Love and Friendship and Other Early Works An Unfinished Novel in Letters
by Jane Austen
To HENRY THOMAS AUSTEN Esqre.
Sir
I am now availing myself of the Liberty you have frequently
honoured me with of dedicating one of my Novels to you. That it
is unfinished, I greive; yet fear that from me, it will always
remain so; that as far as it is carried, it should be so trifling
and so unworthy of you, is another concern to your obliged humble
Servant
The Author
Messrs Demand and Co--please to pay Jane Austen Spinster the sum
of one hundred guineas on account of your Humble Servant.
H. T. Austen
L105. 0. 0.
*
LESLEY CASTLE
LETTER the FIRST is from
Miss MARGARET LESLEY to Miss CHARLOTTE LUTTERELL.
Lesley Castle Janry 3rd--1792.
My Brother has just left us. "Matilda (said he at parting) you
and Margaret will I am certain take all the care of my dear
little one, that she might have received from an indulgent, and
affectionate and amiable Mother." Tears rolled down his cheeks
as he spoke these words--the remembrance of her, who had so
wantonly disgraced the Maternal character and so openly violated
the conjugal Duties, prevented his adding anything farther; he
embraced his sweet Child and after saluting Matilda and Me
hastily broke from us and seating himself in his Chaise, pursued
the road to Aberdeen. Never was there a better young Man! Ah!
how little did he deserve the misfortunes he has experienced in
the Marriage state. So good a Husband to so bad a Wife! for you
know my dear Charlotte that the Worthless Louisa left him, her
Child and reputation a few weeks ago in company with Danvers and
dishonour. Never was there a sweeter face, a finer form, or a
less amiable Heart than Louisa owned! Her child already
possesses the personal Charms of her unhappy Mother! May she
inherit from her Father all his mental ones! Lesley is at
present but five and twenty, and has already given himself up to
melancholy and Despair; what a difference between him and his
Father! Sir George is 57 and still remains the Beau, the flighty
stripling, the gay Lad, and sprightly Youngster, that his Son was
really about five years back, and that HE has affected to appear
ever since my remembrance. While our father is fluttering about
the streets of London, gay, dissipated, and Thoughtless at the
age of 57, Matilda and I continue secluded from Mankind in our
old and Mouldering Castle, which is situated two miles from Perth
on a bold projecting Rock, and commands an extensive veiw of the
Town and its delightful Environs. But tho' retired from almost
all the World, (for we visit no one but the M'Leods, The
M'Kenzies, the M'Phersons, the M'Cartneys, the M'Donalds, The
M'kinnons, the M'lellans, the M'kays, the Macbeths and the
Macduffs) we are neither dull nor unhappy; on the contrary there
never were two more lively, more agreable or more witty girls,
than we are; not an hour in the Day hangs heavy on our Hands. We
read, we work, we walk, and when fatigued with these Employments
releive our spirits, either by a lively song, a graceful Dance,
or by some smart bon-mot, and witty repartee. We are handsome my
dear Charlotte, very handsome and the greatest of our Perfections
is, that we are entirely insensible of them ourselves. But why
do I thus dwell on myself! Let me rather repeat the praise of
our dear little Neice the innocent Louisa, who is at present
sweetly smiling in a gentle Nap, as she reposes on the sofa. The
dear Creature is just turned of two years old; as handsome as
tho' 2 and 20, as sensible as tho' 2 and 30, and as prudent as
tho' 2 and 40. To convince you of this, I must inform you that
she has a very fine complexion and very pretty features, that she
already knows the two first letters in the Alphabet, and that she
never tears her frocks--. If I have not now convinced you of her
Beauty, Sense and Prudence, I have nothing more to urge in
support of my assertion, and you will therefore have no way of
deciding the Affair but by coming to Lesley-Castle, and by a
personal acquaintance with Louisa, determine for yourself. Ah!
my dear Freind, how happy should I be to see you within these
venerable Walls! It is now four years since my removal from
School has separated me from you; that two such tender Hearts, so
closely linked together by the ties of simpathy and Freindship,
should be so widely removed from each other, is vastly moving. I
live in Perthshire, You in Sussex. We might meet in London, were
my Father disposed to carry me there, and were your Mother to be
there at the same time. We might meet at Bath, at Tunbridge, or
anywhere else indeed, could we but be at the same place together.
We have only to hope that such a period may arrive. My Father
does not return to us till Autumn; my Brother will leave Scotland
in a few Days; he is impatient to travel. Mistaken Youth! He
vainly flatters himself that change of Air will heal the Wounds
of a broken Heart! You will join with me I am certain my dear
Charlotte, in prayers for the recovery of the unhappy Lesley's
peace of Mind, which must ever be essential to that of your
sincere freind
M. Lesley.
LETTER the SECOND
From Miss C. LUTTERELL to Miss M. LESLEY in answer.
Glenford Febry 12
I have a thousand excuses to beg for having so long delayed
thanking you my dear Peggy for your agreable Letter, which
beleive me I should not have deferred doing, had not every moment
of my time during the last five weeks been so fully employed in
the necessary arrangements for my sisters wedding, as to allow me
no time to devote either to you or myself. And now what provokes
me more than anything else is that the Match is broke off, and
all my Labour thrown away. Imagine how great the Dissapointment
must be to me, when you consider that after having laboured both
by Night and by Day, in order to get the Wedding dinner ready by
the time appointed, after having roasted Beef, Broiled Mutton,
and Stewed Soup enough to last the new-married Couple through the
Honey-moon, I had the mortification of finding that I had been
Roasting, Broiling and Stewing both the Meat and Myself to no
purpose. Indeed my dear Freind, I never remember suffering any
vexation equal to what I experienced on last Monday when my
sister came running to me in the store-room with her face as
White as a Whipt syllabub, and told me that Hervey had been
thrown from his Horse, had fractured his Scull and was pronounced
by his surgeon to be in the most emminent Danger. "Good God!
(said I) you dont say so? Why what in the name of Heaven will
become of all the Victuals! We shall never be able to eat it
while it is good. However, we'll call in the Surgeon to help us.
I shall be able to manage the Sir-loin myself, my Mother will eat
the soup, and You and the Doctor must finish the rest." Here I
was interrupted, by seeing my poor Sister fall down to appearance
Lifeless upon one of the Chests, where we keep our Table linen.
I immediately called my Mother and the Maids, and at last we
brought her to herself again; as soon as ever she was sensible,
she expressed a determination of going instantly to Henry, and
was so wildly bent on this Scheme, that we had the greatest
Difficulty in the World to prevent her putting it in execution;
at last however more by Force than Entreaty we prevailed on her
to go into her room; we laid her upon the Bed, and she continued
for some Hours in the most dreadful Convulsions. My Mother and I
continued in the room with her, and when any intervals of
tolerable Composure in Eloisa would allow us, we joined in
heartfelt lamentations on the dreadful Waste in our provisions
which this Event must occasion, and in concerting some plan for
getting rid of them. We agreed that the best thing we could do
was to begin eating them immediately, and accordingly we ordered
up the cold Ham and Fowls, and instantly began our Devouring Plan
on them with great Alacrity. We would have persuaded Eloisa to
have taken a Wing of a Chicken, but she would not be persuaded.
She was however much quieter than she had been; the convulsions
she had before suffered having given way to an almost perfect
Insensibility. We endeavoured to rouse her by every means in our
power, but to no purpose. I talked to her of Henry. "Dear
Eloisa (said I) there's no occasion for your crying so much about
such a trifle. (for I was willing to make light of it in order
to comfort her) I beg you would not mind it--You see it does not
vex me in the least; though perhaps I may suffer most from it
after all; for I shall not only be obliged to eat up all the
Victuals I have dressed already, but must if Henry should recover
(which however is not very likely) dress as much for you again;
or should he die (as I suppose he will) I shall still have to
prepare a Dinner for you whenever you marry any one else. So you
see that tho' perhaps for the present it may afflict you to think
of Henry's sufferings, Yet I dare say he'll die soon, and then
his pain will be over and you will be easy, whereas my Trouble
will last much longer for work as hard as I may, I am certain
that the pantry cannot be cleared in less than a fortnight." Thus
I did all in my power to console her, but without any effect, and
at last as I saw that she did not seem to listen to me, I said no
more, but leaving her with my Mother I took down the remains of
The Ham and Chicken, and sent William to ask how Henry did. He
was not expected to live many Hours; he died the same day. We
took all possible care to break the melancholy Event to Eloisa in
the tenderest manner; yet in spite of every precaution, her
sufferings on hearing it were too violent for her reason, and she
continued for many hours in a high Delirium. She is still
extremely ill, and her Physicians are greatly afraid of her going
into a Decline. We are therefore preparing for Bristol, where we
mean to be in the course of the next week. And now my dear
Margaret let me talk a little of your affairs; and in the first
place I must inform you that it is confidently reported, your
Father is going to be married; I am very unwilling to beleive so
unpleasing a report, and at the same time cannot wholly discredit
it. I have written to my freind Susan Fitzgerald, for
information concerning it, which as she is at present in Town,
she will be very able to give me. I know not who is the Lady. I
think your Brother is extremely right in the resolution he has
taken of travelling, as it will perhaps contribute to obliterate
from his remembrance, those disagreable Events, which have lately
so much afflicted him-- I am happy to find that tho' secluded
from all the World, neither you nor Matilda are dull or unhappy
--that you may never know what it is to, be either is the wish of
your sincerely affectionate
C.L.
P. S. I have this instant received an answer from my freind
Susan, which I enclose to you, and on which you will make your
own reflections.
The enclosed LETTER
My dear CHARLOTTE
You could not have applied for information concerning the report
of Sir George Lesleys Marriage, to any one better able to give it
you than I am. Sir George is certainly married; I was myself
present at the Ceremony, which you will not be surprised at when
I subscribe myself your Affectionate
Susan Lesley
LETTER the THIRD
From Miss MARGARET LESLEY to Miss C. LUTTERELL
Lesley Castle February the 16th
I have made my own reflections on the letter you enclosed to me,
my Dear Charlotte and I will now tell you what those reflections
were. I reflected that if by this second Marriage Sir George
should have a second family, our fortunes must be considerably
diminushed--that if his Wife should be of an extravagant turn,
she would encourage him to persevere in that gay and Dissipated
way of Life to which little encouragement would be necessary, and
which has I fear already proved but too detrimental to his health
and fortune--that she would now become Mistress of those Jewels
which once adorned our Mother, and which Sir George had always
promised us--that if they did not come into Perthshire I should
not be able to gratify my curiosity of beholding my Mother-in-law
and that if they did, Matilda would no longer sit at the head of
her Father's table--. These my dear Charlotte were the
melancholy reflections which crowded into my imagination after
perusing Susan's letter to you, and which instantly occurred to
Matilda when she had perused it likewise. The same ideas, the
same fears, immediately occupied her Mind, and I know not which
reflection distressed her most, whether the probable Diminution
of our Fortunes, or her own Consequence. We both wish very much
to know whether Lady Lesley is handsome and what is your opinion
of her; as you honour her with the appellation of your freind, we
flatter ourselves that she must be amiable. My Brother is
already in Paris. He intends to quit it in a few Days, and to
begin his route to Italy. He writes in a most chearfull manner,
says that the air of France has greatly recovered both his Health
and Spirits; that he has now entirely ceased to think of Louisa
with any degree either of Pity or Affection, that he even feels
himself obliged to her for her Elopement, as he thinks it very
good fun to be single again. By this, you may perceive that he
has entirely regained that chearful Gaiety, and sprightly Wit,
for which he was once so remarkable. When he first became
acquainted with Louisa which was little more than three years
ago, he was one of the most lively, the most agreable young Men
of the age--. I beleive you never yet heard the particulars of
his first acquaintance with her. It commenced at our cousin
Colonel Drummond's; at whose house in Cumberland he spent the
Christmas, in which he attained the age of two and twenty.
Louisa Burton was the Daughter of a distant Relation of Mrs.
Drummond, who dieing a few Months before in extreme poverty, left
his only Child then about eighteen to the protection of any of
his Relations who would protect her. Mrs. Drummond was the only
one who found herself so disposed--Louisa was therefore removed
from a miserable Cottage in Yorkshire to an elegant Mansion in
Cumberland, and from every pecuniary Distress that Poverty could
inflict, to every elegant Enjoyment that Money could purchase--.
Louisa was naturally ill-tempered and Cunning; but she had been
taught to disguise her real Disposition, under the appearance of
insinuating Sweetness, by a father who but too well knew, that to
be married, would be the only chance she would have of not being
starved, and who flattered himself that with such an extroidinary
share of personal beauty, joined to a gentleness of Manners, and
an engaging address, she might stand a good chance of pleasing
some young Man who might afford to marry a girl without a
Shilling. Louisa perfectly entered into her father's schemes and
was determined to forward them with all her care and attention.
By dint of Perseverance and Application, she had at length so
thoroughly disguised her natural disposition under the mask of
Innocence, and Softness, as to impose upon every one who had not
by a long and constant intimacy with her discovered her real
Character. Such was Louisa when the hapless Lesley first beheld
her at Drummond-house. His heart which (to use your favourite
comparison) was as delicate as sweet and as tender as a Whipt-
syllabub, could not resist her attractions. In a very few Days,
he was falling in love, shortly after actually fell, and before
he had known her a Month, he had married her. My Father was at
first highly displeased at so hasty and imprudent a connection;
but when he found that they did not mind it, he soon became
perfectly reconciled to the match. The Estate near Aberdeen
which my brother possesses by the bounty of his great Uncle
independant of Sir George, was entirely sufficient to support him
and my Sister in Elegance and Ease. For the first twelvemonth,
no one could be happier than Lesley, and no one more amiable to
appearance than Louisa, and so plausibly did she act and so
cautiously behave that tho' Matilda and I often spent several
weeks together with them, yet we neither of us had any suspicion
of her real Disposition. After the birth of Louisa however,
which one would have thought would have strengthened her regard
for Lesley, the mask she had so long supported was by degrees
thrown aside, and as probably she then thought herself secure in
the affection of her Husband (which did indeed appear if possible
augmented by the birth of his Child) she seemed to take no pains
to prevent that affection from ever diminushing. Our visits
therefore to Dunbeath, were now less frequent and by far less
agreable than they used to be. Our absence was however never
either mentioned or lamented by Louisa who in the society of
young Danvers with whom she became acquainted at Aberdeen (he was
at one of the Universities there,) felt infinitely happier than
in that of Matilda and your freind, tho' there certainly never
were pleasanter girls than we are. You know the sad end of all
Lesleys connubial happiness; I will not repeat it--. Adeiu my
dear Charlotte; although I have not yet mentioned anything of the
matter, I hope you will do me the justice to beleive that I THINK
and FEEL, a great deal for your Sisters affliction. I do not
doubt but that the healthy air of the Bristol downs will intirely
remove it, by erasing from her Mind the remembrance of Henry. I
am my dear Charlotte yrs ever
M. L.
LETTER the FOURTH
From Miss C. LUTTERELL to Miss M. LESLEY
Bristol February 27th
My Dear Peggy
I have but just received your letter, which being directed to
Sussex while I was at Bristol was obliged to be forwarded to me
here, and from some unaccountable Delay, has but this instant
reached me--. I return you many thanks for the account it
contains of Lesley's acquaintance, Love and Marriage with Louisa,
which has not the less entertained me for having often been
repeated to me before.
I have the satisfaction of informing you that we have every
reason to imagine our pantry is by this time nearly cleared, as
we left Particular orders with the servants to eat as hard as
they possibly could, and to call in a couple of Chairwomen to
assist them. We brought a cold Pigeon pye, a cold turkey, a cold
tongue, and half a dozen Jellies with us, which we were lucky
enough with the help of our Landlady, her husband, and their
three children, to get rid of, in less than two days after our
arrival. Poor Eloisa is still so very indifferent both in Health
and Spirits, that I very much fear, the air of the Bristol downs,
healthy as it is, has not been able to drive poor Henry from her
remembrance.
You ask me whether your new Mother in law is handsome and
amiable--I will now give you an exact description of her bodily
and mental charms. She is short, and extremely well made; is
naturally pale, but rouges a good deal; has fine eyes, and fine
teeth, as she will take care to let you know as soon as she sees
you, and is altogether very pretty. She is remarkably good-
tempered when she has her own way, and very lively when she is
not out of humour. She is naturally extravagant and not very
affected; she never reads anything but the letters she receives
from me, and never writes anything but her answers to them. She
plays, sings and Dances, but has no taste for either, and excells
in none, tho' she says she is passionately fond of all. Perhaps
you may flatter me so far as to be surprised that one of whom I
speak with so little affection should be my particular freind;
but to tell you the truth, our freindship arose rather from
Caprice on her side than Esteem on mine. We spent two or three
days together with a Lady in Berkshire with whom we both happened
to be connected--. During our visit, the Weather being
remarkably bad, and our party particularly stupid, she was so
good as to conceive a violent partiality for me, which very soon
settled in a downright Freindship and ended in an established
correspondence. She is probably by this time as tired of me, as
I am of her; but as she is too Polite and I am too civil to say
so, our letters are still as frequent and affectionate as ever,
and our Attachment as firm and sincere as when it first
commenced. As she had a great taste for the pleasures of London,
and of Brighthelmstone, she will I dare say find some difficulty
in prevailing on herself even to satisfy the curiosity I dare say
she feels of beholding you, at the expence of quitting those
favourite haunts of Dissipation, for the melancholy tho'
venerable gloom of the castle you inhabit. Perhaps however if she
finds her health impaired by too much amusement, she may acquire
fortitude sufficient to undertake a Journey to Scotland in the
hope of its Proving at least beneficial to her health, if not
conducive to her happiness. Your fears I am sorry to say,
concerning your father's extravagance, your own fortunes, your
Mothers Jewels and your Sister's consequence, I should suppose
are but too well founded. My freind herself has four thousand
pounds, and will probably spend nearly as much every year in
Dress and Public places, if she can get it--she will certainly
not endeavour to reclaim Sir George from the manner of living to
which he has been so long accustomed, and there is therefore some
reason to fear that you will be very well off, if you get any
fortune at all. The Jewels I should imagine too will undoubtedly
be hers, and there is too much reason to think that she will
preside at her Husbands table in preference to his Daughter. But
as so melancholy a subject must necessarily extremely distress
you, I will no longer dwell on it--.
Eloisa's indisposition has brought us to Bristol at so
unfashionable a season of the year, that we have actually seen
but one genteel family since we came. Mr and Mrs Marlowe are
very agreable people; the ill health of their little boy
occasioned their arrival here; you may imagine that being the
only family with whom we can converse, we are of course on a
footing of intimacy with them; we see them indeed almost every
day, and dined with them yesterday. We spent a very pleasant
Day, and had a very good Dinner, tho' to be sure the Veal was
terribly underdone, and the Curry had no seasoning. I could not
help wishing all dinner-time that I had been at the dressing
it--. A brother of Mrs Marlowe, Mr Cleveland is with them at
present; he is a good-looking young Man, and seems to have a good
deal to say for himself. I tell Eloisa that she should set her
cap at him, but she does not at all seem to relish the proposal.
I should like to see the girl married and Cleveland has a very
good estate. Perhaps you may wonder that I do not consider
myself as well as my Sister in my matrimonial Projects; but to
tell you the truth I never wish to act a more principal part at a
Wedding than the superintending and directing the Dinner, and
therefore while I can get any of my acquaintance to marry for me,
I shall never think of doing it myself, as I very much suspect
that I should not have so much time for dressing my own Wedding-
dinner, as for dressing that of my freinds.
Yours sincerely
C. L.
LETTER the FIFTH
Miss MARGARET LESLEY to Miss CHARLOTTE LUTTERELL
Lesley-Castle March 18th
On the same day that I received your last kind letter, Matilda
received one from Sir George which was dated from Edinburgh, and
informed us that he should do himself the pleasure of introducing
Lady Lesley to us on the following evening. This as you may
suppose considerably surprised us, particularly as your account
of her Ladyship had given us reason to imagine there was little
chance of her visiting Scotland at a time that London must be so
gay. As it was our business however to be delighted at such a
mark of condescension as a visit from Sir George and Lady Lesley,
we prepared to return them an answer expressive of the happiness
we enjoyed in expectation of such a Blessing, when luckily
recollecting that as they were to reach the Castle the next
Evening, it would be impossible for my father to receive it
before he left Edinburgh, we contented ourselves with leaving
them to suppose that we were as happy as we ought to be. At nine
in the Evening on the following day, they came, accompanied by
one of Lady Lesleys brothers. Her Ladyship perfectly answers the
description you sent me of her, except that I do not think her so
pretty as you seem to consider her. She has not a bad face, but
there is something so extremely unmajestic in her little
diminutive figure, as to render her in comparison with the
elegant height of Matilda and Myself, an insignificant Dwarf.
Her curiosity to see us (which must have been great to bring her
more than four hundred miles) being now perfectly gratified, she
already begins to mention their return to town, and has desired
us to accompany her. We cannot refuse her request since it is
seconded by the commands of our Father, and thirded by the
entreaties of Mr. Fitzgerald who is certainly one of the most
pleasing young Men, I ever beheld. It is not yet determined when
we are to go, but when ever we do we shall certainly take our
little Louisa with us. Adeiu my dear Charlotte; Matilda unites in
best wishes to you, and Eloisa, with yours ever
M. L.
LETTER the SIXTH
LADY LESLEY to Miss CHARLOTTE LUTTERELL
Lesley-Castle March 20th
We arrived here my sweet Freind about a fortnight ago, and I
already heartily repent that I ever left our charming House in
Portman-square for such a dismal old weather-beaten Castle as
this. You can form no idea sufficiently hideous, of its dungeon-
like form. It is actually perched upon a Rock to appearance so
totally inaccessible, that I expected to have been pulled up by a
rope; and sincerely repented having gratified my curiosity to
behold my Daughters at the expence of being obliged to enter
their prison in so dangerous and ridiculous a manner. But as
soon as I once found myself safely arrived in the inside of this
tremendous building, I comforted myself with the hope of having
my spirits revived, by the sight of two beautifull girls, such as
the Miss Lesleys had been represented to me, at Edinburgh. But
here again, I met with nothing but Disappointment and Surprise.
Matilda and Margaret Lesley are two great, tall, out of the way,
over-grown, girls, just of a proper size to inhabit a Castle
almost as large in comparison as themselves. I wish my dear
Charlotte that you could but behold these Scotch giants; I am
sure they would frighten you out of your wits. They will do very
well as foils to myself, so I have invited them to accompany me
to London where I hope to be in the course of a fortnight.
Besides these two fair Damsels, I found a little humoured Brat
here who I beleive is some relation to them, they told me who she
was, and gave me a long rigmerole story of her father and a Miss
SOMEBODY which I have entirely forgot. I hate scandal and detest
Children. I have been plagued ever since I came here with
tiresome visits from a parcel of Scotch wretches, with terrible
hard-names; they were so civil, gave me so many invitations, and
talked of coming again so soon, that I could not help affronting
them. I suppose I shall not see them any more, and yet as a
family party we are so stupid, that I do not know what to do with
myself. These girls have no Music, but Scotch airs, no Drawings
but Scotch Mountains, and no Books but Scotch Poems--and I hate
everything Scotch. In general I can spend half the Day at my
toilett with a great deal of pleasure, but why should I dress
here, since there is not a creature in the House whom I have any
wish to please. I have just had a conversation with my Brother in
which he has greatly offended me, and which as I have nothing
more entertaining to send you I will gave you the particulars of.
You must know that I have for these 4 or 5 Days past strongly
suspected William of entertaining a partiality to my eldest
Daughter. I own indeed that had I been inclined to fall in love
with any woman, I should not have made choice of Matilda Lesley
for the object of my passion; for there is nothing I hate so much
as a tall Woman: but however there is no accounting for some
men's taste and as William is himself nearly six feet high, it is
not wonderful that he should be partial to that height. Now as I
have a very great affection for my Brother and should be
extremely sorry to see him unhappy, which I suppose he means to
be if he cannot marry Matilda, as moreover I know that his
circumstances will not allow him to marry any one without a
fortune, and that Matilda's is entirely dependant on her Father,
who will neither have his own inclination nor my permission to
give her anything at present, I thought it would be doing a good-
natured action by my Brother to let him know as much, in order
that he might choose for himself, whether to conquer his passion,
or Love and Despair. Accordingly finding myself this Morning
alone with him in one of the horrid old rooms of this Castle, I
opened the cause to him in the following Manner.
"Well my dear William what do you think of these girls? for my
part, I do not find them so plain as I expected: but perhaps you
may think me partial to the Daughters of my Husband and perhaps
you are right-- They are indeed so very like Sir George that it
is natural to think"--
"My Dear Susan (cried he in a tone of the greatest amazement) You
do not really think they bear the least resemblance to their
Father! He is so very plain!--but I beg your pardon--I had
entirely forgotten to whom I was speaking--"
"Oh! pray dont mind me; (replied I) every one knows Sir George
is horribly ugly, and I assure you I always thought him a
fright."
"You surprise me extremely (answered William) by what you say
both with respect to Sir George and his Daughters. You cannot
think your Husband so deficient in personal Charms as you speak
of, nor can you surely see any resemblance between him and the
Miss Lesleys who are in my opinion perfectly unlike him and
perfectly Handsome."
"If that is your opinion with regard to the girls it certainly is
no proof of their Fathers beauty, for if they are perfectly
unlike him and very handsome at the same time, it is natural to
suppose that he is very plain."
"By no means, (said he) for what may be pretty in a Woman, may be
very unpleasing in a Man."
"But you yourself (replied I) but a few minutes ago allowed him
to be very plain."
"Men are no Judges of Beauty in their own Sex." (said he).
"Neither Men nor Women can think Sir George tolerable."
"Well, well, (said he) we will not dispute about HIS Beauty, but
your opinion of his DAUGHTERS is surely very singular, for if I
understood you right, you said you did not find them so plain as
you expected to do!"
"Why, do YOU find them plainer then?" (said I).
"I can scarcely beleive you to be serious (returned he) when you
speak of their persons in so extroidinary a Manner. Do not you
think the Miss Lesleys are two very handsome young Women?"
"Lord! No! (cried I) I think them terribly plain!"
"Plain! (replied He) My dear Susan, you cannot really think so!
Why what single Feature in the face of either of them, can you
possibly find fault with?"
"Oh! trust me for that; (replied I). Come I will begin with the
eldest--with Matilda. Shall I, William?" (I looked as cunning as
I could when I said it, in order to shame him).
"They are so much alike (said he) that I should suppose the
faults of one, would be the faults of both."
"Well, then, in the first place; they are both so horribly tall!"
"They are TALLER than you are indeed." (said he with a saucy
smile.)
"Nay, (said I), I know nothing of that."
"Well, but (he continued) tho' they may be above the common size,
their figures are perfectly elegant; and as to their faces, their
Eyes are beautifull."
"I never can think such tremendous, knock-me-down figures in the
least degree elegant, and as for their eyes, they are so tall
that I never could strain my neck enough to look at them."
"Nay, (replied he) I know not whether you may not be in the right
in not attempting it, for perhaps they might dazzle you with
their Lustre."
"Oh! Certainly. (said I, with the greatest complacency, for I
assure you my dearest Charlotte I was not in the least offended
tho' by what followed, one would suppose that William was
conscious of having given me just cause to be so, for coming up
to me and taking my hand, he said) "You must not look so grave
Susan; you will make me fear I have offended you!"
"Offended me! Dear Brother, how came such a thought in your
head! (returned I) No really! I assure you that I am not in the
least surprised at your being so warm an advocate for the Beauty
of these girls "--
"Well, but (interrupted William) remember that we have not yet
concluded our dispute concerning them. What fault do you find
with their complexion?"
"They are so horridly pale."
"They have always a little colour, and after any exercise it is
considerably heightened."
"Yes, but if there should ever happen to be any rain in this part
of the world, they will never be able raise more than their
common stock--except indeed they amuse themselves with running up
and Down these horrid old galleries and Antichambers."
"Well, (replied my Brother in a tone of vexation, and glancing an
impertinent look at me) if they HAVE but little colour, at least,
it is all their own."
This was too much my dear Charlotte, for I am certain that he had
the impudence by that look, of pretending to suspect the reality
of mine. But you I am sure will vindicate my character whenever
you may hear it so cruelly aspersed, for you can witness how
often I have protested against wearing Rouge, and how much I
always told you I disliked it. And I assure you that my opinions
are still the same.--. Well, not bearing to be so suspected by
my Brother, I left the room immediately, and have been ever since
in my own Dressing-room writing to you. What a long letter have
I made of it! But you must not expect to receive such from me
when I get to Town; for it is only at Lesley castle, that one has
time to write even to a Charlotte Lutterell.--. I was so much
vexed by William's glance, that I could not summon Patience
enough, to stay and give him that advice respecting his
attachment to Matilda which had first induced me from pure Love
to him to begin the conversation; and I am now so thoroughly
convinced by it, of his violent passion for her, that I am
certain he would never hear reason on the subject, and I shall
there fore give myself no more trouble either about him or his
favourite. Adeiu my dear girl--
Yrs affectionately
Susan L.
LETTER the SEVENTH
From Miss C. LUTTERELL to Miss M. LESLEY
Bristol the 27th of March
I have received Letters from you and your Mother-in-law within
this week which have greatly entertained me, as I find by them
that you are both downright jealous of each others Beauty. It is
very odd that two pretty Women tho' actually Mother and Daughter
cannot be in the same House without falling out about their
faces. Do be convinced that you are both perfectly handsome and
say no more of the Matter. I suppose this letter must be
directed to Portman Square where probably (great as is your
affection for Lesley Castle) you will not be sorry to find
yourself. In spite of all that people may say about Green fields
and the Country I was always of opinion that London and its
amusements must be very agreable for a while, and should be very
happy could my Mother's income allow her to jockey us into its
Public-places, during Winter. I always longed particularly to go
to Vaux-hall, to see whether the cold Beef there is cut so thin
as it is reported, for I have a sly suspicion that few people
understand the art of cutting a slice of cold Beef so well as I
do: nay it would be hard if I did not know something of the
Matter, for it was a part of my Education that I took by far the
most pains with. Mama always found me HER best scholar, tho'
when Papa was alive Eloisa was HIS. Never to be sure were there
two more different Dispositions in the World. We both loved
Reading. SHE preferred Histories, and I Receipts. She loved
drawing, Pictures, and I drawing Pullets. No one could sing a
better song than she, and no one make a better Pye than I.-- And
so it has always continued since we have been no longer children.
The only difference is that all disputes on the superior
excellence of our Employments THEN so frequent are now no more.
We have for many years entered into an agreement always to admire
each other's works; I never fail listening to HER Music, and she
is as constant in eating my pies. Such at least was the case
till Henry Hervey made his appearance in Sussex. Before the
arrival of his Aunt in our neighbourhood where she established
herself you know about a twelvemonth ago, his visits to her had
been at stated times, and of equal and settled Duration; but on
her removal to the Hall which is within a walk from our House,
they became both more frequent and longer. This as you may
suppose could not be pleasing to Mrs Diana who is a professed
enemy to everything which is not directed by Decorum and
Formality, or which bears the least resemblance to Ease and Good-
breeding. Nay so great was her aversion to her Nephews behaviour
that I have often heard her give such hints of it before his face
that had not Henry at such times been engaged in conversation
with Eloisa, they must have caught his Attention and have very
much distressed him. The alteration in my Sisters behaviour
which I have before hinted at, now took place. The Agreement we
had entered into of admiring each others productions she no
longer seemed to regard, and tho' I constantly applauded even
every Country-dance, she played, yet not even a pidgeon-pye of my
making could obtain from her a single word of approbation. This
was certainly enough to put any one in a Passion; however, I was
as cool as a cream-cheese and having formed my plan and concerted
a scheme of Revenge, I was determined to let her have her own way
and not even to make her a single reproach. My scheme was to
treat her as she treated me, and tho' she might even draw my own
Picture or play Malbrook (which is the only tune I ever really
liked) not to say so much as "Thank you Eloisa;" tho' I had for
many years constantly hollowed whenever she played, BRAVO,
BRAVISSIMO, ENCORE, DA CAPO, ALLEGRETTO, CON EXPRESSIONE, and
POCO PRESTO with many other such outlandish words, all of them as
Eloisa told me expressive of my Admiration; and so indeed I
suppose they are, as I see some of them in every Page of every
Music book, being the sentiments I imagine of the composer.
I executed my Plan with great Punctuality. I can not say
success, for alas! my silence while she played seemed not in the
least to displease her; on the contrary she actually said to me
one day " Well Charlotte, I am very glad to find that you have at
last left off that ridiculous custom of applauding my Execution
on the Harpsichord till you made my head ake, and yourself
hoarse. I feel very much obliged to you for keeping your
admiration to yourself." I never shall forget the very witty
answer I made to this speech. "Eloisa (said I) I beg you would
be quite at your Ease with respect to all such fears in future,
for be assured that I shall always keep my admiration to myself
and my own pursuits and never extend it to yours." This was the
only very severe thing I ever said in my Life; not but that I
have often felt myself extremely satirical but it was the only
time I ever made my feelings public.
I suppose there never were two Young people who had a greater
affection for each other than Henry and Eloisa; no, the Love of
your Brother for Miss Burton could not be so strong tho' it might
be more violent. You may imagine therefore how provoked my
Sister must have been to have him play her such a trick. Poor
girl! she still laments his Death with undiminished constancy,
notwithstanding he has been dead more than six weeks; but some
People mind such things more than others. The ill state of
Health into which his loss has thrown her makes her so weak, and
so unable to support the least exertion, that she has been in
tears all this Morning merely from having taken leave of Mrs.
Marlowe who with her Husband, Brother and Child are to leave
Bristol this morning. I am sorry to have them go because they
are the only family with whom we have here any acquaintance, but
I never thought of crying; to be sure Eloisa and Mrs Marlowe have
always been more together than with me, and have therefore
contracted a kind of affection for each other, which does not
make Tears so inexcusable in them as they would be in me. The
Marlowes are going to Town; Cliveland accompanies them; as
neither Eloisa nor I could catch him I hope you or Matilda may
have better Luck. I know not when we shall leave Bristol,
Eloisa's spirits are so low that she is very averse to moving,
and yet is certainly by no means mended by her residence here. A
week or two will I hope determine our Measures--in the mean time
believe me and etc--and etc--
Charlotte Lutterell.
LETTER the EIGHTH
Miss LUTTERELL to Mrs MARLOWE
Bristol April 4th
I feel myself greatly obliged to you my dear Emma for such a mark
of your affection as I flatter myself was conveyed in the
proposal you made me of our Corresponding; I assure you that it
will be a great releif to me to write to you and as long as my
Health and Spirits will allow me, you will find me a very
constant correspondent; I will not say an entertaining one, for
you know my situation suffciently not to be ignorant that in me
Mirth would be improper and I know my own Heart too well not to
be sensible that it would be unnatural. You must not expect news
for we see no one with whom we are in the least acquainted, or in
whose proceedings we have any Interest. You must not expect
scandal for by the same rule we are equally debarred either from
hearing or inventing it.--You must expect from me nothing but
the melancholy effusions of a broken Heart which is ever
reverting to the Happiness it once enjoyed and which ill supports
its present wretchedness. The Possibility of being able to
write, to speak, to you of my lost Henry will be a luxury to me,
and your goodness will not I know refuse to read what it will so
much releive my Heart to write. I once thought that to have what
is in general called a Freind (I mean one of my own sex to whom I
might speak with less reserve than to any other person)
independant of my sister would never be an object of my wishes,
but how much was I mistaken! Charlotte is too much engrossed by
two confidential correspondents of that sort, to supply the place
of one to me, and I hope you will not think me girlishly
romantic, when I say that to have some kind and compassionate
Freind who might listen to my sorrows without endeavouring to
console me was what I had for some time wished for, when our
acquaintance with you, the intimacy which followed it and the
particular affectionate attention you paid me almost from the
first, caused me to entertain the flattering Idea of those
attentions being improved on a closer acquaintance into a
Freindship which, if you were what my wishes formed you would be
the greatest Happiness I could be capable of enjoying. To find
that such Hopes are realised is a satisfaction indeed, a
satisfaction which is now almost the only one I can ever
experience.--I feel myself so languid that I am sure were you
with me you would oblige me to leave off writing, and I cannot
give you a greater proof of my affection for you than by acting,
as I know you would wish me to do, whether Absent or Present. I
am my dear Emmas sincere freind
E. L.
LETTER the NINTH
Mrs MARLOWE to Miss LUTTERELL
Grosvenor Street, April 10th
Need I say my dear Eloisa how wellcome your letter was to me I
cannot give a greater proof of the pleasure I received from it,
or of the Desire I feel that our Correspondence may be regular
and frequent than by setting you so good an example as I now do
in answering it before the end of the week--. But do not imagine
that I claim any merit in being so punctual; on the contrary I
assure you, that it is a far greater Gratification to me to write
to you, than to spend the Evening either at a Concert or a Ball.
Mr Marlowe is so desirous of my appearing at some of the Public
places every evening that I do not like to refuse him, but at the
same time so much wish to remain at Home, that independant of the
Pleasure I experience in devoting any portion of my Time to my
Dear Eloisa, yet the Liberty I claim from having a letter to
write of spending an Evening at home with my little Boy, you know
me well enough to be sensible, will of itself be a sufficient
Inducement (if one is necessary) to my maintaining with Pleasure
a Correspondence with you. As to the subject of your letters to
me, whether grave or merry, if they concern you they must be
equally interesting to me; not but that I think the melancholy
Indulgence of your own sorrows by repeating them and dwelling on
them to me, will only encourage and increase them, and that it
will be more prudent in you to avoid so sad a subject; but yet
knowing as I do what a soothing and melancholy Pleasure it must
afford you, I cannot prevail on myself to deny you so great an
Indulgence, and will only insist on your not expecting me to
encourage you in it, by my own letters; on the contrary I intend
to fill them with such lively Wit and enlivening Humour as shall
even provoke a smile in the sweet but sorrowfull countenance of
my Eloisa.
In the first place you are to learn that I have met your sisters
three freinds Lady Lesley and her Daughters, twice in Public
since I have been here. I know you will be impatient to hear my
opinion of the Beauty of three Ladies of whom you have heard so
much. Now, as you are too ill and too unhappy to be vain, I
think I may venture to inform you that I like none of their faces
so well as I do your own. Yet they are all handsome--Lady Lesley
indeed I have seen before; her Daughters I beleive would in
general be said to have a finer face than her Ladyship, and yet
what with the charms of a Blooming complexion, a little
Affectation and a great deal of small-talk, (in each of which she
is superior to the young Ladies) she will I dare say gain herself
as many admirers as the more regular features of Matilda, and
Margaret. I am sure you will agree with me in saying that they
can none of them be of a proper size for real Beauty, when you
know that two of them are taller and the other shorter than
ourselves. In spite of this Defect (or rather by reason of it)
there is something very noble and majestic in the figures of the
Miss Lesleys, and something agreably lively in the appearance of
their pretty little Mother-in-law. But tho' one may be majestic
and the other lively, yet the faces of neither possess that
Bewitching sweetness of my Eloisas, which her present languor is
so far from diminushing. What would my Husband and Brother say
of us, if they knew all the fine things I have been saying to you
in this letter. It is very hard that a pretty woman is never to
be told she is so by any one of her own sex without that person's
being suspected to be either her determined Enemy, or her
professed Toad-eater. How much more amiable are women in that
particular! One man may say forty civil things to another
without our supposing that he is ever paid for it, and provided
he does his Duty by our sex, we care not how Polite he is to his
own.
Mrs Lutterell will be so good as to accept my compliments,
Charlotte, my Love, and Eloisa the best wishes for the recovery
of her Health and Spirits that can be offered by her affectionate
Freind
E. Marlowe.
I am afraid this letter will be but a poor specimen of my Powers
in the witty way; and your opinion of them will not be greatly
increased when I assure you that I have been as entertaining as I
possibly could.
LETTER the TENTH
From Miss MARGARET LESLEY to Miss CHARLOTTE LUTTERELL
Portman Square April 13th
MY DEAR CHARLOTTE
We left Lesley-Castle on the 28th of last Month, and arrived
safely in London after a Journey of seven Days; I had the
pleasure of finding your Letter here waiting my Arrival, for
which you have my grateful Thanks. Ah! my dear Freind I every
day more regret the serene and tranquil Pleasures of the Castle
we have left, in exchange for the uncertain and unequal
Amusements of this vaunted City. Not that I will pretend to
assert that these uncertain and unequal Amusements are in the
least Degree unpleasing to me; on the contrary I enjoy them
extremely and should enjoy them even more, were I not certain
that every appearance I make in Public but rivetts the Chains of
those unhappy Beings whose Passion it is impossible not to pity,
tho' it is out of my power to return. In short my Dear Charlotte
it is my sensibility for the sufferings of so many amiable young
Men, my Dislike of the extreme admiration I meet with, and my
aversion to being so celebrated both in Public, in Private, in
Papers, and in Printshops, that are the reasons why I cannot more
fully enjoy, the Amusements so various and pleasing of London.
How often have I wished that I possessed as little Personal
Beauty as you do; that my figure were as inelegant; my face as
unlovely; and my appearance as unpleasing as yours! But ah! what
little chance is there of so desirable an Event; I have had the
small-pox, and must therefore submit to my unhappy fate.
I am now going to intrust you my dear Charlotte with a secret
which has long disturbed the tranquility of my days, and which is
of a kind to require the most inviolable Secrecy from you. Last
Monday se'night Matilda and I accompanied Lady Lesley to a Rout
at the Honourable Mrs Kickabout's; we were escorted by Mr
Fitzgerald who is a very amiable young Man in the main, tho'
perhaps a little singular in his Taste--He is in love with
Matilda--. We had scarcely paid our Compliments to the Lady of
the House and curtseyed to half a score different people when my
Attention was attracted by the appearance of a Young Man the most
lovely of his Sex, who at that moment entered the Room with
another Gentleman and Lady. From the first moment I beheld him,
I was certain that on him depended the future Happiness of my
Life. Imagine my surprise when he was introduced to me by the
name of Cleveland--I instantly recognised him as the Brother of
Mrs Marlowe, and the acquaintance of my Charlotte at Bristol. Mr
and Mrs M. were the gentleman and Lady who accompanied him. (You
do not think Mrs Marlowe handsome?) The elegant address of Mr
Cleveland, his polished Manners and Delightful Bow, at once
confirmed my attachment. He did not speak; but I can imagine
everything he would have said, had he opened his Mouth. I can
picture to myself the cultivated Understanding, the Noble
sentiments, and elegant Language which would have shone so
conspicuous in the conversation of Mr Cleveland. The approach of
Sir James Gower (one of my too numerous admirers) prevented the
Discovery of any such Powers, by putting an end to a Conversation
we had never commenced, and by attracting my attention to
himself. But oh! how inferior are the accomplishments of Sir
James to those of his so greatly envied Rival! Sir James is one
of the most frequent of our Visitors, and is almost always of our
Parties. We have since often met Mr and Mrs Marlowe but no
Cleveland--he is always engaged some where else. Mrs Marlowe
fatigues me to Death every time I see her by her tiresome
Conversations about you and Eloisa. She is so stupid! I live in
the hope of seeing her irrisistable Brother to night, as we are
going to Lady Flambeaus, who is I know intimate with the
Marlowes. Our party will be Lady Lesley, Matilda, Fitzgerald,
Sir James Gower, and myself. We see little of Sir George, who is
almost always at the gaming-table. Ah! my poor Fortune where art
thou by this time? We see more of Lady L. who always makes her
appearance (highly rouged) at Dinner-time. Alas! what Delightful
Jewels will she be decked in this evening at Lady Flambeau's!
Yet I wonder how she can herself delight in wearing them; surely
she must be sensible of the ridiculous impropriety of loading her
little diminutive figure with such superfluous ornaments; is it
possible that she can not know how greatly superior an elegant
simplicity is to the most studied apparel? Would she but Present
them to Matilda and me, how greatly should we be obliged to her,
How becoming would Diamonds be on our fine majestic figures! And
how surprising it is that such an Idea should never have occurred
to HER. I am sure if I have reflected in this manner once, I
have fifty times. Whenever I see Lady Lesley dressed in them
such reflections immediately come across me. My own Mother's
Jewels too! But I will say no more on so melancholy a subject
--let me entertain you with something more pleasing--Matilda had
a letter this morning from Lesley, by which we have the pleasure
of finding that he is at Naples has turned Roman-Catholic,
obtained one of the Pope's Bulls for annulling his 1st Marriage
and has since actually married a Neapolitan Lady of great Rank
and Fortune. He tells us moreover that much the same sort of
affair has befallen his first wife the worthless Louisa who is
likewise at Naples had turned Roman-catholic, and is soon to be
married to a Neapolitan Nobleman of great and Distinguished
merit. He says, that they are at present very good Freinds, have
quite forgiven all past errors and intend in future to be very
good Neighbours. He invites Matilda and me to pay him a visit to
Italy and to bring him his little Louisa whom both her Mother,
Step-mother, and himself are equally desirous of beholding. As
to our accepting his invitation, it is at Present very uncertain;
Lady Lesley advises us to go without loss of time; Fitzgerald
offers to escort us there, but Matilda has some doubts of the
Propriety of such a scheme--she owns it would be very agreable.
I am certain she likes the Fellow. My Father desires us not to
be in a hurry, as perhaps if we wait a few months both he and
Lady Lesley will do themselves the pleasure of attending us.
Lady Lesley says no, that nothing will ever tempt her to forego
the Amusements of Brighthelmstone for a Journey to Italy merely
to see our Brother. "No (says the disagreable Woman) I have once
in my life been fool enough to travel I dont know how many
hundred Miles to see two of the Family, and I found it did not
answer, so Deuce take me, if ever I am so foolish again."So says
her Ladyship, but Sir George still Perseveres in saying that
perhaps in a month or two, they may accompany us.
Adeiu my Dear Charlotte
Yrs faithful Margaret Lesley.