took Notice of; and being a Man of a quick and folid Penetration foon difcover'd the Cause. That is to fay, he faw plainly that it was only Love; but knew not, as yet, the unhappy Object of it. But having now discover'd the Diftemper, he was not long in finding out the Cause of it. When he first perceiv'd her penfive, he examined her thoroughly, though by distant Questions, and finding that her Malady was fettled in her Mind, he seem'd, to her, to take no further Notice of it. But at the same Time, obferved her future Words and Actions with the Severity of a Microscopic-Eye: and in a small Time after, was thoroughly convinced, that I was the Object of her Disease: and which indeed gave him no little Pain: For as I lay under all the Obligations in the World to his generous Friendship, and had had as much Experience of his great Understanding and Probity, I had made no Secret to him of my pafs'd Hiftory. And which he had often taken great Delight in hearing me repeat. So that he well knew how inviolably my whole Heart was bound to the perpetual Service of my dear Angelica. And therefore, as he was affured that I had made no willfull Attempt on the innocent Affections of his Daughter, he made no Scruple of acquainting me with this Discovery, as foon as he was certain that he was right therein. I must

I must confefs I was not lefs aftonifh'd at the News, than I was fincerely forry for it: For I owed my Friend fo high a Regard for his many paft Services, that I was now afraid the enfuing Confequence of this innocent Paffion would but ill repay his Goodnefs. But he feeing my Concern, fomewhat eased my Mind by his following Difcourse :

I see, my Friend, with fome Uneafiness, that what I have unfolded to you hath greatly affected you. But I have too much Confidence in your good Principles, to fufpect that this Accident hath been the leaft fought for by you; and I have too great an Opinion of your Underftanding and Experience to doubt of your Ability to ferve me in this Point. Therefore I beg to have your Advice how I may proceed in it.

Sir, faid I, as you have been pleased to declare, that you have an honourable Confidence in me, I could wish that you would further confirm it by a ready Refignation of the whole Affair to my entire Management. You fhall certainly be inform'd of every Step I mean to purfue, and of the continual Refult thereof, as foon, and as far as I am able to difcover it. And the firft Advance I fhould propofe, would be to take an Opportunity of founding Mifs to the very Depth of your Sufpicion; and by that Means we may discover how far she may affect VOL. IV.

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my

my Addreffes: that is to fay, whether she would most incline to encourage the Flame, or rather to fupprefs it (for it is not a Rule that a Perfon is always in Love to their own Liking.) And by this Search, we shall be the better able to proceed with Advantage. If the fhould approve my Addreffes, we will then confider, in the best Manner we can, how we may turn it to our Benefit but if the receive my Hints with Coldness and Indifference, we may then the easier hope that it will in a little Time wear off.

CHAP. V.

How the Yawho, Stardall, and the Captain proceeded with the young Lady, to make ber alter ber Love; or, at least, to transfix it on fomebody elfe, with a brief Account of their Success therein.

To all this, my worthy Friend affented; and by Appointment, the next Day I dined with him. When pretty Mifs Junetta, according to her own Tafte and Defire, was now dress'd out to the very best Advantage; and, indeed, to do her Perfon Juftice, I never in my Life faw a more charming Creature! and had not the Image of my divine Angelica

been

been too deeply engraved in my Heart to admit of the leaft Erafement, or yield to any Competitor; it would have been impoffible for me to have refifted the foft Fire of her moft powerfull Eyes. But, if he was decorated with fuch Additions to her Beauty; I, on the contrary, was, purposely, as much the Reverse. Notwithftanding which, it was very obvious that her judicious Father had pointed out the right Thorn that gaul'd her tender Bolom. For whenever I commended her Charms and Perfon, it is incredible what a rapturous Confufion inftantly overspread her Face. The Light'ning fparkled in her Eyes! and a fudden glowing Gladness enliven'd every Feature! But what confirm'd us yet more, in our just Apprehenfion, was this, that, altho fhe had fcarcely eaten an Ounce of Food for feveral Days before, and had now also begun the like Decline at Dinner; yet, I no fooner affumed the Office of her Carver, as likewise to recommend to her certain little Carvings, but the feem'd to receive them, and eat them with great Complaifance and Pleasure, to the no fmall Satisfaction of her good Father and myfelf. Encouraged by this Profpect, I ftay'd with them the whole Evening; during which Time, her Father feem'd not to take the leaft Notice of any Thing that pafs'd between us and Mifs was as cheerfull

and as high in Spirits as we could wish. Two Days after, I promised to dine there again; in which interval, Mifs was as impatient and as whimsical as perhaps any English Lady could poffibly be of her Age, and in her prefent Condition: And in this Space her Father and I confulted how we should proceed hereafter. For, to speak truth, Mifs run as much in my Head as I could poffibly do in her's. But with quite diff'rent Motives; for her's might very poffibly be, on the most likely Means how to gain my Efteem and Affection: but my Study was, how to transfer her's to fomebody else: and alfo to one, who would be much more likely to make her infinitely happy.

To this End, I demanded of my Friend Stardall, whether there was any worthy Youth, in particular, in his Mind, who he imagined might well deferve his Daughter, and could make her happy and alfo, added, that if he could truft me with his Thoughts on that Head, and that there was any fuch Thing in his View; I did not doubt, but that in a little Time I fhould bring it to bear. He answer'd, that there were but two Points in his Daughter's Affection for me, that gave him the least Uneafinefs; and thofe were, firft, that knowing of my former Engagements with my Angelica in England, it was entirely out of the Question (efpecially as I intended to hazard a Return home)

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