a manner as to leave me no apology for his treatment. During the laft, my mother's death has deprived me of one of the few comforts I had left. From my mother I carefully concealed my diftrefs; but I believe in vain: She lived to guess at my mifery; and I fear her fenfe of it added to the preffure of that difeafe which brought her to her grave.

After the lofs of my husband's love, it is little to talk of my difappointment in his talents and accomplishments. It was long, however, before I allowed myself to fee defects which lefs penetration than I have been flattered with poffeffing, had long before difcovered. My mother had often before our marriage expreffed her furprife that one of my abilities fhould be fo deceived, as not to fee his inferiority: I believe it is by thefe abilities that the deception is aided. They are able to form a picture to which more ordinary minds are unequal; and in the weakness of their rash attachment, they find the likeness where they wifh to find it.

I was interrupted by my fifter. Why are her looks fo ferene? and why does fhe tell me, how much mine are altered? I am too proud to allow a witnefs to my diftreffes; and from her, of all womankind, I would conceal them. This diffimulation is due to my pride, perhaps to my duty;

yet

yet if you knew, Sir, what it is to fmile in public, to feem to be happy, with fuch feelings as mine; to act contentment all day long, and to retire at night to my lonely pillow with the anguish my heart has treasured up all the while!But the fubject overpowers me.

Farewell.

J.

CONSTANTIA

A 23

N° 65. SATURDAY, April 29. 1786.

Malignitati falfa fpecies Libertatis ineft. TAC

To the AUTHOR of the LOUNGER.

SIR,

SON

OME time ago a female correfpondent was obliged to enter a complaint with you against one of the Virtues, and fet forth the hardships which a family endures from the circumftances of its `mafter's extreme cultivation of Truth. I am forry, Sir, to be obliged to enter a fimilar complaint against another of the Virtues, of the fame family with that of which the Lady complains; and to relate to you the effects which I happened lately to witness from the extreme cultivation of Freedom.

The word Freedom, Sir, till this late incident in my life, carried with it a found at once fo facred and so animating, as I thought was entitled

to

to my warmest love and veneration. Yet a young man, and full of the claffic remembrances of Roman virtue, I connected with the love of Liberty every thing that dignifies and humanifes man ; and I heard the cautions of fome of my elder and more experienced acquaintance, with the fecret triumph of a fuperior mind, whofe vigour was unfubdued by age, whofe honeft warmth was unextinguished by intereft or the world.

By one of those advisers I was lately carried on a vifit to the house of a common relation of ours, with whose person, as he refided in a different part of the country, I was not at all acquainted; but whofe character, having often heard him celebrated as a warm partisan of Liberty, I had long learned to revere; and I was happy to find that I fhould have now an opportunity of acquiring an intimate acquaintance with him, our vifit being propofed to be as long as it was distant, and meant to laft during the whole Eafter Holidays, according to their longest computation.

When we arrived at the houfe, and I was introduced to my coufin, I was fomewhat difappointed with his aspect and manner, neither of which poffeffed a great deal of that dignity, which, from an affertor of Freedom, according to my claffic notions of the character, I had taught myfelf to expect. I found Mr Wilfull a thick squat

figure,

figure, with an appearance of great strength and freshness for his age, with a person rather lufty, and fomewhat of rubicundity in his face. His motions were more quick than graceful, his voice rough and ftrong, which laft, however, I was inclined, on the first hearing it, to call firm and manly. Thefe qualities I afterwards found employed to give force and emphafis to a variety of oaths, of which the gentleman was very profufe in the course of his conversation. He gave us a very cordial welcome, and infisted on our recruiting ourselves after our journey with a glass of his cordial waters, which I found fo ftrong as to make my eyes water the firft mouthful I fwallowed; but Mr Wilfull himself took off a bumper, without feeming to feel any fuch inconvenience.

When dinner came, the ladies of the family appeared, who confifted of Mrs Wilfull and two daughters, on whom our Landlord beftowed a hearty fcold for making us wait, as he faid, a quarter of an hour for their damned hair-dreffing. This reprimand the ladies bore with great fubmiffion. Mrs Wilfull, indeed, made a filent fort of reply, by pulling out her watch, by which I faw it wanted feveral minutes of four. But Mr Wilfull swore another oath, that a woman's watch was like her judgement, very little to be depen

ded