done several others—but till my sentimental work is published, I shall not have a single sous more than will Indemnify People for my immediate Expences.” Soon after the receipt of this Intelligence I heard of Yoricks Death, the very first ship which left us afterwards, I wrote to Miss Sterne by and with all the freedom which my Intimacy with her Father & his Communications warranted.—I purposely avoided speaking of her Mother for I knew nothing to her Advantage—and I had heard a great deal to the reverse—So circumstanced—, How could I with any kind of Delicacy mention a Person, who was hateful to my departed Friend, when for the sake of that very friend—I wished to confer a kindness on his Daughter—and to enhance the value of it,—solicited her society, & consent to share my Prospects, as the highest Favor which could be shewn to myself?—indeed I knew not, but M^{rs}. Sterne, from the Description I had received of her, might be no more—or privately confined, if in Being, owing to a Malady, which I’ve been told the Violence of her temper subjects her to. You my dear, knew nothing of the Ladies at this time—my letter of Invitation was sent before I received your’s urging the necessity of their circumstances—and the worthiness of their Characters—but can they be thus worthy, when so ready to take part against a stranger—tho’ that Stranger is the friend of a woman they profess to Esteem & admire, & has ever had the Advantage of being described by her in an Amiable light? Non Credo! The Intention, ought in all Causes, my James, to sanctify the Act, where the kindness of the One is visible, and the propriety of the other, nothing worse than doubtful—and so it ever will my dear to benevolent Natures. Miss Sterne, in her letter, tells me—_that her Father did sometimes misrepresent her mother, in order to justify his neglect of her_—I do not think highly of a Daughter, who could compliment a living Parent, however justly at the expence of a Deceased one—but as this was Miss Sternes opinion—she might in common justice to have supposed that M^{rs}. Sterne had been misrepresented to me, this would have accounted for my silence on the subject & clearly evinced that I could not mean any kind of Disrespect to herself or mother by not naming her in my letter of Invitation—indeed my dear—so far from it—that my silence on the subject, as I’ve hinted before, only proceeded from a Delicacy w’ch is natural to me, when I either wish or mean to speak to the affections—I have been strangely deceived in Miss Sternes—or she never could have perverted my sentiments so much as to suppose I did her an Injury, in addressing her as a kindred Spirit, and with all the freedom I could wish to subsist between myself and a sister of my Heart—the circumstance in particular, which you allude to was such as would of itself, have given me some reputation in the Eyes of Discerning and kind Sensibility! consequently it ought