overtures of a gentleman, who appeared to them singularly eligible as the future husband of their only child, whatever her heart might dictate to the contrary. She had had many admirers, to none of whom had she lent a willing ear saving to Mr. Coltman, but having now become aware of some peculiar circumstances connected with his situation, to which she attributed the uncertain receipt of his letters, she perceived that, by accepting the importunate offers of Mr. Saddler, she could at once relieve Mr. Coltman and satisfy her parents on the much desired point of detaining her in their near neighbourhood, after she had been separated from them by marriage.

Mr. Coltman, after leaving school, had gone to London to reside with his uncle, Mr. Page, who took him into his business, and proposed adopting him and making him his heir, reserving to himself the right of choosing him a wife. The lady selected was Miss Deborah Klockenbrink, a German of pleasing manners and good education, who resided in the family of his uncle, and was the sister-inlaw of his partner, Mr. Pease. This lady was accustomed to look upon Mr. Coltman as her future lover and husband, while he was instructed by his uncle in the propriety and eligibility of setting his affections upon her. Yet his mind. appears to have wavered for some time between his intense affection for Miss Cartwright and his duty to his uncle ; and this, doubtless, was the reason why he did not renew his offer to Miss Cartwright, which, from the preceding letters, he evidently had not done. She, therefore, weary of suspense, urged by Mr. Saddler, and warmly sanctioned by her parents, accepted the suit of the latter gentleman.

He was nephew to the "Squire of Duffield;" their meetings had taken place at the Hall. He was amiable, he sincerely loved her, and he had (for he was to be his uncle's heir) an ample property wherewith to endow her.

It is not ascertainable at what period precisely the engagement was entered upon, but it probably took place about the close of the year 1764. Several letters transpired after the four months' interval was over between Mr. Coltman and Miss Cartwright, and the correspondence gradually discloses the state of matters.

The new lover, however, once accepted, would hear of no delay, and things were put into a speedy train. He took a beautiful house in the neighbouring village of Makeney, which he occupied himself in furnishing, while Miss Cartwright began to make preparations for the wedding ceremony.

The following extract from Mr. Coltman's letter to Miss Cartwright shows the state of his feelings on hearing the news of her engagement to Mr. Saddler :

"London, 31 Jan., 1765.

"It is impossible for me to inform my dearest Miss Cartwright of the unhappiness of my situation. You, Madam, are the only object on whom I had placed my tenderest affections, and the hopes of all my future enjoyments in life; if I am robbed of these hopes I am wretched and miserable for ever. Whatever

appearances have led you to think, my sentiments of you have not at all changed. I love you incomparably beyond any other person, nor will I give up my pretensions.

shall be able to explain to your satisfaction what has hitherto seemed so unaccountable in my past behaviour; till then, I remain, dear Madam,

"Your most obedient and most devoted

humble Servant,

"JOHN COLTMAN."

This letter is followed by one from Miss Cartwright, in which she says:-"Whatever Mr. Coltman may have suffered on my account, I am persuaded that I at least have had an equal share." She then refers to his position with his uncle in London, also to her parents not liking her to live so far from them.

It is conjectured that at no great distance of time from the date of the last letter addressed to Mr. Coltman [March 25, 1765], Miss Cartwright lost her affianced lover, and Mr. Coltman his rival. Mr. Saddler, going one evening on his usual visit to his lady, was overtaken by a storm of thunder and rain, but he made lightly of the matter, sat in his wet clothes, and returned home feeling no immediate inconvenience. A cold, however, soon afterwards appeared, which, growing worse and worse, resulted in a very rapid decline, and he was speedily removed from this transitory world.

Before Miss Cartwright had concluded her engagement with him she informed him of the state of her affections, and of her correspondence with Mr. Coltman, but so entirely beloved was she that he considered it no obstacle, implicitly confiding in her honourable promise. Finding now that he must resign her for ever, he earnestly

entreated her to allow him to marry her, ill as he was, in order that he might leave her an estate, which he could only do as her husband; this mark of his affection she steadily and resolutely declined.

After Mr. Saddler's death Miss Cartwright paid a visit to Mrs. Fieldhouse, the friend of the Poet Shenstone.

Miss Cartwright says of this visit :-"I have promised myself much satisfaction from this visit to my friend, Mrs. Fieldhouse, my preceptress, my guide, my guardian spirit; she who first introduced me into the world of letters, who has directed all my studies, and 'taught the young idea how to shoot;' 'tis a friendship not founded upon chance or fortune, but is the reciprocal union of sister minds, and it will be some addition to the pleasure to sit and read together in those sweet Elysian shades which Shenstone planted."

In about four months from the death of Mr. Saddler the correspondence between Mr. Coltman and Miss Cartwright was resumed, and, from a carefully preserved memoranda in Mr. Coltman's handwriting, they must have written pretty frequently to each other.

From Miss Cartwright to Mr. Coltman.

"Duffield, March 25, 1766.

"How many Roman Emperors* would you have given for the information I am going to give you a week earlier than usual, that you might have been at the George Inn, Derby, last Friday evening? Mr. Wilden has just told me that the celebrated Rousseau was there-staid all night on Mr. Coltman was an admirer of Roman coins, and had a large collection of them.

his way from Ilam, near Ashborne, where he was going to visit one of the Davenports; he is thin and tall, was attended by a lady, and, as Mr. Wilden's father told me, Drewry, the printer, having a curiosity to see him, rose early in the morning, and found the postilion putting the horses to his carriage; and on seeming curious the man begged he would take no notice, nor ask any questions then, but step aside into some room, for that his master was at the window, and from his late ill-treatment was so extremely suspicious that he never heard his name mentioned, or saw anybody looking at him, but he immediately concluded that it was some of his enemies come from France or Switzerland on purpose to seize him!

"Since the above was written I have received your letter, which is really a very pretty one.

"What sugar'd words from Lover's lips can fall,

But grinning wedlock comes, and spoils it all.'

"When, my Coltman? Why, you ask so very prettily that I think I shall take two or three years longer to consider of it, if you think you have patience, and complaisance, and friendship, and affectionate tenderness, and flattery, etc., sufficient to hold out the time, for it is a thousand pities any of those good things should be thrown away, and, according to the usual style of matrimony, they are seldom found to be of much use afterwards. But seriously, Mr. C., I tremble to think that you, even you, gentle as you are, may grow sullen-Oh, no! I will banish the thought. But I have just been reading a tale in the 'Tatler,' of a vessel which was split upon a rock, and

J