The Company we have already mentioned being again assembled, the Lady who had before grieved that the agreeable Mr. _Lovelace_ should not become a Husband, now lamented that Miss _Howe_ should be married to so insipid a Man (that was the Epithet she chose for him) as Mr. _Hickman_. This passed some little time without any Answer. Miss _Gibson_ was silent; and I saw by her Looks that she thought there was some Weight in her Objection. At last an old Lady, who had three Daughters marriagable, said, she wondered to hear Mr. _Hickman_ called insipid; for she thought there could be no Reason for giving him that Appellation, unless young Women would confess what she should be very sorry to hear them confess, namely, that, in their Opinion, Sobriety intitles a Man to the Character of Insipidity. Pray remember, continued the Lady, that there is no Ridicule cast upon Mr. _Hickman_ throughout the whole Story, but by _Lovelace_ and Miss _Howe_. The former lov'd Ridicule so well, that he could make Objects of it, by the Help of his gay Imagination, even where he found none: Besides, he hated any Man should have a fine Woman but himself; for, in his Opinion, he alone deserved them. And I think Miss _Howe_ is very censurable for the Liberties she takes with a worthy Man, whom also it is plain she intends to make her Husband. Miss _Gibson_ agreed in censuring Miss _Howe_ for the Liberties she takes with him; but at the same time said, she thought even his bearing that Usage did lower his Character. Now you see, replied the Lady, how you are taken in; that you can condemn Miss _Howe_ for her Contempt of Mr. _Hickman_, and yet at the same time let the lively Strokes that fall from her Pen have their full force against the abused worthy Man. Yet Miss _Howe_ herself owns, as early as the second Volume, that Mr. _Hickman_ is humane, benevolent, generous,--No Fox-hunter--No Gamester--That he is sober, modest, and virtuous; and has Qualities that Mothers would be fond of in a Husband for their Daughters; and for which, perhaps, their Daughters would be the happier, could they judge as well for themselves as Experience may teach them to judge for their future Daughters. In other Places he is represented as charitable, considerate to Inferiors, so obliging and respectful to his Mother-in-law, that she leaves him at her Death, in Acknowledgment of it, all that was in her Power: And Miss _Howe_ owns he never disobliged her by Word or Look. What then is the Objection to Mr. _Hickman_? Why truly, he has not _Lovelace's_ fine Person!--_Lovelace's_ fine Address!--_Lovelace's_ impetuous Spirit; and yet he has shewn even _Lovelace_, that he wants not Courage. He is plain in his Dress!--His Gait shews him not to be so debonnaire in dancing a Minuit as _Lovelace_.--But, indeed, I am afraid whoever prefers a _Lovelace_ to a _Hickman_, will wish all her life-time she could have sooner found out, that tho' _Lovelace_ was the best Partner at a Ball; yet, when a