She in her Heart one of the warmest Friends. had been a most affectionate Wife, and was a most fond and tender Mother. As our Hiftory doth not, like a News-Paper, give great Characters to People who never were heard of before, nor will ever be heard of again; the Reader may hence conclude, that this excel-, lent Woman will hereafter appear to be of fome Importance in our History. Nor was Jones a little pleafed with the young Gentleman himself, whofe Wine he had been drinking. He thought he difcerned in him much good Senfe, though a little too much tainted with Town Foppery; but what recommended him most to Jones were fome Sentiments of great Generofity and Humanity, which occafionally dropt from him; and particularly many Expreffions of the highest Difinterestedness in the Affair of Love. On which Subject the young Gentleman delivered himself in a Language which might have very well become an Arcadian Shepherd of Old, and which appeared very extraordinary when proceeding from the Lips of a modern fine Gentleman; but he was only one by Imitation, and meant by Nature for a much better Character. C H A P. VI. What arrived while the Company were at Breakfaft, with fome Hints concerning the Government of Daughters. UR Company brought together in the Morning the fame good Inclinations towards each other, with which they had separated the Evening before; but poor Jones was extreme dif 2 difconfolate; for he had ju received Information from Partridge, that Mrs. Fitzpatrick had left her Lodging, and that he could not learn whither the was gone. This News highly afflicted him, and his Countenance, as well as his Behaviour, in Defiance of all his Endeavours to the contrary, betrayed manifeft Indications of a difordered Mind. The Difcourfe turned at prefent, as before, on Love; and Mr. Nightingale again expreffed many of those warm, generous, and difinterefted Sentiments upon this Subject, which wife and fober Men call romantic, but which wife and fober Women generally regard in a better Light. Mrs Miller, (for fo the Miftrefs of the Houfe was called) greatly approved thefe Sentiments; but when the young Gentleman appealed to Mifs Nancy, the answered only, That the believed the Gentleman who had fpoke the leaft, was capable of feeling the moft. This Compliment was fo apparently directed to Jones, that we should have been forry had he paffed it by unregarded. He made her indeed a very polite Answer, and concluded with an oblique Hint, that her own Silence subjected her to a Sufpicion of the fame Kind: For indeed fhe had scarce opened her Lips either now or the last Evening. I am glad, Nanny,' fays Mrs. Miller, the • Gentleman hath made the Obfervation; I proteft I am almost of his Opinion. What can be the Matter with you, Child? I never faw fuch an Alteration. What is become of all your Gayety? Would you think, Sir, I used to call her my little Prattler. She hath not spoke < twenty Words this Week.' Here their Converfation was interrupted by the Entrance of a Maid-Servant, who brought a Bundle in her Hands, which, the faid, was delivered by a Porter for Mr. Jones.' She added, ⚫ that the Man immediately went away, faying, it required no Answer." Jones expreffed fome Surprize on this Occafion, and declared it must be fome Miftake: But the Maid perfifting that he was certain of the Name, all the Women were defirous of having the Bundle immediately opened; which Operation was at length performed by little Betfey, with the Confent of Mr. Jones; and the Contents were found to be a Domino, a Mafk, and a Mafquerade Ticket. Jones was now more pofitive than ever, in afferting, that thefe Things muft have been delivered by Miftake; and Mrs. Miller herfelf exprefied fome Doubt, and faid, the knew not what to think. But when Mr. Nightingale was afked, he delivered a very different Opinion. All I can conclude from it, Sir,' faid he, is that you are a very happy Man: For I make no Doubt but thefe were fent you by fome Lady whom you will have the Happiness of meeting at the Mafquerade.' ་་ Jones had not a fufficient Degree of Vanity to entertain any fuch flattering Imagination; nor did Mrs. Miller herfelf give much Affent to what Mr. Nightingale had faid, 'till Mifs Nancy having lifted up the Domino, a Card dropt from the Sleeve, in which was written as follows: To To Mr. Jones. The Queen of the Fairies fends you this; Mrs. Miller and Mifs Nancy now both agreed with Mr. Nightingale; nay, Jones himself was almost perfuaded to be of the fame Opinion. And as no other Lady but Mrs. Fitzpatrick, he thought, knew his Lodging, he began to flatter himself with fome Hopes, that it came from her, and that he might poffibly fee his Sophia. These Hopes had furely very little Foundation; but as the Conduct of Mrs. Fitzpatrick, in not feeing him according to her Promife, and in quitting her Lodgings, had been very odd and unaccountable, he conceived fome faint Hopes, that the (of whom he had formerly heard a very whimfical Character) might poffibly intend to do him that Service, in a ftrange Manner, which the declined doing by more ordinary Methods. To lay the Truth, as nothing certain could be concluded from fo odd and uncommon an Incident, he had the greater Latitude to draw what imaginary Conclufions from it he pleafed. As his Temper therefore was naturally fanguine, he indulged it on this Occafion, and his Imagination worked up a thousand Conceits, to favour and fupport his Expectations of meeting his dear Sophia in the Evening. Reader, if thou haft any good Wishes towards me, I will fully repay them, by wishing thee to be poffeffed of this fanguine Difpofition of Mind: Since, after having read much, and confidered long on that Subject of Happiness which hath clined to fix it in the Poffeffion of this Temper; which puts us, in a Manner, out of the Reach of Fortune, and makes us happy without her Affiftance. Indeed the Senfations of Pleasure it gives are much more conftant, as well as much keener than those which that blind Lady beftows; Nature having wifely contrived, that fome Satiety and Languor fhould be annexed to all our real Enjoyments, left we fhould be fo taken up by them, as to be ftopt from further Purfuits. I make no manner of Doubt but that, in this Light, we may fee the imaginary future Chancellor just called to the Bar, the Archbishop in Crape, and the Prime Minister at the Tail of an Oppofition, more truly happy than thofe who are invested with all the Power and Profit of these respective Offices. Mr. Jones having now determined to go to the Mafquerade that Evening, Mr. Nightingale of, fered to conduct him thither. The young Gentleman, at the fame Time, offered Tickets to Mifs Nancy and her Mother; but the good Woman would not accept them. She faid, fhe did not conceive the Harm which fome People ima6 gined in a Masquerade; but that fuch extravagant. Diverfions were proper only for Perfons of Quality and Fortune, and not for young Wo men who were to get their Living, and could, at beft, hope to be married to a good Tradefman.' A Tradesman !' cries Nightingale, you fhan't undervalue my Nancy. There is not a Nobleman upon Earth above her Merit.' Ofie! Mr. Nightingale,' answered Mrs. Miller, you must not fill the Girl's Head with fuch • Fancies: But if it was her good Luck (fays the • Mother with a Simper) to find a Gentleman of 6 • your |