unreasonable of fathers; what a wife will she make the man who shall have
the honour to call her his!

What apprehensions wouldst thou have had reason for, had she been
prevailed upon by giddy or frail motives, for which one man, by
importunity, might prevail, as well as another?

We all know what an inventive genius thou art master of: we are all
sensible, that thou hast a head to contrive, and a heart to execute.
Have I not called thine the plotting'st heart in the universe? I called
it so upon knowledge. What woulds't thou more? Why should it be the
most villainous, as well as the most able?--Marry the lady; and, when
married, let her know what a number of contrivances thou hadst in
readiness to play off. Beg of her not to hate thee for the
communication; and assure her, that thou gavest them up for remorse, and
in justice to her extraordinary merit: and let her have the opportunity
of congratulating herself for subduing a heart so capable of what thou
callest glorious mischief. This will give her room for triumph; and even
thee no less: she, for hers over thee; thou, for thine over thyself.

Reflect likewise upon her sufferings for thee. Actually at the time thou
art forming schemes to ruin her, (at least in her sense of the word,) is
she not labouring under a father's curse laid upon her by thy means, and
for thy sake? and wouldst thou give operation and completion to that
curse, which otherwise cannot have effect?

And what, Lovelace, all the time is thy pride?--Thou that vainly
imaginest that the whole family of the Harlowes, and that of the Howes
too, are but thy machines, unknown to themselves, to bring about thy
purposes, and thy revenge, what art thou more, or better, than the
instrument even of her implacable brother, and envious sister, to
perpetuate the disgrace of the most excellent of sisters, to which they
are moved by vilely low and sordid motives?--Canst thou bear, Lovelace,
to be thought the machine of thy inveterate enemy James Harlowe?--Nay,
art thou not the cully of that still viler Joseph Leman, who serves
himself as much by thy money, as he does thee by the double part he acts
by thy direction?--And further still, art thou not the devil's agent, who
only can, and who certainly will, suitably reward thee, if thou
proceedest, and if thou effectest thy wicked purpose?

Could any man but thee put together upon paper the following questions
with so much unconcern as thou seemest to have w