and each succeeding one assisted to enliven my torpid imagination; the Colonel helped me to the most exquisite of the dishes, les pieds de chameaux and des dindoneaux; the most excellent port and claret was served after dinner, and I found constraint wearing off very fast indeed; in short, after coffee, we all went in a coach to the theatre, completely drunk, and from thence to an house of no very good fame. Cog invited us very kindly home to his chambers, where hazard was proposed, and I found myself, though inebriated, so good a player that I returned home to Hanover-square a winner of a rouleau, after having received the compliments of the whole party for my skill and my manners, with fresh invitations from each. The next morning gave me leisure to reflect how unlike all this was to the character of Sir Charles Grandison; I leant my head upon my hand, cast a sheep's eye at the seven volumes, elegantly bound, on the shelf opposite to me, and fetched a heavy sigh. I found that I had completely lost ground in my own esteem, and began to imagine that I, as a woman who has committed a faux pas, had completely lost my character, for I had got drunk, gamed, and visited a courtezan, all in the same even