England -- Social life and customs -- 18th century -- Fiction; Epistolary fiction; Essays
She told me that having a considerable taste for the Beauties of
Nature, her curiosity to behold the delightful scenes it exhibited in
that part of the World had been so much raised by Gilpin’s Tour to the
Highlands, that she had prevailed on her Father to undertake a Tour to
Scotland and had persuaded Lady Dorothea to accompany them. That they
had arrived at Edinburgh a few Days before and from thence had made
daily Excursions into the Country around in the Stage Coach they were
then in, from one of which Excursions they were at that time returning.
My next enquiries were concerning Philippa and her Husband, the latter
of whom I learned having spent all her fortune, had recourse for
subsistence to the talent in which, he had always most excelled,
namely, Driving, and that having sold every thing which belonged to
them except their Coach, had converted it into a Stage and in order to
be removed from any of his former Acquaintance, had driven it to
Edinburgh from whence he went to Sterling every other Day. That
Philippa still retaining her affection for her ungratefull Husband, had
followed him to Scotland and generally accompanied him in his little
Excursions to Sterling. “It has only been to throw a little money into
their Pockets (continued Augusta) that my Father has always travelled
in their Coach to veiw the beauties of the Country since our arrival in
Scotland—for it would certainly have been much more agreable to us, to
visit the Highlands in a Postchaise than merely to travel from
Edinburgh to Sterling and from Sterling to Edinburgh every other Day in
a crowded and uncomfortable Stage.” I perfectly agreed with her in her
sentiments on the affair, and secretly blamed Sir Edward for thus
sacrificing his Daughter’s Pleasure for the sake of a ridiculous old
woman whose folly in marrying so young a man ought to be punished. His
Behaviour however was entirely of a peice with his general Character;
for what could be expected from a man who possessed not the smallest
atom of Sensibility, who scarcely knew the meaning of simpathy, and who
actually snored—.
Adeiu
Laura.
LETTER the 15th
LAURA in continuation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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