public he was her constant shadow, and appeared determined to prevent any other man from approaching her too nearly, and this, it was said, arose from a wish on his part to make it appear that he had succeeded in the lawless object of his incessant desire, and that having failed to make any impression upon her by entreaties, by presents, by threats of the committal of suicide, he sought to accomplish his wishes by the ruin of her character, and the dissemination of the vilest calumnies, which would for ever blast her reputation. To her father she dared not breathe a syllable against this individual, for he was courted and respected by her family; but at length she was determined to disclose to Sheridan, who had already gained her heart, the painful position in which she was placed. After a consultation with his sister, the singular step of a flight to the Continent was resolved upon, an elopement took place, and a marriage at a village in the neighbourhood of Calais was the consequence; but as it was deemed right to keep the ceremony a secret, she afterwards went to a convent at Lisle, there to remain till such time as Sheridan might publicly claim her as his wife.

Miss Linley's extraordinary letter, which has fortunately been preserved, will best explain her share in these events.

"BATH, May 2, 1772.

"After so long a silence, and after the many unfavourable reports which must, I dare say, have prejudiced my dear friend against me, how shall I endeavour to vindicate a conduct which has but too much deserved her censure? But if my dear friend will suspend her judgment till I have made her acquainted with my real motives, I flatter myself she will rather be induced to pity than condemn me.

"At the time I wrote last, my mind was in a state of distraction not to be conceived; but I little thought then I should ever be forced to the cruel necessity of leaving my friends, and becoming an exile from everything I hold dear.

"In your answer to that letter, you hinted that you thought I loved Mr. R—, and that that was the cause of my uneasiness; but in that you, as well as many others, have been deceived. I confess myself greatly to blame in my behaviour to him; but I cannot explain myself on this subject, without acquainting you with the first cause of every uneasiness and indiscretion I have since been guilty of. Let me, then, my dear girl, beg your patience; for, though my story is long, and not very enlivening, yet such is the affection I have for you that I cannot bear to think it possible, by the various reports which are so industriously propagated, I may entirely lose your good opinion and esteem-a thing, of all others, I should most regret. Excuse my being tedious; and when you know the motive which induced me to take this last step, I flatter myself you will once more restore me to your friendship.

"At the age of twelve years, I was brought from the country, where I had been all my life, and introduced into public, with a heart capable of receiving the softest impressions, and too sincere ever to suspect deceit in another. I was led into scenes of dissipation, when reason and experience were not allowed to assist me in the many temptations which ever surrounded a young girl in such a situation. But, though my credulity often made me feel for the pretended distresses of others, yet my heart was entirely free from love, nor could I be seduced by flattery and compli

ments. I always considered them as words of course; and never looked upon those people as my friends who made too much use of them.

"In an evil hour my father was introduced to Mr. Matthews, as one who wished to serve him. My father, who is, like me, too apt to believe every one his friend who professes himself so, gladly embraced the opportunity of gaining the friendship of a man who had it in his power to be of service to him in his business: little did he think he was seeking the serpent who was designed to sting his heart. Mr. Matthews, from the first moment he saw me, resolved to make me his prey, and (child as I then was) left no means untried to make himself master of my affections, thinking but too justly that an impression fixed so early in life could not easily be removed. If it were possible to describe the many arts he made use of to effect this end, you would, I am sure, at once excuse me; but as these are not to be conceived by any one but those who are capable of acting so basely, I must still rely on your goodness.

"For three years he never ceased his assiduities to me; and though at times my conscience would upbraid me, yet by his respectful behaviour, his counterfeit distress, and by averring sentiments foreign to his heart, he made me, instead of flying from him, not only pity him, but promise him my friendship. This was my first fault. He saw too plainly that he was not indifferent to me, and made use of every artifice to increase my regard.

"About this time the people began to take notice of his particular behaviour to me, and my friends all spoke to my father to hinder my seeing him; but my father, thinking that my youth was a sufficient safe

guard for me, and unwilling to lose, as he thought, a good friend, took no notice of this first alarm. I then began to feel myself, for the first time, wretchedly involved in an unhappy passion for a man whom (though I thought him equally to be pitied) yet it was criminal in me even to think of. When he went into the country for the summer, I resolved, whatever it cost me, to tear him from my heart, and when he returned, to avoid him everywhere. With these resolutions I consoled myself till winter. When he returned, he had not been in town a week before we had repeated invitations to his house. Conscious that I could never forget him, if I was always to be exposed to his solicitations, I informed my mother of everything he had said to me, and, at the same time, told her how far he had gained my heart.

"Oh, my dear friend, had my mother but then acted properly, I had now been happy; but she, too much attached to interest, laughed at my uneasiness, and told me that novels had turned my head; and that I fancied, if any one was civil to me, he must certainly be in love. She desired I would put such thoughts out of my head; for no man could think seriously of such a child. Thus was I again led into temptation, and exposed to all the artifices of a man whom I already loved but too well, and who was but too sensible of it. I could not fly from the danger. After my first reproof, I was ashamed to mention it again to my mother, and I had everything to fear from my father's violent temper.

"For another year we went on in the same manner ; till, at last, finding it impossible to conquer my inclinations, he soon brought me to a confession of my weakness, which has been the cause of all my distress.

That obstacle removed, many others fell of course, and the next season he prevailed on me to meet him at the house of a friend, as we were not permitted to talk together in public. During this time I had many offers of marriage very much to my advantage; but I refused them all. So far had he gained my love, that I resolved never to marry.

"About this time, Mr. Long addressed me. You know by what means I was induced to suffer his visits, though you do not know likewise that another great motive was the hope of forgetting Matthews, and retiring into solitude. After I had consented to receive Mr. Long's visits, I forbade Matthews ever to speak to me, to the consequences of which you yourself were witness. He immediately pretended to be dying, and by that artifice very nearly made me really so. You know how ill I was for a long time. At last he wrote me word, that he must see me once more; that he would then take a final leave of me, and quit the kingdom directly; but he could not resolve to go without seeing me. I was weak enough to comply with his request, as I thought it would be the last time.

"Some way or other, my mother was told of it, when she taxed me with it. I immediately confessed everything that had passed since I first acquainted her with his behaviour. She was at first greatly enraged; but on my telling her how unexceptionably he had behaved, she was pacified, and consented to conceal it from my father. And indeed, my dear, had any impartial person been present at our meeting, they would have thought Matthews the most unhappy but amiable man in the world. His behaviour was always consistent with the strictest honour; nor did he ever, in the smallest degree, give me any reason to think he had