you,
madam, that I know not whether it be I who owe to you excuses, or you
from whom they are due to me."

It is now ten years since these letters were written. I have since that
time frequently thought of the subject of them; and such is still my
stupidity that I have hitherto been unable to discover what in the
passages, quoted from my letter, she could find offensive, or even
displeasing.

I must here mention, relative to the manuscript copy of Eloisa Madam de
Luxembourg wished to have, in what manner I thought to give it some
marked advantage which should distinguish it from all others. I had
written separately the adventures of Lord Edward, and had long been
undetermined whether I should insert them wholly, or in extracts, in the
work in which they seemed to be wanting. I at length determined to
retrench them entirely, because, not being in the manner of the rest,
they would have spoiled the interesting simplicity, which was its
principal merit. I had still a stronger reason when I came to know Madam
de Luxembourg: There was in these adventures a Roman marchioness, of a
bad character, some parts of which, without being applicable, might have
been applied to her by those to whom she was not particularly known.
I was therefore, highly pleased with the determination to which I had
come, and resolved to abide by it. But in the ardent desire to enrich
her copy with something which was not in the other, what should I fall
upon but these unfortunate adventures, and I concluded on making an
extract from them to add to the work; a project dictated by madness, of
which the extravagance is inexplicable, except by the blind fatality
which led me on to destruction.

'Quos vult perdere Jupiter dementet.'

I was stupid enough to make this extract with the greatest care and
pains, and to send it her as the finest thing in the world; it is true,
I at the same time informed her the original was burned, which was really
the case, that the extract was for her alone, and would never be seen,
except by herself, unless she chose to show it; which, far from proving,
to her my prudence and discretion, as it was my intention to do, clearly
intimated what I thought of the application by which she might be
offended. My stupidity was such, that I had no doubt of her being
delighted with what I had done. She did not make me the compliment upon
it which I expected, and, to my great surprise, never once mentioned the
p