cises for her power, till she grow uneasy to
herself, a discredit to her husband, and a plague to all about her.

But this honest fellow, it seems, with tears in his eyes, and with humble
prostration, besought the vixen to permit him to set out in his
chariot-and-four, in order to give himself the glory of protecting such an
oppressed innocent, in the face of the whole world. Nay, he reddened, it
seems: and trembled too! as he read the fair complainant's letter.--How
valiant is all this!--Women love brave men; and no wonder that his tears,
his trembling, and his prostration, gave him high reputation with the meek
Miss Howe.

But dost think, Jack, that I in the like case (and equally affected with
the distress) should have acted thus? Dost think, that I should not
first have rescued the lady, and then, if needful, have asked excuse for
it, the lady in my hand?--Wouldst not thou have done thus, as well as I?

But, 'tis best as it is. Honest Hickman may now sleep in a whole skin.
And yet that is more perhaps than he would have done (the lady's
deliverance unattempted) had I come at this requested permission of his
any other way than by a letter that it must not be known that I have
intercepted.

Miss Howe thinks I may be diverted from pursuing my charmer, by some
new-started villany. Villany is a word that she is extremely fond of.
But I can tell her, that it is impossible I should, till the end of this
villany be obtained. Difficulty is a stimulus with such a spirit as mine.
I thought Miss Howe knew me better. Were she to offer herself, person for
person, in the romancing zeal of her friendship, to save her friend, it
should not do, while the dear creature is on this side the moon.

She thanks Heaven, that her friend has received her letter of the 7th.
We are all glad of it. She ought to thank me too. But I will not at
present claim her thanks.

But when she rejoices that the letter went safe, does she not, in effect,
call out for vengeance, and expect it!--All in good time, Miss Howe.
When settest thou out for the Isle of Wight, love?

I will close at this time with desiring thee to make a list of the
virulent terms with which the enclosed letter abounds: and then, if thou
supposest that I have made such another, and have added to it all the
flowers of the same blow, in the former letters of the same saucy
creature, and those in that of Miss Harlowe, which she left for me on her
elopement, thou wilt certai