you may have in your own Perfon, and really do poffefs; take this Furfe, and its Contents, which will fuffice for the Remainder of your Expences in your Maiden State, and provide yourself with every Thing you shall have an Ufe or Fancy for, before we set out for Yorkshire. The dear Angel looked at me with a World of Tenderness, whilst I was speaking, and then broke forth into the following Speech! My dear Thompson, I accept your generous Prefent, in Truft for your Ufe, and hope I fhall manage this with the fame Prudence I fhall always ftudy to behave with in your Affairs. I do always look on myself as yours, and only yours, for my Father has I think greatly forfeited his Authority over me by his Usage; but still let us practife all the Duty due to Parents, and then if he refuses his Confent, or is angry when he difcovers his Daughter, under the Character of your Wife, why let him difpofe of the dirty Acres as he pleafes; I have Stock of Affection fufficient I hope to compenfate for their Lofs to you; but I look for happier Things, and believe he will now be proud of his Son-in-Law! To fay, I am furprised at your Prefent, would be gloffing too much the Sentiments of my Mind, for, knowing my dear Thompson, I know him capable of every Thing good, and kind, and generous; but how-which Way,-fhall I, can I reward his Goodness to his Louifa? Your being sensible only, my sweetest Louisa, of my Pains, P 3

my

my Sufferings,-your approving my Paffion, your confenting to blefs me with that World of Charms, -to give me that foft Hand,-to be mine for ever, is more than a Recompence for Ages of Torture.-And, ah, for ever, fhall the dear condefcending Gentleness be the Guide, the Motive to all my Actions. I will hafte, Love, and finish my Affairs in Town, and prepare to launch into an Ocean of Blifs, which can have no Alloy.

CHAP. LXI.

He goes down to Mr. Diaper's.-Joy on feeing him.-Carries them to fee his Louifa.-Receives Letters from Mr. Saris.-- Generofity ef that Gentleman.-Mr. Goodwill's exceffive Kindness.-Vifits Mr. Prim.-He finishes the Settlement of bis Affairs.—They Set out for Yorkshire.

W

HEN a Week more had paffed, in which

we were taken up in vifiting all the Curiofities in the City and Neighbourhood of London, to which our Louisa and her Coufin Serena were as yet Strangers, never having been in that Metropolis before; I could not further reftrain the Impatience I was agitated with to fee my dear Friend, and the rest of the amiable Society, who, we understood by Prig, were still at my old Master's in the Coun

try;

try; and, accordingly, that Gentleman, Captain Sharpley, and Truman accompanied me there. As we approached the well known Spot, it recalled to my Memory a thoufand former Scenes of Happiness and Mifery that had occurred to me; but all this ferved now only to increase my present Satisfaction, which was unbounded. We arrived, and I was no fooner entered the Room where they were at Dinner, than I was univerfally known at first Sight, and they had well nigh, in their Hurry of rifing to congratulate my Appearance, overturned the Table they were fitting at. My Mafter, Mr. Goodwill, and Mr. Bellair, were never tired of straining me in their Arms; the Ladies gazed upon me with the utmoft Fondnefs, and wept plentifully with mere Joy. I returned their Careffes with Intereft, and shed a Flood of Tears, which my full Heart could not restrain: But, as to my Friend and myself, it was all Delight and Transport that feized us, and we were near a quarter of an Hour in one another's Embraces, faying all the tender and affectionate Things that infpired our Bofoms. When we were fomewhat calmer, our Difcourfe, however, was equally touching, and we were never tired of making fond Enquiries into each other's Health and Welfare, and the Accidents that had befallen us. They knew moft Part of what had happened to me from Mr. Diaper, but, as to what had paffed fince our failing from the Cape of Good Hope,

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Hope, I was obliged to recount it to them; which I did in as fuccinct a Manner as poffible, and, notwithstanding my Refolution to the contrary, I could not help letting them into the Miracle of my recovering my Louifa, knowing it concerned us only to keep it a Secret from Sir Walter; at which Eyes and Hands were lifted up in wondering Admiration at the Goodness of Heaven! and then they all burst out into fresh Congratulations to me on my inexpreffible Happiness, and proposed the next Day to pay a Vifit to the Ladies our Fellow-adventurers. Captain Sharpley, whofe Father was known to them intimately, was received with the utmost Politeness, and every one at firft Sight entertained a Friendship for him, particularly my dear Diaper; and we three happy Lovers exulted together upon the blissful Situation we were at prefent Witneffes to in each other. We went to Town the fame Day to prepare my Louifa, Madam Rich, and Serena for the intended Vifit, that was to be paid them on the Morrow; and I intreated my dearest Maid to dress herself in the richeft Manner fhe could, which fhe, fmiling, promised to comply with. She asked me, if I had heard any thing more of her Papa? I told her, he was well as ever; but fill as much grieved at what had happened in our Affairs, and for her Lofs; that the 'Squire, as Mrs. Goodwill had informed me, was ftill at his own Seat at Doncafter, and, notwithstanding all the Arts he could ufe, had

never been able to mollify his Uncle, who had been informed of his Villainies, by one of the Fellows that attended him, when I was laft ufed fo ill by him; and, again, his Meannefs and Baseness, in perfuading him, that he had killed me, by which Report he had loft his Louifa, had more and more exasperated him against him: He had been informed, by the very Person who wrote me the Letter of Caution when I was at my Father's, of my Life's having been attacked by his Procurement, near his own Houfe. He had pardoned that Fellow for his Honefty, but had by continual Prosecutions driven the reft out of the County, as a Sacrifice for the Injuries I received from him; and that he was at present in such a Temper, that it was believed, if no Art at all were used, he'd readily at the unexpected Sight of us confent to our Marriage. All this gave my Louifa new Spirits, and fhe cried, Oh! how I long to footh the Pains of this cruel, yet repentant Father! Our Visitors arrived the next Day, and we introduced them to Madam Rich, who entertained them whilft Sharpley and myfelf went to bring in our adorable Miftreffes. I never was surprised at any Thing before, fo much as at the fine and lovely Figure my Louisa made; her Drefs was magnificent to the laft Degree, and fhe was all over apparently a Climax of Stars that blazed in the Jewels that adorned her: Round her Neck hung the Solitaire I had prefented to her, and at a Loc

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