had been taken to provide equipage, fervants and all things requifite for a travelling establishment, amongst which a few well-felected books were not forgotten, and, thus at length equipt, Ned with his companion, on the first morning of the month of May, having taken leave of Mr. Somerville and Mrs. Goodifon, and received a tender adieu from his beloved Conftantia, ftept reluctantly into his chaife, and left the fineft eyes in the creation to pay the tribute of a tear to the forrows of the scene.

From this period I had heard nothing of his proceedings till a few days ago, when I was favoured by him with the following letter, dated from the houfe of Mr. Somerville:

"Dear Sir,

"I am just returned from a fix months tour, in "the course of which I have vifited a variety of "places and perfons in company with a gentleman, "from whofe pleafing fociety I have reaped the "highest enjoyment, and, if I do not deceive "myself, no fmall degree of profit and inftruc❝tion.

"Before I fate out upon this excursion I had "the fatisfaction of feeing my private affairs put "in fuch a train, and arranged upon fo clear a "fyftem, that I find myself in poffeffion of a fund "of occupation for the rest of my days in super

་་

intending the concerns of my eftate, and inter"efting myself in the welfare and profperity of "every perfon, who depends upon me.

"When I returned to this charming place, the "reception I met with from Mr. Somerville was as flattering as can be conceived; the worthy

"mother

"mother of my beloved Conftantia was no lefs "kind to me; but in what words can I attempt "to convey to you the impreffion I felt on my "heart, when I was welcomed with fmiles of ap"probation by the ever-adorable object of my "affection? What tranfport did it give me, "when I found her anxious to enquire into every "circumftance, that had occurred in the course of 66 my travels! none were too minute for her "notice; the feemed to take an intereft in every "thing that had happened to me, and our con"verfations were renewed time after time without "weariness on her part, or any profpect of ex"haufting our fubject.

"At this time I had no other expectation but of

a fecond excurfion with the conductor of the "first, and as that gentleman was in frequent "conference with Mr. Somerville, I took for

granted they were concerting the plan of a "foreign tour; and though my heart was every "hour more and more fondly attached to Conftan

tia, fo that a feparation from her was painful to "reflect on, yet I was refolved at all events not "to fwerve from my engagements with her grand"father, and therefore held myself in trembling "expectation of another fummons to go forth: "delightfully as the hours paffed away in her 66 fociety, I dreaded left any fymptoms of felf"indulgence fhould lower me in her opinion, or "create fufpicions in Mr. Somerville and Mrs. "Goodison that I was in any danger of relapfing "into my former indolence: I therefore feized "the firft opportunity of explaining myfelf to "those refpectable friends, when Conftantia was "not prefent, and, addreffing myself to Mr. "Somerville,

"Somerville, affured him that I was not difpofed "to forget any part of his good advice, nor fo "much my own enemy as to evade any one of "thofe conditions, to the performance of which "he had annexed the hope of fo tranfcendent a "reward: confcious that he could impofe nothing "upon me fo hard to do, or fo painful to fuffer, "which fuch a prize would not infinitely overba"lance, I had no other backwardness or apprehen"fion as to his commands, but what fprung from "the conviction, that after all my efforts I muft "ever remain unworthy of Conftantia.

"I fhall never forget Mr. Somerville's reply, "nor the action which accompanied it. My good

friend, faid he, (leaning over the arm of the "chair, and kindly taking me by the hand) it is "more than enough for a man to have made one "fuch fatal error in his life as I have done, one "fuch unhappy facrifice to the falfe opinions of "the world; but though I have heartily repented "of this error, I am not fo far reformed, as to be " without ambition in the choice of a husband for 66 our Conftantia; no, Sir, I am ftill as ambitious

as ever, but I hope with better judgment and upon better principles; I will not bate an atom "of virtue in the bargain I am to make; I infift << upon the good qualities of the heart and temper "to the laft fcruple; thefe are the effentials which "I rigidly exact, and all thefe you poffefs; there "are indeed other, many other, incidental arti"cles, which you may, or you may not, fuperadd "to the account; but I am contented to strike "hands with you on the fpot, though you fhall "never have fet foot upon foreign foil.-What "fays my daughter to this?

"When

"When I caft my eyes upon the countenance "of the most benevolent of women, and faw it "turned expreffively upon me, fmiling through "tears, joy palpitated at my heart, whilft fhe de"livered herself as follows:-I were of all beings "most infenfible, could I withhold my teftimony "to this gentleman's merits, or my entire affent "to his alliance with my daughter; but as I have "ever repofed perfect confidence in her, and, as "far as I was enabled, always confulted her wishes, "I fhould be glad this question might be fairly "and candidly referred to her unbiaffed judgment "for decifion: fhe is very young: our friend "here is neither old in years nor experience; both "parties have time before them; fhould the be "willing to hold off from the married ftate for a "while, fhould the foresee advantages in our "friend's undertaking a second tour with the fame "inftructive ailociate, (whether into foreign "countries or nearer home) let her be the judge "of what is most likely to conduce to her future "happiness in a husband, and as I am perfuaded

our friend here will practise no unfair measures "for biaffing her judgment, let him confult Con"ftantia's wifhes on the cafe, and as the deter"mines fo let him act, and fo let us agree.

"With these inftructions, which Mr. Somer"ville feconded, I haftened to Conftantia, and "without hesitation or difguife related to her what "had paffed and requested her decifion. Judge "(if it be poffible to judge) of my transports, "when that ingenuous, that angelic creature gave 66' me a reply, that left no room to doubt that I "was bleft in the poffeffion of her heart, and that "she could not endure a fecond feparation.

"I flew

"I flew to Mr. Somerville; I fell at the feet of "Mrs. Goodifon; I interceded, implored and "was accepted. Nothing ever equalled the gene"rofity of their behaviour. I am now to change 66 my name to Somerville, at that worthy gentle"man's exprefs defire, and measures are already "in train for that purpofe. The fame abilities, "which I am indebted to for the good condition "of my affairs, are employed in perfecting the "marriage fettlement, and the period now between me and happiness would by any other perfon but myself be termed a very thort one. "Thus am I on the very eve of being bleft "with the lovelieft, the divineft object upon "earth, and thus have I by the good counfel of my "friends (in which number I fhall ever reckon "you) broke the fhackles of that unmanly indo"lence, under which I was finking apace into "irretrievable languor and infignificance. Hence"forward I entreat you to regard me as a new

man, and believe that with my name I have put "off my infirmity. We are in daily expectation "of our friendly Abrahams, who is an Ifraelite "indeed: your company would round our circle "and complete the happiness of