l our peace. And who knows where it may yet end?
--Your poor father but yesterday showed me this text: With bitter grief
he showed it me, poor man! and do you lay it to your heart:

'A father waketh for his daughter, when no man knoweth; and the care for
her taketh away his sleep--When she is young, lest she pass away the
flower of her age--[and you know what proposals were made to you at
different times.] And, being married, lest she should be hated. In her
virginity, lest she should be defiled, and gotten with child in her
father's house--[and I don't make the words, mind that.] And, having an
husband, lest she should misbehave herself.' And what follows? 'Keep
a sure watch over a shameless daughter--[yet no watch could hold you!]
lest she make thee a laughing stock to thine enemies--[as you have made
us all to this cursed Lovelace,] and a bye-word in the city, and a
reproach among the people, and make thee ashamed before the multitude.'
Ecclus. xlii. 9, 10, &c.

Now will you wish you had not written pertly. Your sister's severities!
--Never, girl, say that is severe that is deserved. You know the meaning
of words. No body better. Would to the Lord you had acted up but to one
half of what you know! then had we not been disappointed and grieved, as
we all have been: and nobody more than him who was

Your loving uncle,
ANTONY HARLOWE.

This will be with you to-morrow. Perhaps you may be suffered to have
some part of your estate, after you have smarted a little more.
Your pertly-answered uncle John, who is your trustee, will not have
you be destitute. But we hope all is not true that we hear of you.
--Only take care, I advise you, that, bad as you have acted, you
act not still worse, if it be possible to act worse. Improve upon
the hint.

LETTER IV

MISS CL. HARLOWE, TO ANTONY HARLOWE, ESQ.
SUNDAY, AUG. 13.

HONOURED SIR,

I am very sorry for my pert letter to my uncle Harlowe. Yet I did not
intend it to be pert. People new to misfortune may be too easily moved
to impatience.

The fall of a regular person, no doubt, is dreadful and inexcusable.
is like the sin of apostacy. Would to Heaven, however, that I had had
the circumstances of mine inquired into!

If, Sir, I make myself worse than I am in my health, and better than I am
in my penitence, it is fit I should be punished for my double
dissimulation: and you have the pleasure of being one of my pun