brothers about cutting of throats, if the brothers had at
heart the honour of their families, as it is called; and the whole world
would either be a scene of confusion; or cuckoldom as much the fashion as
it is in Lithuania.*

* In Lithuania, the women are said to have so allowedly their gallants,
called adjutores, that the husbands hardly ever enter upon any part of
pleasure without them.

I am glad, however, that Miss Howe (as much as she hates me) kept her
word with my cousins on their visit to her, and with me at the Colonel's,
to endeavour to persuade her friend to make up all matters by matrimony;
which, no doubt, is the best, nay, the only method she can take, for her
own honour, and that of her family.

I had once thoughts of revenging myself on that vixen, and, particularly,
as thou mayest* remember, had planned something to this purpose on the
journey she is going to take, which had been talked of some time. But, I
think--let me see--yet, I think, I will let this Hickman have her safe
and entire, as thou believest the fellow to be a tolerable sort of a
mortal, and that I have made the worst of him: and I am glad, for his own
sake, he has not launched out too virulently against me to thee.

* See Vol. IV. Letter LIV.

But thou seest, Jack, by her refusal of money from him, or Miss Howe,*
that the dear extravagant takes a delight in oddnesses, choosing to part
with her clothes, though for a song. Dost think she is not a little
touched at times? I am afraid she is. A little spice of that insanity,
I doubt, runs through her, that she had in a stronger degree, in the
first week of my operations. Her contempt of life; her proclamations;
her refusal of matrimony; and now of money from her most intimate
friends; are sprinklings of this kind, and no other way, I think, to be
accounted for.

* See Letter XLVIII. of this volume.

Her apothecary is a good honest fellow. I like him much. But the silly
dear's harping so continually upon one string, dying, dying, dying, is
what I have no patience with. I hope all this melancholy jargon is owing
entirely to the way I would have her to be in. And it being as new to
her, as the Bible beauties to thee,* no wonder she knows not what to make
of herself; and so fancies she is breeding death, when the event will
turn out quite the contrary.

* See Letter XLVI. of this volume.

Thou art a sorry fellow in thy remarks on the education and qualificatio