Sir; and, if you value the Original, as much as you have that Copy, I fhall be the happiest Woman living. In fhort, I died,-was buried,-as had been concerted; my Aunt wrote a terrible Letter to my Father upon it; and, without waiting an Anfwer, we hired a Veffel for France, where we fafely arrived, after a pretty turbulent Paffage. My Aunt had fo fettled her Affairs, that her Steward remitted her the Profits of her Eftate quarterly; and, it being large, the dear Woman has kept up a grander Equipage than fhe did in Somersetshire. We have now been in this Houfe near eight Years, and, keeping little Company, we have been happy in ourselves, and have, by numerous good Offices, contributed to the Happiness of others. Our Needlework and our Books, and now and then a Ride or a Walk, have been our principal Avocations, I mean that of my Aunt and my Serena; for, as to myfelf, I have not enjoyed a Moment's Eafe; your endearing Form has ever been before my Eyes; and the Tortures of my Soul, the Perturbations of my Heart, my departing, dying, bleeding Heart, even thy Pen or Tongue could never be able to describe! I have refolutely hitherto refused to hear from, or fend to my Father, or England; and my dear Aunt has humoured my Difpofition fo far, as never to mention one Word of the Intelligence fhe has, at Times, received. I must own, fince your Account of my poor Father's Repentance, fo long ago, I burn to fling myself at his Feet, to eafe the Tortures of his now altered Mind; and, fince I have recovered my dear Thompson, Yorkshire will be the only agreeable Spot to me in the World. I long to fee your dear Father and Mother alfo, and my poor Fidele, and to return my Thanks to your Mr. and Mrs. Goodwill, and all the reft of our Friends, and to be happy once more amongst them. My Cousin and I had been to fee a Lady of the Court of Versailles, when I faw you come down the Walk, and heard your well-known Voice; and the Surprise, for I immediately thought, with the Vulgar, it must be an Apparition, made me faint away, and the reft that followed you are acquainted with. Mr. Sharpley has also Occasion to remember it, continues my Louifa, with a heavenly Smile, for he loft his Heart the Moment, he fays, he faw my much loved Serena; tho' I think, if I understand the Language of their Eyes, he has got as precious a Pledge in Return. When Mr. Sharpley was perfuaded to stay that Night, we endeavoured to get your Name, if haply you wore Flesh and Blood about you; and his Account of your Adventures confirmed me we had both been impofed upon. I longed to know, if you were really as faithful to your loft Louifa, as it was faid you was; and, your Refolution never to converfe with the Sex rendering it impoffible to fee you under that Character, I proposed to my Aunt and Coufin the Refolution I had taken, to get into your Service as a Page. This you are fenfible I did, thro' the good Offices of Mr. Sharpley; and I faithfully ferved you, under the Name of Eftampe; but, Mr. Thompson, if I loved you before with an Intenseness of Affection, how muft your Louifa love you now! improved in Knowledge! improved in Goodness! and so constant to your first Affection, as often, whilft I attended you, made me lift up my Eyes, in Thanks and Praises to the Almighty, for forming fo excellent a Copy of his own Perfections here below! In Defence of this dear Man, fays Louifa, turning to the two Ladies and Mr. Sharpley, I did a Thing beyond the usual Daring of my Sex, and fired a Pistol, and killed a Man; but there can be no Wonder in all that, feeing, if he had died, I should foon have followed him! Come, Mr. Thompson, let us hafte to England, my Father can no longer deny his Confent; he repents-you are rich, and we can't live without each other, and I'll ftudy to be grateful to you for all your Conftancy, by ordering every future Action of my Exiftence, fo as to pleasemy Life, my Lord, my Husband. Thus the melodious, angelic Voice, ceafed the charmingly eloquent and fenfible Narration, and, for fome Time, buried, abforbed in Admiration, I could not utter one Syllable, but fondly gazed, and devoured all her World of Perfections with my Eyes. At length I broke out into fuch Raptures, as well nigh, with mere over-ftraining Nature, had 06 robbed robbed me of Life. Lovely dear Louifa! heavenly Maid! 'tis impoffible for me to express what I feel of thy matchlefs, unprecedented Virtues! Had I the tuneful Tongue, the gentle Lyre of a Catullus, the Horatian Lute, the Numbers of the melting Waller, the prevailing Art of Sedley, I could then scarce do thy Merits adequate Juftice! Oh! For thee each gladsome Morn shall wake ; But fill, to fault'ring Age, admire. Yes, we will return to the Arms of our Friends, and the Embraces of our Parents! I burn, I figh, I die, till I have thee mine for ever! Mr. Sharpley, her Aunt, and Serena, were quite delighted with her Manner of relating her Adventures; and all, in their Turn, thanked her in the politeft and wittieft Terms for the Compliments. she had bestowed upon them. And, is it true, fays Sharpley, that I have got my Serena's Heart?-Bliffful Discovery! Is it true, my Angel? Nay, afk my Coufin, replied that amiable Lady; my Coufin fays fo, and she never tells an Untruth. He got up, up, embraced her firft, and then her Mother; and never, fure, were a happier Sett of People seen together. CHA P. LIX. They fettle their Affairs in France.—Madam Rich difpofes of her House and Goods.-They Stay fome Time in Paris.—Meet with an Object of Charity.-Thompson relieves him, notwithstanding a former Piece of ill Ufage. -They take Leave of their Friends.-Set out with Paffports for Flanders.-Arrive at Williamftadt.-Embark for England.Land at Harwich. MR. Sharpley and myself foon fettled what Af fairs we had to tranfact at Paris; and, having now gratified our Curiofity with the Sight of every Thing worth viewing, we only waited till Madam Rich had discharged her Servants, except the English ones fhe brought over with her; and difpofed of the Houfe fhe had bought at St. Clou, and the Furniture, which was very fuperb; which she foon did, to great Advantage, Mynheer Van Straaten, the Dutch Refident, making a Purchase of the Whole. My Louifa had lived fo reclufe, fince |