o Miss Rivers, Clarges Street.

Silleri, March 13.

Still with Madame Des Roches; appearances are rather against him,
you must own, Lucy: but I will not say all I think to you. Poor Emily!
we dispute continually, for she will persist in defending his conduct;
she says, he has a right to marry whoever he pleases; that her loving
him is no tie upon his honor, especially as he does not even know of
this preference; that she ought only to blame the weakness of her own
heart, which has betrayed her into a false belief that their tenderness
was mutual: this is pretty talking, but he has done every thing to
convince her of his feeling the strongest passion for her, except
making a formal declaration.

She talks of returning to England the moment the river is open:
indeed, if your brother marries, it is the only step left her to take. I
almost wish now she had married Sir George: she would have had all the
_douceurs_ of marriage; and as to love, I begin to think men
incapable of feeling it: some of them can indeed talk well on the
subject; but self-interest and vanity are the real passions of their
souls. I detest the whole sex.

Adieu!
A. Fermor.

LETTER 87.

To the Earl of ----.

My Lord,

Silleri, March 13.

I generally distrust my own opinion when it differs from your
Lordship's; but in this instance I am most certainly in the right:
allow me to say, nothing can be more ill-judged than your Lordship's
design of retiring into a small circle, from that world of which you
have so long been one of the most brilliant ornaments. What you say of
the disagreableness of age, is by no means applicable to your Lordship;
nothing is in this respect so fallible as the parish register. Why
should any man retire from society whilst he is capable of contributing
to the pleasures of it? Wit, vivacity, good-nature, and politeness,
give an eternal youth, as stupidity and moroseness a premature old
age. Without a thousandth part of your Lordship's shining qualities, I
think myself much younger than half the boys about me, meerly because I
have more good-nature, and a stronger desire of pleasing.

My daughter is much honored by your Lordship's enquiries: she is
Bell Fermor still; but is addressed by a gentleman who is extremely
agreable to me, and I believe not less so to her; I however know too
well the free spirit of woman, of which she has her full share, to let
Bell know I approve her choice; I am even