Nusance both to us & themselves--For the late importation of Stays which are said to be now most fashionable in London, are produced upwards so high that we can have scarce any view at all of the Ladies Snowy Bosoms; & on the contrary, they are extended downwards so low that whenever Ladies who wear them, either young or old, have occasion to walk, the motion necessary for Walking, must, I think, cause a disagreeable Friction of some part of the body against the lower Edge of the Stays which is hard & unyielding--I imputed the Flush which was visible in her Face to her being swathed up _Body_ & _Soul_ & _limbs_ together--She wore a light Chintz Gown, very fine, with a blue stamp; elegantly made, & which set well upon her--She wore a blue silk Quilt--In one word Her Dress was rich & fashionable--Her Behaviour such as I should expect to find in a Lady whose education had been conducted with some care & skill; and her person, abstracted from the embelishments of Dress & good Breeding, not much handsomer than the generality of Women-- [183] This Elizabeth Lee was the daughter of the late George Lee of "Mount Pleasant" and his first wife Judith Wormeley of "Rosegill" in Middlesex County. She died unmarried. What made me desirous to see, & curious to reconnoitre this young Lady, was, a Sentence that was dropt yesterday by a respectable Member of our Family, intimating a Desire that I may, on seeing Miss Lee, after having known, by report, her faultless character, be so pleased with her person as to try to make her mine, & settle in this Province--That kind Body, who is for making me happy by settling me in Virginia, & connecting me with one of the best families in the Government, little knows how painful it would be if I was indeed compell'd by any accident of Fortune to spend the remainder of my Days in Virginia if is the pleasure of Providence that I am to continue for any length of time in the World--Strong, & sweet are the bands which tye us to our place of nativity; If it is but a beggarly Cottage, we seem not satisfied with the most elegant entertainment if we are totally seperated from it--But if a Princess should solicit me to accept, together with Herself, 50000£ a Year--I declare, with as great _pleasure_ as _truth_, that the esteem, & Fidelity which I possess for my dear, dear _Eliza_ would make me without reflection, evade & refuse the Proposal--Ben & I returned Home before dark--We had the 'Squire to drink Coffee with us--He brought us a Newspaper containing the debate, of the House of Commons concerning the Repeal of the Tea-duty. _Teusday 5._