thou hast for it.'

What an advocate art thou for matrimony--!

Thou wert ever an unhappy fellow at argument. Does the trite stuff with
which the rest of thy letter abounds, in favour of wedlock, strike with
the force that this which I have transcribed does against it?

Thou takest great pains to convince me, and that from the distresses
the lady is reduced to (chiefly by her friend's persecutions and
implacableness, I hope thou wilt own, and not from me, as yet) that the
proposed trial will not be a fair trial. But let me ask thee, Is not
calamity the test of virtue? And wouldst thou not have me value this
charming creature upon proof of her merits?--Do I not intend to reward
her by marriage, if she stand that proof?

But why repeat I what I have said before?--Turn back, thou egregious
arguer, turn back to my long letter of the 13th,* and thou wilt there
find every syllable of what thou hast written either answered or
invalidated.

* See Letter XVIII. of this volume.

But I am not angry with thee, Jack. I love opposition. As gold is tried
by fire, and virtue by temptation, so is sterling wit by opposition.
Have I not, before thou settest out as an advocate for my fair-one,
often brought thee in, as making objections to my proceedings, for no
other reason than to exalt myself by proving thee a man of straw? As
Homer raises up many of his champions, and gives them terrible names,
only to have them knocked on the head by his heroes.

However, take to thee this one piece of advice--Evermore be sure of
being in the right, when thou presumest to sit down to correct thy
master.

And another, if thou wilt--Never offer to invalidate the force which
a virtuous education ought to have in the sex, by endeavouring to find
excuses for their frailty from the frailty of ours. For, are we not
devils to each other?--They tempt us--we tempt them. Because we men
cannot resist temptation, is that a reason that women ought not,
when the whole of their education is caution and warning against our
attempts? Do not their grandmothers give them one easy rule--Men are to
ask--Women are to deny?

Well, but to return to my principal subject; let me observe, that, be my
future resolutions what they will, as to this lady, the contents of the
violent letter she has received have set me at least a month forward
with her. I can now, as I hinted, talk of love and marriage, without
controul or restriction; her injunctions no more my