godmother, the girl was, by her directions, called Sophia; fo that we had two romantic names in the family; but I folemnly protest I had no hand in it. Mofes was our next, and after an interval of twelve years, we had two fons more. It would be fruitless to deny my exultation when I faw my little ones about me; but the vanity and the fatisfaction of my wife were even greater than mine. When our visitors would fay, Well, upon my word, Mrs. Primrose, you have the • finest children in the whole country.'Ay, neighbour,' fhe would answer, they are as heaven made them, handfome enough, if they be good enough; for handsome is that handfome does.' And then he would bid the girls hold up their heads; who, to conceal nothing, were certainly very handsome. Mere outfide is fo very trifling a circumstance with me, that I should scarce have remembered to mention it, had it not been a general topic of converfation in the country. Olivia, Olivia, now about eighteen, had that luxuriancy of beauty with which painters generally draw Hebe; open, fprightly, and commanding. Sophia's features were not fo striking at firft; but often did more certain execution; for they were foft, modeft, and alluring. The one vanquished by a single blow, the other by efforts fuccefsfully repeated. The temper of a woman is generally formed from the turn of her features, at leaft it was fo with my daughters. Olivia wished for many lovers, one. Olivia was often great a defire to please. Sophia to fecure affected from too Sophia even re preft excellence, from her fears to offend. The one entertained me with her vivacity when I was gay, the other with her fenfe when I was serious. But thefe qualities. were never carried to excefs in either, and I have often feen them exchange characters for a whole day together. A fuit of mourning has transformed my coquet into a prude, and a new fet of ribbands has * given her youngest fifter more than natural vivacity. My eldeft fon George was bred at Oxford, as I intended him for one of the learned profeffions. My fecond boy Mofes, whom I defigned for business, received a fort of a mifcellaneous education at home. But it is needlefs to attempt defcribing the particular characters of young people that had feen but very little of the world. In fhort, a family likeness prevailed through all, and properly speaking, they had but one character, that of being all equally generous, credulous, fimple, and inoffensive. CHAP. II. Family misfortunes. The lofs of fortune only serves to increase the pride of the worthy.: HE temporal concerns of our fa TH mily were chiefly committed to my wife's management; as to the fpiritual, I took them entirely under my own direction, The profits of my living, which amounted to but thirty-five pounds a year, I made over to the orphans and widows of the clergy of our diocefe; for having a fufficient fortune of my own, I was carelefs of temporalities, and felt a fecret pleafure in doing my duty without reward. I also fet a refolution of keeping no curate, and of being acquainted with every man' in the parish, exhorting the married men to temperance, and the bachelors to matrimony; fo that in a few years it was a common faying, that there were three strange wants at Wakefield, a parfon wanting pride, young men wanting wives, and ale-houses wanting customers. Matrimony was always one of my favourite topics, and I wrote, feveral fermons to prove its happineís: but there was a peculiar tenet which I made a point of fupporting; for I maintained with Whiston, that it was unlawful for a priest of the church of England, after the death of his first wife, to take a fecond, or to exprefs it in one word, I valued myself upon being a strict monogamist. I was early initiated into this important. difpute, on which fo many laborious volumes have been written. I published fome tracts upon the fubject myself, which, as they never fold, I have the confolation of thinking are read only by the happy Few. Some of my friends called this my weak fide; but alas! they had not like me made it the fubject of long contempla |