of those who, as Swift fays, ftood as a fcreen between me and death. He has I hope made a good exchange. He was very pious; he was very innocent; he did no ill; and of doing good a continual tenour of distress allowed him few opportunities: he was very highly esteemed in the house.

Write to me if you can fome words of comfort. My dear girls feem all to forget

THE

have sent to all the guardians, but our friendship demands fomewhat more; it requires that I should beg your pardon for concealing from you a connexion which you must have heard of by many, but I suppose

never believed. Indeed, my dear Sir, it was concealed only to fave us both needless pain; I could not have borne to reject that counsel it would have killed me to take, and I only tell it you now because all is irrevocably settled and out of your power to prevent. will fay however, that the dread of your disapprobation has given me fome anxious moments, and though perhaps I am become by many privations the most independent woman in the world, I feel as if acting without a parent's confent till you write kindly

to

Your faithful fervant.

I

LETTER CCCLIV.

To Mrs. PIOZ Z I.

DEAR MADAM,

London, July 8, 1784.

WHAT you have done, however I may lament it, I have no pretence to resent,

as it has not been injurious to me: I therefore breathe out one sigh more of tenderness, perhaps useless, but at leaft fincere.

I wish that God may grant you every bleffing, that you may be happy in this world for its fhort continuance, and eternally happy in a better ftate; and whatever I can contribute to your happiness I am very ready to repay, for that kindness which soothed twenty years of a life radically wretched.

Do not think slightly of the advice which I now presume to offer. Prevail upon Mr. Piozzi to fettle in England: you may live here with more dignity than in Italy, and with more fecurity: your rank will be higher, and fortune more under your own eye. I your I defire not to detail all my reasons, but every argument of prudence and intereft is for England, and only fome phantoms of imagination feduce you to Italy.

I am afraid however that my counsel is vain, yet I have cafed my heart by giving it.

When Queen Mary took the refolution of fheltering herself in England, the Archbishop of St. Andrew's, attempting to diffuade her, attended on her journey; and when they came to the irremeable stream that separated the two kingdoms, walked by her fide into the water, in the middle of which he seized her

bridle,

bridle, and with earneftness proportioned to her danger and his own affection preffed her to return. The Queen went forward.If the parallel reaches thus far, may it go no farther. The tears ftand in my eyes.

I am going into Derbyshire, and hope to be followed by your good wishes, for I am, with great affection,

Your, &c.

Any letters that come for me hither will be fent me.

A

FTER having finished the felection of Doctor Johnson's Letters to myself, and after having filently lamented that he who had written them would write no more;-after having paffed likewise the painful task of reviewing in my own letters what Spenfer fo pathetically terms`

Many an old forrow, which made a new breach! I found myself unexpectedly favoured by the good-nature of thofe, to whofe confidence or kindness I could have formed no pretenfions, for fome variety of entertainment to the Public. In the Letters addreffed to Mifs Boothby they will perhaps be lefs ftruck with the Author's excellence than with that of the Lady, for whom he profeffes and for whom I know he felt fuch profound veneration. His powers of expreffion are already fufficiently known, but to deferve fuch reverence is more difficult than to express it; nor was Doctor Johnson at any period of his life in