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 12 3 
 
 1 2 3 
 
 4 5 6 
 
4 
 
THE 
 
 HIS T O R Y 
 
 O F 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE. 
 
 V o L.. I. 
 
i ! 
 
 i 
 
 » 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 
 It 
 
THE 
 
 I S T O R Y 
 
 O F 
 
 MILY MONTAGUE. 
 
 In FOUR VOLUMES. 
 
 By the Author of 
 DY JULIA MANDEVILLE. 
 
 ** A kind indulgent fleep 
 
 •«■ O'er works of length allowably may creep." 
 
 Horace^ 
 
 A NEW EDITION. 
 
 LONDON: ^"^V^^^avisnE-is ^J' 
 
 ranted for R^ DODSLEY, in Pall-Mall; 
 
■vi 
 
 f 
 
 pk 
 
 M 
 
TO HIS EXCELtENCY 
 
 GUY CARLETON, Efq. 
 
 GOVERNOR 
 
 AND 
 
 COMMANDER IN CHIEF 
 
 O F 
 
 His Majefty's Province of QUEBEC, 
 &c. &c. &c. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 A S the fcene of fo great a part of 
 
 the following work is laid in 
 
 Canada, I flatter myfelf there is a 
 
 peculiar propriety in addreffing it 
 
 to your Excellency, to whofe probity 
 
 * 3 and 
 
i 
 
 ■1 
 
 » 
 
 ^^^^^B 
 
 i 
 
 ^^H 
 
 k 
 
 ^^^^ 
 
 i 
 
 T 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 'II 
 
 [ vi ] 
 
 and enlightened attention the colony 
 owes its happinefs, and individuals 
 that tranquillity of mind, without 
 which there can be no exertion of 
 the powers of either the underflanding 
 or imagination. 
 
 Were I to fay all your Excellency 
 has done to diffufe, through this pro- 
 vince, fo happy under your command, 
 a fpirit of loyalty and attachment to 
 our excellent Sovereign, of chearful 
 obedience to the laws, and of that 
 union which makes the ftrength of 
 government, I fliould hazard your 
 efteem by doing you juftice. 
 
 I will. 
 
f 
 
 Vll 
 
 ] 
 
 I colony 
 lividuals 
 without 
 *tion of 
 landing 
 
 :ellency 
 lis pro- 
 nmand, 
 inent to 
 :hearful 
 of that 
 ngth of 
 •d your 
 
 I will, therefore, only beg leave to 
 add mine to the general voice of 
 Canada; and to allure your Excel- 
 lency, that 
 
 I am. 
 
 With the utmoft efteem 
 
 and refpedV, 
 
 Your moft obedient fervant. 
 
 I will. 
 
 Frances Brooke. 
 
1 i 
 
 ^ 
 
 i 
 
 i I 
 
 ! 
 
 A*. ^ 
 
 i !S 
 
THE 
 
 HISTORY 
 
 O F 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE. 
 
 L E T T E R I. 
 
 To JoHi, TiMPtB, Ffq, at Paris. 
 
 A^**«' April loi 1766. 
 *• TER fpending two or three very 
 
 Lf ,.T'''''' '^y' ^^''rwith a party 
 
 their;' '"/"P'^^S *^ ^'^-^'^of 
 [the^inand, ,«l i-oppi„g a tender tear at 
 
 ' --"^ 3 carif. 
 
fW 
 
 (,l 
 
 i i 
 
 
 if 
 
 2 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 Cariibrook Caftlc on the memory of the 
 unfortunate Charles the Firft, I amf juft 
 fctting out for America, on a fcheme I 
 once hinted to you, of fettling the lands 
 
 [ to which I have a right as a lieutenant- 
 colonel on half pay. On enquiry and ma- 
 ture deliberation, I prefer Canada to New- 
 York for two reafons, that it is wilder, 
 and that the women are handfomer : the 
 iirft, perhaps, every body will not ap- 
 
 ' prove ; the latter, I am rure,;'G^ will. 
 
 Yotr may perhaps call my projed ro* 
 mantic, but my adive temper is ill fuited 
 to the lazy cKaraaer of a reduced officer : 
 befides that I am too- proud to narrow my 
 dicle of life, and not quite unfeeling 
 enough to break^in on the little eftate 
 which is fcarce foiHcient to fupport my 
 mother and fifter in the manner to^ which 
 they have been accuftom'd. 
 
 What you call a facrifice, is none at all ; 
 I love- England, but am not obftinately 
 
 chjun'd 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. j 
 
 chain'd down to any Ipot of earth ; na- 
 ture has charms every where for a man 
 willing to be pleafed : at my time of life, 
 the very change of place is amufing; love 
 of variety, and the natural reftleflhefs of 
 man, would give me a reliih for this voyage, 
 even if I did not expedl, what I really do,' 
 to become lord of a principality which will 
 put our large-acred men in England out of 
 •countenance. My fubjeds indeed at pre. 
 fent will be only bears and elks, but in 
 time I hope to fee the human face dhme 
 multiplying around me ; and, in thus cul- 
 tivatmg what is in the rudell flate of na- 
 ture, I Ihall taf.e one of the greateft of 
 aU pleafures, that of creation, and fee 
 order and beauty gradually rife from 
 ohaos. 
 
 The veffe] is untnoor'd ; the winds arc 
 fair , a gentle breeze agitates the bofom 
 ot tnedeeo: all nadirs r_.-i_ » 
 all th. .^ ' -"-^""^ ^""^^'s: 1 go with 
 an the eager hopes of a rira«r« • • 
 
 D v^i^ca ur a warm iijiagina- 
 
 Uon^ 
 
V, 
 
 4 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 tion ; yet friendfhip calls a lingering look 
 Jbehind. 
 
 Our mutual lols, my dear Temple, will 
 be greats I iball never ceafe to regret 
 you, nor will you find it eafy to replace 
 the friend of your youth. You may find 
 friends of equal merit -, you may efteem 
 diem equally j but few connexions form'd 
 after five-and-twenty ftrike root like that 
 €arly fympathy, which united us almoft 
 from infancy, and has increased to the very 
 hour of our feparation. 
 
 What pleafure is there in the friend- 
 Ihips of the fpring of life, before the 
 world, the mean unfeeling felfilh world, 
 breaks in on die gay miftakes of the juft- 
 expanding heart, .which fees nothing but 
 truth, and has nothing but happinefs in 
 profpe6t ! 
 
 I am not furpriz'd the heathens rais'd 
 altars to friendfhip ; 'twas natural for un- 
 taught 
 
ig look 
 
 Die, will 
 
 . regret 
 
 replace 
 
 lay find 
 
 efteem 
 
 form'd 
 
 ike that 
 
 almoft 
 
 :he very 
 
 I 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE; s 
 
 taught fuperftition to deify the fource of 
 every good^ they worfhipVl friendlhip,. 
 which animates the moral world, on the 
 fame principle as they paid adoration to 
 the fun, which gives lire to the world ofv 
 nature. 
 
 I am fummon'd on board. Adieu I 
 
 Ed. Ri VE R Sr 
 
 friend- 
 fore the 
 I world, 
 the juft- 
 bing but 
 pinefs in 
 
 ns rais'd 
 l for un- 
 taught 
 
 
 -LETTER IL 
 
 To Mifs Rivers, Clarges Street. 
 
 Quebec, June 27. 
 T HAVE this moment your letter, my 
 -*• dear ; I am happy to hear my mother 
 has been amus'd at Bath, and not at all 
 furpriz^d to find file rivals you in your 
 conquefts. By the way, I am not fure Ihe 
 'S not handfomer. nnMx7;,"Kfi 
 
 B 
 
 
 ii 
 
 me 
 
6 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 me you are handfomer than ever i I am 
 aftonifli'd fhe will lead a tall daughter 
 about with her thus, to let people into a 
 •fecret they would never fufped:,. that fhe is. 
 paft five-and-twenty. 
 
 You are a foolilh girl, I.ucy i do you 
 think 1 have not more pleafure in continu- 
 ing to my mother, by coming hither, the- 
 litde indulgencies of life, than I coiuld 
 have had by enjoying them myfelf ? pray 
 reconcile her to my abfence, and alTure her 
 fhe will make me happier by jovially en- 
 joying the trifle I have affign'd toherufe* 
 than by procuring me the wealth of a 
 Nabob, in which fhe was to have no 
 fiiare. 
 
 But to return; you really, Lucy, afk mc 
 fuch a million of queftions, *tis impofTible 
 to know which to anfwer firfl -, the coun- 
 try, the convents, the balls, the ladies, the 
 beaux— 'tis a hiftory, not a letter, you de- 
 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 7 
 
 mand, and it will take mc a twelvemonth 
 to fatisfy your curiofity* 
 
 Where fhall I begin? certainly with 
 what mull firft ftrike a Ibldier : I have feen 
 then the fpot where the aniiable hero ex- 
 pir'd in the arms of viftory^ have traced 
 him ftcp by ftep with equal aftonifhment 
 and admiration : *tis here alone it is pofll- 
 bie to form an adequate idea of an enter- 
 prize, the difEculties of which muft have 
 deftroy'd hope itfclf had they been fore* 
 
 The country is a very fine one : you lee 
 here not only the beautiful which it has in 
 comnnon with Europe, but the ^r<?^///^3- 
 Ume to an amazing degree j every obje(^ 
 here is magnificent : the very people feem 
 almoft another fpecies, if we compare them 
 with the French from whom they are de- 
 fcended. 
 
 B 4 
 
 Oil 
 
t THE HISTORY OF 
 
 On approaching the coaft of America, 
 ' I fdt a kind of religious veneration, on 
 feeing rocks which almoft toiich'd the 
 clouds, covered with tall groves of pines 
 that feemed coeval with the world itfelf : 
 to which, veneration the folemn filence not 
 -a little cohtribul^ ; froiti Gape RofJeres, 
 up the river St. Lawrence, during a courfc 
 of more than two hundred miles, there is 
 not the leaft appearance of a human foot* 
 ftep ; no objedts meet the eye but moun- 
 tains, woods, and numerous rivers, which. 
 f€em to roll their waters in vain. 
 
 It is impoffible to behold a fcene like 
 thb without lamenting the madnefs of 
 mankind,^^ who, more mercilefs than the: 
 fierce inhabitants of the howling wilder- 
 nefi, deftroy millions of their own fpecies 
 in the wild contention for a little portion of 
 that earth, the far greater part of which 
 remains yet unpofleft, and courts the hand . 
 of labour for cultivation. > 
 
 The 
 
3F 
 
 America, 
 ation, on 
 ich*d the 
 1 of pines 
 rid itfelf : 
 ilence not 
 RoiGeres^ 
 ; a courfe 
 , there is 
 [an foot* 
 t nrioun* 
 •s, which. 
 
 bene like 
 inefs or 
 than the: 
 : wilder* 
 ipecies 
 )rtion of 
 f which 
 he hand * 
 
 EMILY Montague; gt; 
 
 The river itfelf is one of the nobleft in 
 the world ; its breadth is ninety miles at 
 its entrance, gradually, and almoft im- 
 perceptibly, decreafing; interfpersVi with' 
 iflands which give it a variety infinitely 
 pleafing, and navigable near five hundred- 
 miles from the fea. • 
 
 Nothing can be more ftriking than the ' 
 view of Quebec as you approach ; it {lands 
 on the fummit of a boldly-riling hill, at the 
 confluence of two very beautiful rivers, the' 
 St.- Lawrence and St. Charles, and, as the • 
 convents and other public buildings firfl 
 meet the eye, appears to great advantage " 
 ^ from the port. - The ifland of Orleans, the - 
 diftant view of the cafcade of Montmo- 
 renci, and the oppofite village of Beau-- 
 port, Scattered with a pleafing irregularity -^ 
 along the banks of the river St. Charles,, 
 addgreatlyyto the charms of the p/oJped. . 
 
 The 
 
 B5; 
 
 Chave" 
 
!!f 
 
 10 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 I have juft had time to obferve, that the 
 Canadian ladies have the vivacity of the 
 French, with a fuperior fhare of beauty : 
 as to balls and aiTeniblies, we have none at 
 prefent, it being a kind of interregnum 
 of government : if I chofe to give you the 
 political ftate of the country, I could fill 
 volumes with the pours and the contres y 
 but I am not one of thofc fagacious obfer- 
 vers, who, by flaying a week in a place,, 
 think themfelves qualified to give, not 
 only its natural, but its moral and political 
 hiftory :; befides which, you and I are ra- 
 ther too young to be very profound politi- 
 cians. We are in expedlation of a fuc- 
 cefTor from whom we hope a new golden 
 age ; I fhall then have better fubje(!bs fojc 
 1^ letter to t, lady a. 
 
 Adieu \ my dear girl ! % every thing 
 ibr me tip my mother. Yours, 
 
 Ed. Rivers,. 
 
 LETTER 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. ii 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 To Col. Rivers, at Quebec- 
 
 London, April 30.- 
 
 INDEEIW! gone to people the wilds of 
 America, Ned, and multiply the hii- 
 man face divine ? 'tis a projc^l worthy a 
 tall handfome colonel of twent/-feven : 
 let me fee ; five feet eleven inches, well 
 m.ade, with fine teeth, fpeaking eyes, a 
 military air, and the look of a man of 
 falhion: fpirit, generofity, a good iinder- 
 ftanding, fome knowledge, an eafy addrcfs,- 
 a compafiionate heart, a itrong inclination 
 for the ladies, and in fhort every quality a 
 gendeman Ihould have : excellent all thefe 
 for colonizadon : prenez gardcy mes cbere^' 
 dames. You have nothing againft you,, 
 Ned, but your modeily; a very ufelefs 
 virtue on French ground, or indeed cn^ 
 any ground : I wi(h you had a little more* 
 
 E6^ con-- 
 
JO THE HtSTORT OF 
 
 confcioufnefs of your own merits : remem^ 
 ber that to kmw one'ijetf the oracle of 
 Apollo has pronounced to be the perfec- 
 tions of human tvifdom. Our fair friend 
 Mrs. H— fays, "Colonel Rivers wants, 
 " nothing to make him the moft agreed 
 '' able man breathing but. aJittle dalh of: 
 " the coxcomb." 
 
 For my part, I hate humility in a man of 
 the world j 'tis worfe than even the hypo- 
 crify of the faints : I am not ignorant, and- 
 therefore never deny, that I am a, very, 
 handfome fellow; and I have the pleafure- 
 to find all the women of the fame opinion... 
 
 I am juft arrived from Paris : the divine/ 
 Madame De —^ is as lovely^ and as con. 
 itant as ever ; 'twas cruel to leave her, but 
 who can account for the caprices of the 
 heart ? mine was the prey of a young un.. 
 experienc'd Engl ilh charmer, juft comeouc : 
 of a convent, , 
 
 *^'TJie bloom nrr»r>/»nitirr a^, 
 
 ».' 
 
 n, 
 
 % 
 
 }.yy 
 
OF 
 
 : remem* 
 oracle of 
 ^c perfec* 
 fair friend 
 ers wants. 
 )fl: agree- 
 e dalh ot 
 
 a mail of;' 
 he hypo- 
 rant, and 
 1 a very 
 pleafure 
 opinion... 
 
 e divinev* 
 as con-i 
 her, but 
 of the, 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE. 13- 
 
 Ha, Ned ? But I forget ; you are for the 
 full-blown rofe : 'tis a happinefs, as we 
 are friends, that 'tis inrjpoffible we can ever 
 be rivals ; a woman is grown out of my 
 tafte Ibme years before fhe comes up to 
 yours : abfolutely, N«d, you are too nice ; . 
 for my part, I am not fo delicate ; youth < 
 and beauty are fufficient for me; givemc: 
 blooming feventeen, and I cede to you the^: 
 whole empire offentiment.. 
 
 This, I fuppofe, will find you trying the- 
 force of your deftruaivc charms on the fa- 
 vage dames of America ; chafing females • 
 wild as the winds thro' woods as wild as - 
 themfelves : I fee you purfuing the ftately - 
 relia of fome renowned Indian chief, fome- 
 plump fquaw arrived at the age of fentiv 
 ment, fome warlike queen dowager of the 
 Qttawas or Tufcaroras.. 
 
 And pray,, comment trouvez vous les; 
 damss fauvages '^. all pure and genuine na-- 
 cure, J fuppofe i, none of the affedled coy-- 
 
 nefi ', 
 
14 THE HISTORT OF 
 
 
 I 
 
 ] Slur- 
 's «j'v-1 
 
 m 
 
 aefs of Europe : your attention there will 
 be the more obliging, as the Indian heroes, 
 I am told, arc not very attentive to the 
 charms of the haujexe.. 
 
 You are very fentimental on the fubje(5V 
 ^of friendihipi no one has more : salted 
 notions of this fpecies of affedion than 
 myfelf, yet I deny that it gives life to the 
 moral world; a gallant man, like yoiii» 
 might have found a more animating prin^ 
 ciple r 
 
 O Venus I Mere de l* Amour f 
 
 I am moft glorioufly indblent this morn- 
 ing, and would not write another line if 
 die empire of die world (obferve 1 do not 
 mean the female world ) nded on it- 
 
 Adieu ! 
 
 J. Temple^ 
 
 lUETTER 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE- i$ 
 
 n there wHI 
 lian heroes, 
 tive to the 
 
 LETTER lY. 
 
 the fubjed 
 ore exalted 
 ^dion than 
 
 life to the 
 I like you^ 
 ating prills 
 
 ir l 
 
 this morn- 
 !ier line if 
 e 1 do not 
 
 d on it- 
 
 EM PLE» 
 
 To John Temfle, Efq; Pall MalL 
 
 Quebec, July j., 
 
 ^riri I S very true. Jack, I have no relifli 
 A (or i be Mijes ', for puling girls ia 
 hanging fleeves, who feel no paflion but 
 vanity, and, without any diflinguifhing tafte> 
 are dying for the firft man who tells them 
 they are handforae. Take your boarding- 
 fchool girls ; but give me a woman i one^ 
 in fhort, who has a foul ; not a cold inani- 
 mate form, infenfible to the lively impreA 
 lions of real love, and unfeeling as the wax 
 baby flie has juft thrown away,. 
 
 You will allow Prior to be no bad 
 judge of female merit > and you may re- 
 
 imemhpr Itiq "Forvnt-ian moirl 
 
 0^.1 
 
 fU^ C :^_ _#• 
 
 liwivi, i.i,i^ A*ivuJkitc ur; 
 
 the. 
 
t« THE HISTORY OF 
 
 the luxurious King Solomon, is painted in 
 full bloom.. 
 
 By the way. Jack, there is generally a" 
 certain hoity-toity inelegance of form and 
 manner at feventeen, which in my opinion, 
 is not balanced by frefhnefs of complexion'.. 
 the only advantage girls have to boalt 
 of.. 
 
 am 
 
 r have another objedion to girls, which 
 is, that they will eternally fancy every man 
 they converfe with has defigns 5 a coquet 
 and a prude mibe hdare equally difagree- 
 ablei the former expedls univerfal adora^ 
 tion, the latter is alarm'd even at that ge- 
 neral civility which is the right of all tir^ir 
 fex ; of the two however the laft is, I think, , 
 much the moll troublefome ; Iwifh thefe 
 very apprehenfive young ladies knew, their 
 vmue is not half fo often in danger as 
 
 thev imamne nnrl th^t tUp'*-'^ - 
 
 male creatures to whom. they may Mdyv 
 
 - fhew 
 
OF' 
 
 painted in 
 
 ^enenlly a' 
 form and 
 17 opinion, 
 )mplcxion, , 
 * to boall- 
 
 rls, which 
 very man 
 a coquet 
 difagree- 
 al adora- 
 t that ge- 
 'all their 
 , I think, , 
 ifH thefe 
 ew, their 
 inger as 
 i*c riiany/ 
 ly fafely, 
 fhew 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE. 17 
 
 iiew politenefs without being drawn into 
 ^ny conceflions inconfiftent with the ftri(5l:-. 
 eft honor. We are not half fuch terrible 
 animals as mammas, nurfes^ and novels 
 reprefent us ; and, if my opinion is of 
 any weight, 1 am inclin'd to believe thofe 
 tremendous men, who have defigns oa 
 the whole fex, are, and ever were, cha^ 
 raders as fabulous as the giants of ro* 
 mance. 
 
 Women after twenty begin to know this,, 
 and therefore converfe with us on the foot- 
 ing of rational creatures, without either 
 fearing or expedting to find every man ^ 
 lover. 
 
 To do the ladies juftice however, I have 
 ftcn the fame abfurdity in. my own fex,. 
 and have obferved many a very good fort 
 of man turn pale at the politenefs of an 
 agreeable woman». 
 
 Ilannent 
 
» » li 
 
 lii« 
 
 i 
 
 { 
 
 I 
 
 ih 
 
 Wi 
 
 ili 
 
 
 »« THE HISTORY OF 
 
 I lament this miftake, in both fexes, be- 
 caufe it takes greatly from the pleafure of 
 mix'd Ibciety, the only fociety for which I 
 have any relijli, 
 
 Don*t„ however, fancy that, becaufe I 
 diflike tie Mtfes, I have a tafte for their 
 grandmothers j there is a golden mean. 
 Jack, of which you feem to have no idea. 
 
 You are very ill informed as to the man- 
 ners of the Indian ladies ; 'tis in the bud 
 alone thefe wild rofes are acceffible i libe- 
 ral to profufion of dieir charms before mar- 
 riage, they are chaftity itfelf after : the 
 moment they commence wives^ they give 
 up the very idea of pleafing, and turn all 
 their thoughts to the cares, and thofe not 
 the moft delicate cares, of domeftic life : 
 laborious, hardy, adive, they plough the 
 ^Tound^ they fow, they reap j whilft the 
 
 haughty 
 
'■% 
 
 Y OF 
 
 )th fexes, be- 
 le pleafure of 
 ' for which I 
 
 t, becaufe I 
 fte for their 
 )lden mean, 
 vt no idea, 
 
 to the man- 
 in the bud 
 fiblej libe- 
 before mar- 
 after : the 
 3,. they give 
 nd turn all 
 id thofe not 
 meftic life : 
 plough the 
 whilft the 
 haughty 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE. 19 
 
 haughty hufband amufes himfelf with 
 
 hunting, fhooting, filhing, and fuch exer- 
 
 cifes only as are the image of war ; all 
 
 I other employments being, according to his 
 
 4 idea, unworthy the dignity of man* 
 
 I have told you the labors of fevage 
 filife, but I Ihould obferve that they are 
 only temporary, and when urged by the 
 ^ fliarp tooth of neceflity : their lives are, 
 upon the whole^ idle beyond any thing 
 we can conceive. If the Epicurean defi- 
 j nition of happinefs is juft> that it con^ 
 ; iilh in indolence of body, and tranquil- 
 lity of mind, the Indians of both fexes 
 are the happieft people on earth 5 free 
 )^v from all care, they enjoy the prefent mo- 
 f ment, forget the paft, and are without 
 folicitude for the future : in fummer, 
 ftretch*d on the verdant turf, they fing, 
 tliey laugh, they play, they relate fto- 
 - ries of their ancient heroes to warm the 
 fQuth to wari in winter, wrap*d in the 
 
 furs. 
 
■t 
 
 20 
 
 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 furs which bounteous nature provides 
 them, they dance, they feaft. and defpife 
 thengors of the feafon, at which the more 
 effeminate Europeans tremble. 
 
 War being however the bufinefs of their 
 lives, and the firft paffion of their fouls, 
 their very pleafures take their colors from 
 tt: every one muft have heard of the war 
 dance, and theii fongs are almoft all on the 
 fame fubjed: on the moft diligent enquiry,, 
 I find but one love fong in their langiuge, 
 which ,s fhort and fimple, the' perhaps not 
 uiexpreflive : 
 
 ^ I love yeuy 
 
 " I love you dearly, 
 
 " I love you all day long." 
 
 An old Indian told me, they had alfo fono-s 
 offriendfliip, but I could never procured 
 ti-anflationofoneofthem: on myprefling 
 
 this. 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 21 
 
 this Indian to tranflate one into French for 
 me, he told me with a haughty air, the 
 Indians were not us'd to make tranflations, 
 and that if I cliofe to underftand their fongs 
 I muft learn their language. By the way, 
 their language is extremely harmonious, 
 efpecially as pronounced by their women, 
 and as well adapted to mufic as Italian it- 
 felf. I muft not Jiere omit an inftance of 
 their independent fpirit, which is, that 
 they never would fubmit to have the fer- 
 vice of the church, tho' they profefs the 
 Ronndfh religion^ in any language but their 
 own 5 the women, who have in general 
 fine voices, fing in the choir with a tafte 
 and manner that would furpri^ze you, and 
 with a devotion that might edify more po* 
 iilh'd nations. 
 
 The Indian women are tail and well 
 fliaped i have good eyes, and before mar- 
 riage are, except their color, and their 
 
 (?oarfe 
 
m 
 
 
 i 
 
 aa THE HISTORY OJ? 
 
 coarfe greafy black hair, very far from 
 being difagi eeable i but the laborious life 
 they afterwards lead is extremely unfa- 
 vorable to beauty ; they become coarfe and 
 mafculine, and lofe in a year or tv/o the 
 power as wtII as the defire of pleafing. To 
 compenfate Jiowever for tlie lofs of their 
 charms, they acquire a new empire in mar- 
 rying ; are confulted in all affairs of ftate, 
 cJiufe a chief on every vacancy of the 
 throne, are fovereign arbiters of peace 
 and war, as w^ell as of the fate of thofe 
 unhappy captives that have the misfortune 
 to fall into their hands, who are adopted 
 as children, or put to the moft cruel death, 
 a« the wives of the conquerors fmile or 
 town. 
 
 ai 
 
 A Jefuit miflionary told mc a flory on 
 this fubjea, which one cannot hear with- 
 out horror : An Indian woman with whom 
 he liv'd on his miffion was feeding her chil- 
 
 nrf^n virKAr^ Kam 1.../1 ] 1 ft . 
 
 ^--«^ ,y*iV4» iii^i nujuiiuu orougnt in an 
 
 Englilh 
 
lY OP 
 
 ^ery far from 
 laborious life 
 remely unfa- 
 me coarfe and 
 n- or tv/o the 
 pleafing. To 
 t lofs of their 
 npire in mar- 
 :airs of ftate, 
 :an€y of the 
 fs of peace 
 ate of thofe 
 e misfortune 
 are adopted 
 cruel death, 
 )rs fmile or 
 
 c a flory on 
 hear with- 
 with whom 
 ngherchil- 
 ight in an 
 Engliih 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE. 23 
 
 Englifh prifoner; fhe immediately cut off 
 his arm, and gave her children the flream- 
 ing blood to drink : the Jefuit remonftrated 
 on the cruelty of the adion, on which, 
 looking fternJy athim, « I would have them 
 ^' warriors," faid ihe, « and therefore feed 
 " them with the food of men/' 
 
 ^ This anecdote may perhaps difguft you 
 
 with the Indian ladies, who certainly do not 
 
 excel in female foftnefs. I will therefore 
 
 turn to the Canadian, who have every 
 
 charm except that vvidiout which all other 
 
 diarms are to me infipid, I mean fenfiti- 
 
 lity : they are gay, coquet, and fprightly ; 
 
 more gallant than fenfible ; more flatter'd 
 
 by the vanity of infpiring paiTion, than ca- 
 
 pable of feeling it themfelvcs -, and, like 
 
 their European countrywomen, prefer the 
 
 outward attentions of unmeaning admira- 
 
 tion to the real devotion of the heart. There 
 
 M is not perhaps on ^arth a rare r^fff^r^^i^^ 
 
 who talk 'fo much, or feel fo litde, of love 
 
 French i the very reverfe is 
 
 <!«i, 
 
 very 
 
 gene- 
 ra 
 
m 
 
 M THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ral true of the Englifh : my fair country, 
 women feem afliamed of the charming fen^ 
 timent to which they are indebted for all 
 their power. 
 
 Adieu! I am going to attend a very 
 handfome French lady, who allows me the 
 honor to drive her en calaehe to our Cana- 
 dian Hyde Park, the road to St. Foix, 
 where you will fee forty or fifty calaflies,' 
 with,pretty women in them, parading every 
 evening : you will allow the apology to be 
 admiflible. 
 
 Ed. Rivers. 
 
 i fl 
 
 LETTER 
 
Y OF 
 
 fair country* 
 farming fen-^ 
 lebted for all 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE. 25 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 ttend a very 
 lows me the 
 o our Cana- 
 ^0 St. Foix, 
 fty calaflies, 
 *ading every 
 ology to be 
 
 TTER 
 
 To Mifs Rivers, Clarges-Sti^et. 
 
 Quebec, July 4, 
 
 WHAT an inconftant animal is man ! 
 do you know, Lucy, I begin to be 
 tir'd of the lovely landfcape round me ? I 
 have enjoyed from it all the pleafure mere 
 inanimate objedls can give, and find 'tis a 
 pleafure that foon fatiates, ^f not relieved 
 ^ by others which are more lively. The 
 
 afcenery is to be fu^e divine, but one grows 
 weary of mere fcenery -, the moft enchant- 
 ing profped foon iofes its power of pleaf- 
 ing, when the eye is accuftom'd to it : we 
 gaze at firft tranfported on the charms of 
 nature, and fmcy they will pleafe for ever ,• 
 but, alas ! it will not do ; we figh for fo- 
 ciety, the converfation of thofe dear to us : 
 the more animated pleafures of the heart. 
 There are fine women, and men of merit 
 Vol. I. C here 5 
 
! (! 
 
 26 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 here ; but, as the affections are not in our 
 power I have not yet felt my heart gravi- 
 tate towards any of them. I mufl abfokitely 
 fet in earneft about my fettlement, in order 
 to emerge from the Hate of vegetation into 
 which I feem fa'" .g. 
 
 m y 
 
 Ml 
 
 But to your lafc : you afk me a particu- 
 lar account of the convents here. Have 
 you an inchnation, my dear, to turn nun ? 
 if you have, you could not have applied 
 to a properer perfon^ my extreme modefly 
 and referve, and my fpeaking French, hav- 
 ing made me already a great favourite v/ith 
 the older part of all the three communities, 
 who unanimoufly declare colonel Rivers to 
 be un tres aimable hommey and have given 
 me an unlimited liberty of vifiting them 
 whenever I pleafe : they now and then treat 
 me with a fight of fome of the young ones, 
 but this is a favor not allowed to all the 
 world. 
 
 There 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 27 
 
 There arc three religious hoiifes u. Que- 
 bec, fo you have choice j the Urfulines, 
 the Hotel Dieu, and the General Hofpital. 
 Tlie arft Is the feverefl order in the Romilh 
 church, except that very cruel one which 
 denies its fair votaries the ineftimable li- 
 berty of fpeech. The houfe is large and 
 handfome, but has an air of gloominefs, 
 with which the black habit, and the livid 
 palenefs of the nuns, extremely corre- 
 fponds. The church is, contrary to theflyle 
 of the reft of the convent, ornamented and 
 lively to the laft degree. The fuperior is 
 an Englifh woman of good family, who 
 was taken prifoner by the favages when a 
 child, and plac'd here by the generofity of 
 a French officer. She is one of the moft 
 amiable women I ever knew, with a bene- 
 volence in her countenance which infpires 
 all who fee her with affedion : I am very 
 
 fond of her converfation, tho* fixty and a 
 nun. 
 
 C2 
 
 The 
 
m 
 
 P 
 
 28 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 The Hotel Dicu Is very pleafantly fitu- 
 ated, witJi a view of the two rivers, ami 
 the entrance of the port: the hoiife is 
 chearful, airy, and agreeable j the habit 
 extremely becoming, acircumftanceahand- 
 fome woman ought by no means to over- 
 look ; 'tis white with a black gauze veil 
 which would fliew your complexion to 
 great advantage. The order is much kfs 
 feVere than the Urfulines, and I might add, 
 much more ufeful, their province being the 
 care of the fick : the nuns of this houfe 
 are fprightly, and have a look of health 
 which is wanting at the Urfulines. 
 
 The General Hofpital, fituated about a 
 mile out of town, on the borders of the 
 river St. Charles, is much the moft agree- 
 able of the three. The order and the ha- 
 bit are the fame with the Hotel Dieu, ex- 
 cept that to the habit is added the crofs, 
 generally worn in Europe by canonefTes 
 only : a diftinftion procured for them by 
 
 their 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 29 
 
 their founder, St. Vallier, the fecond bi- 
 fhop of Quebec. The houfe is, without, 
 a very noble building j and ncatnefs, ele- 
 gance and propriety, reign within. The 
 nuns, who are all of the noblefle, are 
 many of them handfome, and all genteel, 
 lively, and well bred 5 they have an air of 
 the world, their converfation is eafy, fpi- 
 rited, and polite : with them you almoft 
 forget the reclufe in the woman of condi- 
 tion. In fhort, you have the befl: nuns at 
 the Urfulines, the moft agreeable women 
 at the General Hofpital: all however have 
 an air of chagrin, which they in vain en- 
 deavour to conceal ; and the general eager- 
 nefs with which they tell you unaik'd they 
 are happy, is a ftrong proof of the con* 
 trary. 
 
 Tlio' the moft indulgent of all men to the 
 follies of others, efpecially fuch as have 
 their fource in miftaken devotion; tho* 
 willing to allow all ths world to play the 
 fool their own way, yet I cannot help 
 
 C 3 being 
 
30 THK HISTORY OF 
 
 t^eing fir'd with a degree of zeal againll an 
 Hiftituuon eqnally incompatible with public 
 good and private Jiappinefs ; an inftitution 
 whtch cruelly devotes beauty and innocence 
 to navery, regret, and vvretchednefs = to a 
 more .rkfonnc imprifonment than the fe- 
 vereft laws .nflift on the worft of crimi. 
 
 Could any thing but experience, my dear 
 ; -Lucy make it be belieVd poffible that 
 there Ihould be rational beings, who think 
 tiiey are ferving the God of mercy by in- 
 fi^cling onthemfelves voluntary tortures 
 and cutting themfelves off from that ftate 
 of fociety in which he has plac'd them, and 
 for which they were form'd ? by renounc- 
 ing the beft affeaions of the human heart, 
 the tender names of friend, of wife, of mo- 
 ther ? and, as far as in them lies, counter- 
 working creation ? by fpurning from them 
 eveiy amufement, however innocent, by 
 Wfufing the gifts of that beneacent power 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 31 
 
 who made us to be happy, and dcftroyhig 
 his mofl precious gifts, health, bc'auty, fen- 
 fibility, cheerfulnefs, and peace I 
 
 My indignation is yet awake, from hav- 
 ing feen a few days fince at thp Urfulines, 
 an extreme lovely young girl, whofe coun- 
 tenai^pe Ipoke a foul form'd for the moft 
 lively^ yet delicate, ties of love and friend- 
 ihip, led by a momentary enthufiafm, or 
 perhaps by a childifh vanity artfully ex- 
 cited, to the foot of thofc altars, which flie 
 will probably too foon bathe with the bit- 
 ter tears of repentance and remorfe. 
 
 The ceremony, form'd to ftrike the ima- 
 gination, and feduce the heart of unguarded 
 youth, is extremely folemn and affcdling ;. 
 the proceflion of the nuns, the fweetnefs 
 of their voices in their choir, the dignified 
 devotion v.nth which the charming enthu- 
 fiail received the veil, and took the cruel 
 vow which fliut her from the vvnrlrl for pvpr 
 ftruck my lieart in fpite of my reafon, and 
 
 C 4 I felt 
 
3^ THE HISTORY OF 
 
 Perilanon I equally pity and defpife/ 
 
 I am not howewr certain it was the cere 
 n^^ny which alFcfted me thus ftronl " 
 - ".pofllbie not to fee, for thifat 4 , 
 
 ' Srtrand ™ "" ^S-'^^ "^^If^ 
 
 ,7 •"• and motion animated and graceful 
 
 f g^- of pleafure was on her che k ^ 
 fire of enthufiafm in her eyes thlch 
 'the finpfl- T r ^ ' Winch are 
 
 the fineft I ever faw : never did I fee jov fo 
 
 Wely pa,n,ed on the countenance of'he 
 
 Japp.eftb„de,ftefeem'dtowa,kinar 
 i-r whole perfonlook'd more than humTn. 
 
 m fthowever allowitto be leaftdeW: 
 
 therefore to be mdulg'd with leaft danger: 
 
 hefuperftmon of men is gloomy and fe- 
 
 rocious.atlights the fire, and points the 
 
 men 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 33 
 
 men takes its color from the fex ; is foft, 
 mild, and benevolent; exerts itfelf in a6i:s 
 of kindnefs and charity, and feems only fub- 
 ftituting the love of God to that of man. 
 
 "Who can help admiring, whilfl they 
 pity, the foundrefs of the Urfiiline con- 
 vent, Madame de la Peltrie, to whom the 
 very colony in fomc meaflire owes its ex- 
 iftence? young, rich, and lovely ; a widow- 
 in the bloom of life, miflrefs of her own 
 adions, the world was gay before her, yet 
 fhe left all the pleafures that world coukl 
 give, to devote her days to the fcvcrltles of 
 a religion flie thought the only true one : 
 ilie dar'd the dangers of the fca, and the 
 greater dangers of a favage people ; ihc 
 landed on an unknown Ihore, fubmitted to 
 the extremities of cold and heat, of thiift 
 and hunger,., to perform a fervice flie 
 thought acceptable to the Deity. To an 
 adion like this, however miilaken the mo. 
 tive, bigotrv alone will dt^nv ni-aif^^ • ^^'^ 
 man of candor will only lament that minds- 
 
 m 
 
 i.iJkM 
 
 cs 
 
 rapable.^ 
 
54 THE history; of 
 
 ^bIeofil,chhe.icvircuea.;otdi- 
 rected to views more cordudve tr. .u - 
 
 S fro,^ ?' °" ^"'"'= ''"^'"^^^ '« Mon- 
 treal, from whence you Ihal] hear from me. 
 
 Adieu! 
 
 Ed. R 
 
 fVERS^ 
 
 'BETTER VI. 
 
 To Mifs River.! ri 
 
 ■•viVERs, Clarges-Street., 
 
 IA lU • .J Montreal, July^; 
 
 AMamv'd,mydear,andhavebrou2 
 my heart fafe thro' furh . ^^"^ 
 
 as never poor niffht-ernnf , """"^^^^e 
 
 -^ waited on at ^vrXCb^"'"''' 
 ^-ntry gi,,.. full of Li f, '[ f ""^^"° 
 
 wiU..anyofthe/C:l-r^^;. 
 
 England,, 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 35 
 
 England, anddrefled like the fhepherdefles 
 of romance. A man of adventure might 
 make a pleafant journey to Montreal. 
 
 The peafants are ignorant, lazy, dirty,, 
 and flupid beyond all belief; but hofpita- 
 ble, courteous, civil j and, what is parti - 
 cularly agreeable, they leave their wives 
 and daughters to do the honors of the houfe: 
 in which obliging ofEce they acquit thcm- 
 felv^es with an attention, which, amidft every 
 inconvenience apparent (tho' I am told not 
 real) poverty can caufe, mud pleafe every 
 gueil who has a foul inclin'd to be pk^a^'d :" 
 for my part, I was charm'd with them, and 
 eat my homely fare with as much plealiire 
 as if I had been feafting on ortolans in a pa- 
 lace. Their converfation is lively and amuf- 
 ingi all the little knowledge of Canada is 
 confined to the fex i very few, even of the 
 feigneurs, being able to write their own* 
 names.- 
 
 if 
 
 \!. 
 
 
 C6 
 
 The^ 
 
 If 
 
 a ""'111 
 
 it 
 
 ^ KfllJ 
 
 -J !i 
 
36 
 
 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 „I^' '■°^''/^°™ Qi?*ec to Montreal is 
 a moft a continued ftreet, the viJJages beJ 
 
 o7rr4;st'^^^^"^^^^^-^-^^^S 
 
 1 . iA'JUlCS in view • evrf^r^i- 
 
 -here here or there a river, a CdT 
 
 mountain intervc..- as iffn „ ' 
 
 Dle!,fin„ , ■ ' -^s " to give a more 
 Pleafing variety tc .ae fene. I don't re 
 
 -ember everhaving,,ad a more ;teelbe" 
 journey J the fine profpeas nf.U T . 
 
 enliven, by the gf, Zl^l^l^^ 
 Montlr ^""^ '°"^ ^-'^^ ' ^P--'^^ 
 The ifl,„d f j^^^^^^^j^ ^^ 
 
 town ftands,,s a very lovely rpot, hi^hlv 
 culnvated and tho' lefs wilL'd maX 
 
 "^^^bcc the ladies, wh. feem to m-^ke 
 
 Jleafure their only bufinefs, and moft or 
 -■Horn have feen this mornino. ^^^ 
 
 ^.^outthetown.in.c,alaihes,a„d.t;i:Ll 
 
 what: 
 
 I' I- ii 
 
■ontreal is, 
 ^g^s being, 
 the banks, 
 ive fcarcc 
 ^> except 
 wood, or 
 e a more 
 don't re- 
 greeable 
 - day /b 
 ^vening^^ 
 •roach U 
 
 ich thc« 
 highly- 
 agnifi-,. 
 
 round, 
 make 
 oil of: 
 *ivinor 
 aking_ 
 wJiat 
 
 ■f 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE. 37 
 what they call, the tour de la ville at 
 tended by Englilh officers, ieem generally 
 handfome and have an air of fprightlinefi 
 with which I am charm'd -, I ,m,ft be ac 
 quainted with them all, for tho' my ftay is 
 to be fhort I fee np reafon why it fhould 
 be dull. I am told they are fond of little 
 rural balls in the country, and intend to 
 g.ve one as foon as I have paid my refpeds 
 inform., '^ 
 
 Six in the evening-. 
 
 I am juffi come from dining with the 
 i-egiment, and find I have a vifit to pay I waT 
 not aware of, to two Engliffi ladies who arc 
 a few miles out of town : one of them is- 
 wife to the major of the regiment, and th^ 
 other juft going to be married to a captain 
 
 « It, S.George Clayton,, a young ha r 
 Wbaronet,juftcometohistiti:.nda 
 veryhneeftate, by the death of a diftant 
 relation :. he is at prefent at New York 3 
 
 t.. h.y aic 10 D,e married as foon as 
 he Qomes back.. 
 
 nilii 
 
 .'J 
 
 ■ill 
 
 ''mm!?' 
 
 I' have 
 
 
3i THE HISTORY OF 
 
 W V 
 
 im 
 
 M 
 
 Eight o'clock. 
 I have been making fome flying vifits to 
 the French ladies; tho' I have not fcm 
 many beauties, yet in genera] the women 
 are handfome 3 tlieir manner is eafy and 
 obliging, they make the mofl of their 
 charms by their vivacity, and I certainly 
 cannot be difpleas'd with their extreme 
 partiality for the Engiifh officers -, their 
 own men, who indeed are not very attrac- 
 tive, have not the leaft chance for any fhare 
 in their good graces.. 
 
 Thurfday morning.. 
 
 I am juft fetting out with a friend for 
 Major Melmoth's, to pay my compliments 
 to the two ladies : I have no relilh for this 
 vifiti I hate mifles that are going to be 
 married ; they are always fo t\ 11 of the 
 dear man, that they have not common civi- 
 lity to other people. I am told however 
 both the ladies are agreeable. 
 
 Agreeable, 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 33 
 
 \ 
 
 Eight o'clock, 
 ^ing vifits to 
 'e not fcm 
 the women 
 is eafy and 
 •ft of their 
 I I certainly 
 ir extreme 
 :crsi their 
 x^ry attrac- 
 r any fhare 
 
 tay morning., 
 friend for 
 rnpliments 
 'h for this 
 )ing to be 
 11 of the 
 mon civi- 
 ^ however. 
 
 greeable, 
 
 14th. Eight In the evening. 
 
 Agreeable, Lucy ! ihe is an angel : 'tis 
 happy for me fhe is engaged i nothing dk 
 could fecure my heart, of which you know 
 I am very tenacious : only think of finding 
 beauty, delicacy, fenfibility, all that can. 
 charm in woman, hid in a wood in Ca^ 
 nada ! 
 
 T 
 
 You fay I am given to be enthufiaftic- 
 in my approbations, but ihe is realk 
 charming^. I am refolv'd not only to have 
 
 ! t'' ?T ^^' ^"^ "^y^'^^' but that jou 
 
 ftan and have told her fo, Ihe comes to 
 
 En^and as foon as fhe is married i you. 
 are form'd to love each other.. 
 
 But I muft tell you ; Major Melmoth 
 
 keptusaweekathishoufeiithecourry 
 in one continued round of rural amufe ' 
 ments. by wh.ch I do not mean hunting 
 and ihooting, but fuch pleafures as the 
 
 ladies 
 
40 THE HISTORT OF 
 
 ladies could fhare ; little ruftic balls and 
 parties round the neighbouiing country, in 
 which parties we were joined by all die 
 fine women at Montreal. Mrs. Mdmothis 
 a very pleafing, genteel brunette, but Emily 
 Montague-you wiUfay I am in love with 
 her if I defcribe her, and yet ! declare to 
 you I am not: knowing fiie loves another,. 
 to whom fhe is foon to be united, I fee her 
 charms with the fame kind of pleafure [ 
 do yours -, a pleafure, wiiich, tho' ex- 
 tremely lively, is by our fituation without 
 the leaft mixture of defire., 
 
 1 have faid, flie is charming ; there are 
 men here who do not think fo, but to me 
 fhe islovelinefs itfelf. My ideas ofbeaiity^ 
 are perhaps a little out of the common 
 road : I hate a woman of whom every 
 rn^n coldly {kys, fie is ha^d/ome , I adore 
 beauty, but it is not meer features or com- 
 plexion to which I give that name ; 'tis hfe,. 
 
 'tis fpirit, 'tis animal-inn '<-;c- :.. , , 
 
 X- J s. M:i — a.^...„_j ,.ij — jj.^ Qj^^f^ word, 
 
 'tis Emily Montague— widiout being re- 
 gularly 
 
' OF 
 
 ' balls and 
 country, in 
 by all die 
 k^dmoth is 
 but Emily- 
 love with 
 Icclare to 
 's another,. 
 , I fee her- 
 pleafure I 
 tho* ex- 
 1 without 
 
 ^here are 
 It to me 
 )f beauty^ 
 :^ommon^ 
 n every 
 I adore 
 or com- 
 'tis life,, 
 ie word, 
 ing re- 
 gularly 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE. 4, 
 
 gularly beaudful, flie charms every fenfible 
 heart ; all other women, however lovely, 
 appear marble flatues near her : fair ; pale 
 (a palcnefs which gives the idea of delicacy 
 without deflroying that of health), with 
 dark hair and eyes, the latter large and 
 languifhing, fhe feems made to feel to a 
 trembling excefs the paffion fhe cannot fail 
 of infpiring : her elegant form has an air 
 offofcnefs and languor, which feizes the 
 whole foul in a moment : her eyes, the 
 mofl: intelligent I ever faw, hold you en- 
 chained by their bewitching fenfibility. 
 
 There are a thoufand unfpeakable charms 
 in her converfadon 5 but what I am moft 
 pleas'd with, is the attentive politenefs of 
 her manner, which you feldom fee in a 
 perfon in love; the extreme defire of 
 pleafing one mangenerally taking offgreatly 
 from the attention due to all the reft. This 
 is pardy owing to her admirable under- 
 ftanding, and partly to the natural foft- 
 
 M:iit 
 
 m 
 
 v.ia 
 
 m 
 
 i 
 
 J, 'I! 
 
m 
 
 ifii, ■' 
 
 42 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ncfs of her foul, which gives her the 
 ftrongeft defire of pleafug. As I am a 
 philoibpher in thefe matters, and have 
 made the heart my ftudy, I want extremely 
 to fee her with her lover, and to obierve 
 the gradual enc.eafe of her charms in his 
 prefcnce -, love, which embellifhes the moft 
 unmeaning countenance, muft give to her's 
 a fire irrefiftible : what eyes ! when ani- 
 mated by tenderncfs 1 
 
 • 
 
 The very foul acquires a new force and 
 beauty by loving ; a woman of honor ne- 
 ver appears half fo amiable, or difplays 
 half fo many virtues, as when fenfible to 
 the merit of a man who deferves her af- 
 feaioii. Obfervc, Lucy, I fliall never 
 allow you to be handfome till I hear you 
 are in love. 
 
 Did I tell you Emily Montague had the 
 fined hand and arm in the world ? I fliould ■ 
 however have excepted yours : her tone of 
 voice too has the fame melodious fweetnefs, 
 
 a per- I 
 
Y OP' 
 
 ives her the 
 As I am a 
 » and have 
 int extremely 
 id to obierve 
 -harms in his 
 hes the moft 
 give to her's 
 1 when ani- 
 
 iw force and 
 'f honor ne- 
 or diiplays 
 1 fenfible to 
 rves her af- 
 fliall never 
 I hear you 
 
 ^ue had the 
 
 ? I fliould 
 
 1 . /• 
 
 iicr cone oi 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE. 43 
 
 a perfedion without which the Jovelieft 
 woman could never make the leaft iinpref- 
 fion on my heart: I don't think you aie 
 very unlike upon the whole, except that 
 flie is paler. You know, Lucy, you' have 
 often told me I ihould certainly have been 
 in love with you if I had not been your 
 brother : this refemblance is a proof you 
 were right. You are really as handfome as 
 any woman can be whofe fenfibility has 
 never been put in motion. 
 
 I am to give a ball to-morrow j Mrs. 
 Melmoth is to have the honors of it, but as 
 Jlie is with chik!, Ihe does not dance. This 
 circumftance has produc'd a difpute not a 
 little flattering to my vanity : the ladies 
 are making intereft to dance with mej 
 what a happy exchange have I made! what 
 man of common fenfe would ftay to be 
 overlook'd in England, who can have ri- 
 val beauties contend for him in Canada ? 
 ->s important point is not yet fettled ; the 
 here is rather difficult to adjuft; 
 
 as 
 
 ,& 
 
 m 
 
 etijueth 
 
 B IE 
 
M I 
 
 44 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 as to me, I have nothing to do in the con- j 
 fultation ; my hand is dcftin'd to the longeft 
 pedigree ; we Hand prodigioufly on our 
 nobleffe at MoncreaL 
 
 Four o'clock. 
 After a difpute in which two French la- 
 dies were near drawing their hufbands into 
 a duel, the point of honor is yielded by 
 both to Mifs Montague 5 each infilling only 
 that I fhould not dance with the other : for 
 my part, I fubmit with a good grace, as 
 you will fuppofe. 
 
 ira:i(i(i :i ! 
 
 Saturday morning, 
 
 I never pafTed a more agreeable evening : 
 we have our amufements here, I aflure you : 
 a fet of fine young fellows, and handfome 
 women, all well drefs'd, and in humor with 
 themfelves, and with each other : my lovely 
 Emily, like Venus amongft the G 
 multiplied to about fixteen. Nothing 
 
 ^6 ^"^y 
 
 mj 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 45 
 
 my opinion, fo favorable to the difplay of 
 beauty as a ball. A ftate of reft is ungrace- 
 ful i all nature is moft beautiful in motion; 
 trees agitated by the wind, a fliip under Ikil,' 
 a horfe in the courfe, a fine woman danc- 
 ing : never any human being had fuch an 
 averfion to ftill life as I havp 
 
 I am going back to Melmoth's for a 
 month ; don*t be alarm'd, Lucy ! I fee ail 
 her perfedlions, but I fee them with the 
 cold eye of admiration only : a woman en- 
 gaged lofes all her attractions as a woman ; 
 there is no love without a ray of hope: my 
 only ambition is to be her friend ; I want to 
 be die confidant of her paffion. With what 
 fpirit fuch a mind as hers muft love ! 
 
 Adieu ! my dear ! 
 
 Yours, 
 
 Ed. RivrR«, 
 
 
 '*i' 
 #, 
 
 r'^M 
 
 %. 
 
 '.V' 
 
 LET. 
 
46 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 LETTER VII. 
 
 1!B f » 
 
 :il 
 
 :f 
 
 To Mifs Rivers, Ckrges-Street, 
 
 Montreal, Auguil 15, 
 
 BY Heavens, Lucy, this is more than 
 man can bear ; I was mad to flay fo 
 long at Mehnoth's j there is no reliflino- 
 this little feducc' : 'tis fliameful in fuch a 
 lovely woman to have underflanding too ; 
 yet even this I could forgive, had fhe not 
 that enchanting foftnefs in her manner, 
 which Heals upon the foul, and would al- 
 mofl make uglinefs itfelf charm ; were ihe 
 but vain, one had fome chance, but fhe will 
 take upon her to have no confcioufnefs, at I 
 leaft no apparent confciouliiefs, of her per- i 
 fedions, which is really intolerable. I told 
 her fo lafl night, when llie put on fuch a 
 malicious fmile— 1 believe the little tyrant 
 wants to add me to the lift of her Haves ; 
 but I was not form'd to fill up a train. The 
 
 woman 
 
 I 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 47 
 
 woman I love muft be fo far from giving 
 another the preference, that i],e muft have 
 
 no foul but for me, I am one of the moll 
 iinreafonable men in the world on this head • 
 flie may fancy what Ihe pkafes, but I fee 
 her and all her attraffions at defiance • I 
 We made mf efcape, and Ihall fet off for 
 Quebec m an hour. Flying is, I muft ac- 
 knowledge, a little out of character, and 
 ! ""''^<^°™ing a foldier ; but in thefe cafes 
 I it is the very beft thing man or woman 
 i either can do, when they doubt dieir 
 powers of refiftance. , : 
 
 1 intend to be ten days going to Quebec 
 
 propofe vifiting the priefts^at eviry vS 
 age, and endeavouring to get fome know- 
 ledge of the nature of the country, in o^ 
 cier to my intended fettlement. Idlenefs be" 
 |ng the root of all evil, and the nurfe of 
 Jove, I am determin'd to keen mvf.if .„ 
 ployed J nothing can be better fuited^'to 
 
 '7 f^'^P^-- ^^n '"y Prefent de%n , the 
 Dleafureofcultivatir-'- ' ' . ^ ' "^ 
 
 pi 
 
 ig lands here 
 
 IS as much 
 fuperior 
 
i.> 1' 
 
 13 
 
 M«» 
 
 !' I, 
 
 a 'M 
 
 43 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 fuperior to what can be found in the fame 
 employment in England, as watching the 
 expanding rofc, and beholding the falling 
 leaves. America is in infancy, Europe in 
 old age. Nor am I very ill qualified for this 
 agreeable taflc : I have ftudiedtheGeorgicks, 
 and am a pretty enough kind of a hufband- 
 man as far as theory goes ; nay, I am not 
 fure I Hi all not be, even in practice, the 
 befl gentleman farmer in the province. 
 
 You may expeft foon to hear of me in 
 the Mufeum Rujlicum ; I intend to make 
 amazing difcoveries in the rural way : I 
 have already found out, by the force' of 
 my own genius, two very uncommon cir- 
 cumflances -, that in Canada, contrary to ( 
 what we fee every where elfe, the country 
 is rich, the capital poor ; the hills fruitful, 
 the vailles barren. You fee what excellent 
 dilpofitions I have to be an ufeful member 
 of focicty : I had always a ftrong biafs to 
 the ftudy of natural philofophy. 
 
 Tell 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 4^ 
 
 Tell my mother how well lam employ'd. 
 and Ihe cannot but approve my voyage 
 afl-ure her, my dear, of my tendereft re- 
 gard. 
 
 The chaife is at the daor. 
 
 Adieu ! 
 
 Ed. Rivers. 
 
 Tke lover Is every hour expeded • I 
 
 am not quite fure Ilhould have 
 Ilk d to fee him arrive : a third per- 
 fon. you know, on fuch an occa> 
 
 fion, finks intonothing; and I love, 
 wherever I am, to be one of the 
 
 figureswhichftriketheeyeilhate 
 to appear on the back ground of 
 the pifture. 
 
 Vol. I. 
 
 LET- 
 
 fe*F 
 
 m 
 
 
 
i^ili)''' .;fi 
 
 Bl ■! 
 
 50 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 LETTER VIIL 
 
 To Mifs Rivers. 
 
 ■^!| 
 
 ! I 
 
 
 Y 
 
 Quebec, Aug. 24. 
 O U can't think, my dear, what a 
 fund of ufeful knowledge I have 
 treafur'd up during my journey from Mon- 
 treal. This colony is a rich mine yet uno- 
 pened ; I do not mean of gold and filver, 
 but of what are of much more real value, 
 corn and cattle. Nothing is wanting but 
 encouragement and cultivation; the Cana- 
 dians arc at their eafe even without labor ; 
 nature is here a bounteous mother, who 
 pours forth her gifts almoft unfolicited : 
 bigotry, ftupidity, and lazinels, united, 
 have not been able to keep the peafantry 
 poor, I rejoice to find fuch admirable ca- 
 pabilities where I propofe to fix my domi- 
 
 xiiona 
 
 1 was 
 
 j 
 
 1 
 
 -a 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 5, 
 
 I was hofpitably entertained by the cure« 
 all the way down, tho' they are in general 
 but ill provided for: the parochial clergy 
 are ufefbl every where, but I have a great 
 averfion to monks, thofe drones in the po- 
 litical hive, whofe whole ftudy feems to be 
 to make themfelves as ufelefs to the world 
 as poffible. Think too of the lliocking in- 
 ddicacy of many of them, who make it a 
 point of religion to abjure linen, and wear 
 their habits till they drop ofF. How afto- 
 nilhing that any mind fhould fuppofe the 
 Deity an enemy to cleanlinefs j the Jewifh 
 religion was hardly any thing elfe. 
 
 Ipaid my refpeds wherever I flopped to 
 the Jeigneurefs of the village ; for as to 'the 
 leigneurs, except two or three, if they had 
 «ot wives, they would not be worth vifiting. 
 
 I am every day more pleafed with the 
 
 women here: and if r , n . ^ ,, 
 
 ' ^' " * vv« gauant, mould 
 
 be m danger of being a convert to the 
 
 ^ 2 French 
 
 .«'' 
 
 '*if 'Ai 
 
 V-k^'-k 
 
 A\ 
 
 ■L\ 
 
 \\n 
 
 mc 
 
 \ti 
 
 n 
 
 »■ 
 
 
 
 •r, . .lisJ-.i'lSi. 
 
I l-n'-VlM 
 
 52 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 French flile of gallantry ; which certainly 
 debafes the mind much lefs than ours. 
 
 i''l:li'f' 
 
 ii( ■:. 
 
 But what is all this to my Emily ? How I 
 envy Sir George ! what happinefs has Hea- 
 ven prepared for him, if he has a foul to 
 tafte it ! 
 
 I really muft not think of her ; I found 
 fo much delight in her converfation, it was 
 quite time to come awiy ; I am almoft 
 afhamed to own how much difficulty I found 
 in kaving her : do you know I have fcarce 
 flept fince ? This is abfurd, but I cannot 
 help it 5 which by the way is an admirable 
 cxcufe for any tMng. 
 
 I have been come but two hours, and 
 am going to Silleri, to pay my compliments 
 to your friend Mifs Fermor, who arrived 
 with her father, who comes to join his re- 
 giment, fince I left Quebec. I hear there 
 has been a very fine importation of Engliih 
 
 ladies 
 
 i 
 
 '• i 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 53 
 
 ladies during my abfence. I am fony I 
 have not time to vifit the reft, but I go to- 
 morrow morning to tiie Indian village for a 
 fortnight, and have feveral letters to write 
 to-nightf. 
 
 Adieu ! I am interrupted. 
 Yours, 
 
 Ed. Rivers. 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 To Mrs. Melmoth, at Montreal. 
 
 ■ ■ 
 
 Quebec, Auguft 24. 
 
 T CANNOT, Madam, exprefs my obli- 
 A gation to you for having added a poft- 
 foript to Major Melmoth's letter: I am fore 
 he will excufe my anfwering the whole to 
 you ; if not, I beg he may know that I 
 Ihall be very pert about it, being much m.ore 
 felicitous to pleafe you than him, for a 
 thoufand reafons too tedious to mention. 
 
 ^ 3 I thought 
 
 '1 'jMi'tuii'ia 
 
 ijiilf^' 
 
 !'. N A» 
 
 
 mm 
 
;'fi, 
 
 
 ,1 >'< 
 
 54 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 I thought you had 
 to fuppofe me indifferent 
 
 more penetration thai> 
 on the contrary^ 
 fenfibility is my fault ; though it is not 
 your little every-day beauties who can ex^. 
 cite it : I have admirable difpofitions to 
 •love, though J am hard to pleafe : in iliort^ 
 lam not cruel, I am^only nice t- do but you, 
 or your divine friend, give me leave to wear 
 your chains, and you iliall foon be convinced 
 .1 can love like an ang^l, when I kt inearnelt 
 about it. But, alas ! you are married, and 
 in love with your hufhandj and your friend 
 IS in a fituation ftill more unfavorable to a 
 lover's hopes. This is particularly unfortu- 
 rtate, as you are the only two of your be- 
 witching fex in Canada, for whom my 
 heart feels the leaft fympathy. To be plain, 
 but don't tell the little Major, I am more 
 than half in love with you both,^ and, if I 
 was the grand Turk, lliould certainly fit 
 out a fleet, to feize, and bring yoy to my 
 fcraglio. 
 
 There 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 55 
 
 There is one virtue I admire txtremcly 
 in you both j I mean that humane and ten- 
 der compafTion for the poor men, which 
 prompts you to be always feen togetheri if 
 you appeared feparate, where is the hero 
 wlio could refift either of you ? 
 
 You afk me how I like the French ladies 
 at Montreal : T think them extremely pleaf- 
 ing J and many of them handfome ; I 
 
 tliought Madame L fo, even near you 
 
 and Mifs Montague ; which is, I think, 
 faying as much as can be faid on the fub- 
 jed. 
 
 I have juft heard by accident that Sir 
 George is arrived at Montreal Aflure Mifs 
 Montague, no one can be more warmly in^ 
 terefted in her happinefs than lam: fhe is 
 the moil perfed work of Heaven j may fhe 
 be the happieft ! I feel much more on this 
 occafion than I can exprefs : a mind like 
 hers muft, in marriage, be exquifitely happy 
 
 I>4 or 
 
 
 
 Ij'^l 
 
i« THE HISTORY OF 
 
 or miferable : my friendihip makes mc 
 tremble for her, notwithftanding the wor- 
 thy charafter I have heard of Sir George. 
 
 I "^'^ '^'^"^ t'"" another time what I had 
 to/ay to Major Melmoth. 
 
 I have the honour to be. 
 
 Madam, 
 
 Yours, Sec. 
 Ep. Rivers. 
 
 LETTER 
 
 X. 
 
 'f 
 
 Si'Ueri, Auguft t^ 
 
 T HAVE been a month arrived, my dear, 
 A without having feen your brother, who 
 IS at Montreal, but I am told is expeded 
 to-day. I have fpent my time however 
 very agreeably. I know not what the win- 
 ter may be, but I am enchanted with the 
 beauty of this country in fummer 5 bold, 
 
 pifturef^uej 
 
^ OF 
 
 makes mc 
 I the wor- 
 ■ George. 
 
 ^hat I hacj 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE, 
 
 IVER&. 
 
 lowever 
 he win- 
 ^ith the 
 i bold, 
 irefcjue^ 
 
 n 
 
 
 pidurefqiie, romantic, nature reigns here 
 in all her wanton luxuriance, adorned by a 
 thoufand wild graces which mock the cul- 
 tivated beauties of Europe. The fcenery 
 about the town is infinitely lovely; the 
 profpea extenfive, and diverfified by a va- 
 riety of hills, woods, rivers, cafcades, in- 
 termingled with fmiling farms and cottages, 
 and bounded by diflant mountains wliich 
 feem to Ycale the very Heavens. 
 
 The days are much hotter here than in 
 England, but the heat is more lupportable 
 from the breezes which always Ipring up 
 about noon -,. and the evenings are cliarm- 
 ing beyond expreffion. We have much 
 thunder and lightening, but very few in- 
 fiances of their being fatal : the thunder is 
 more magnificent and awful than in Eu- 
 rope, and the lightening brighter and more 
 beautiful ; I have even fccn it of a clear 
 pale purple, refembling the gay tints of 
 the morning* 
 
 ?>'i nf 
 
 
 D5 
 
 The 
 
i, 
 
 
 i I 
 
 ji'i 
 
 
 
 m 
 
 J« tHE MJSfORY OF 
 
 the verdure is eqml to that of England; 
 and in the evening acquires an unrpeak.! 
 able beauty from the lucid fplendor of the 
 fire-flies fparkling like a. thoufand little 
 ftars on the trees and on the grals. 
 
 There are two very noble fills of water 
 ■ear Quebec, la Chaudiere and Montmo. 
 renc: the former is a prodigious fteet of 
 water, rufliing over the wildeft rocks, and 
 forming a fcene grotefque,. irregular, afto- 
 JUlhing : the latter, lefs wild, lefs irregular,, 
 but more pleafing and more majeftic, falls 
 from animmenfe height, down the fide oC 
 a romantic mountain, into the river St 
 Lawrence,, oppofite the moft fmilingpar^ 
 of the ifland of Orleans, to the cultivated' 
 charms of which it forms the. moft ftriking 
 and agreeable contraft.. 
 
 The river ot! the fame name,, which fup- 
 Jftes the cafcade of Montmorenci, is the 
 moft loyel)5 of all inanimate objefts : but 
 
 wbjr- 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 59 
 
 why do I call it inanimate ? It almoft 
 breathes ; I no longer wonder at the enthu- 
 fiafm of Greece and Romei 'twas from 
 objeds refembling this their mythology took 
 its rife ; it feems the refidehce of a thou- 
 fand deities. 
 
 Paint to yourfelf a ftupendous rock, 
 burft as it were in fundcr by the hands of 
 nature, to give paflage to a imall, but very 
 deep and beautiful river 5 and forming on 
 each fide a regular and magnificent wall, 
 crowned with the nobleft woods that can 
 be imagined ; the fides of thefe romantic 
 walls adorned with a variety of the gayeft 
 flowers, and in many places little ftreams of 
 the purefk water guihing through, and lo- 
 fing themfelves in the river below : a thou- 
 fand natural grottos in the rock make you 
 fuppofe yourfelf in the abode of the Naiades j 
 as a little ifland, covered with flowering 
 fhioibs,, about a mile above the falls, where 
 -..- .xrw wiiiaigi,o iLicii iibii to give It room^ 
 fcems intended for the throne of the river 
 
 1^6 goddelsr 
 
 
 « 
 
 if 
 
 ¥ 
 
 r 
 
 i-i; 
 
 '■ ',■-« 
 
A 
 
 «o THE HISTORY OF 
 
 goddcfs. Beyond this, the rapids, formed 
 by the irregular projeaions of the rock^ 
 which in fome pkces feem ahnoft to meet„ 
 rival in beauty, as they excel in variety,, 
 the cafcade itfelf, md cloie this little world 
 of enchantment* 
 
 In fhort, the lorelinefs of this fairy fcene: 
 alone more than pays the fatigues of my 
 voyage f and, if 1 ever murmur at having; 
 crofTed the Atlantic^ remind me that I 
 have feea the riyer Montmcrenci^ 
 
 I can give you a.veryimperfe6l account o£ 
 the people here j I have only examined the- - 
 landfcape about Quebec, and have given very 
 little attention to the figures y the French 
 ladies are handfome, but as to the beaux,, 
 they appear to me not at all dangerous,, 
 and one nciight fafely wall<: in, a wood by 
 moonlight with the moft agreeable Frencli... 
 ^anhere., I am not furprized the Cana- 
 dian ladies take fuch pains to fcduce ouir 
 
 i.'f 
 
iry fcene 
 s of my 
 t having; 
 t thai: I 
 
 count oC 
 ined the- - 
 t^enyery 
 
 French 
 beaux,. 
 igerou5^ 
 'ood by 
 ^rencli-'- 
 C ana- 
 ice ouir- 
 men. 
 
 *■ 4 
 
 EMILY MCNTAGUE. Ci 
 
 men from us; but I think it a little hard we 
 have no temptation to make reprifals. 
 
 I am at prefent at an 
 
 extreme 
 river 
 
 pretty 
 
 farm on the banks of the river St. Law- 
 rence ; the houfe ftands at the foot of a 
 fteep mountain covered with a variety of 
 trees, forming a verdant Hoping wall,whicJt 
 rifes in a kind of regular confufion, 
 " Shade above Ihade, a woody theatre '» 
 and has in front this noble river, on which 
 the Ihips continually palling prefent to the 
 delighted eye the moft charming moving: 
 pifture imaginable J I never faw a place & 
 formed to infpirethatpieafinglaflitude, that 
 divine indination to faunter, which may not 
 improperly be called, the luxurious indo- 
 lence of the country. I intend to build a 
 temple here to the charming goddefs of 
 lazmels.. 
 
 A gentleman is Juft coming down the 
 windino" oath on fh^- AA^ r.r*u^ l.-p j 
 
 by his air I take to beyour brother. Adi( 
 
 leu 
 
 imuft 
 
 ■Mm 
 
 ' km 
 
 tm 
 
 ,i^m 
 
<a THE HISTORY OF 
 
 I muft receive him : my father is at Qijc- 
 bee. 
 
 Yours, 
 
 Arabella Fermor* 
 
 t.. 
 
 Your brother has given me a very 
 pleafing piece of intelligence : my 
 friend Emily Montague is at Mont- 
 real, and is going to be married to 
 great advantage j I muft write to- 
 her uiamediately, and injfiil on her 
 making me a vifit before Ihe mar- 
 ries. She came to America twa 
 years ago, with her uncle Colonel? 
 Montague,, who died here,, and I 
 imagined was gone back to England ; 
 fhe is however at Montreal' with 
 Mrs. Melmoth, a diftant relation of 
 
 , her mother*s. Adieu ! ma tres chiu f 
 
 LET- 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 6j 
 
 LETTER 
 
 XI. 
 
 To Mifs RtvE&s, aarges-Strcet; 
 
 I Qh*cc, Sept. lo- 
 
 Frnd, my dear, that abfence andamufe- 
 ment are the beft remedies for a 
 begmning paffion ; I have pafled a fort 
 fiight at the Indian village of Lorette^ 
 
 where the novelty of the fcene. and th; 
 enqwies I have been led to make into 
 Ae,r antiet^ religion and manners, have 
 been of a thoufand th«es more fen^ice lo 
 
 methaaalltherefkaionintheworS 
 would have been. * 
 
 I will own to you that I ftaid too lono. 
 ^ Montreal, or rather at Major mT 
 
 -oths,.o,efi. weeks inthe fame ho^fe 
 w,A one_of the mc^ amiable, moft pleaf. 
 
 ^15 vi wwinen^ was __ 
 tcart fulloffcnfibility/3 
 
 a trying fituation to 
 
 of a fenfibi-. 
 
 lity 
 
 
 
 K 
 
 , ! 
 
4 M 
 
 64 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 lity which has been hitherto, from a vari'- 
 ety of caufes, a good deal reltrained. I 
 Ihould have avoided the danger from the 
 firft, had it appeared to me what it really 
 was ; but I thought myfelf fecure in the 
 confideration of her engagements, a de- 
 fence however which I found grow weaker 
 every day. 
 
 But to my favages : other nations talk 
 of liberty, they poflefs it ; notfiing cai> be 
 more aftonifliing than to fee a little viilao-e 
 of about thirty or forty families, the fmall 
 remains of theHurons, almoft exterminated 
 by long and continual war with the Iro- 
 quoife, prefervc their independence in the 
 midft of an European colony confiiling of 
 feventy thoufand inhabitants j yet the fadl 
 is true of the favages of Lorette^ they 
 affert and they maintain that independence 
 with a fpirit truly noble. One of our com- 
 pany having faid fomething which an In- 
 dian underflood as a fuppofition that they 
 had bccn/uije^i of France^ his eyes flruck 
 
 fire, 
 
ations talk 
 
 ing can be 
 
 :tle village 
 
 the fmall 
 
 :erminated 
 h the Iro- 
 nee in the 
 nfilling of 
 t the fadl 
 "tte^ they 
 spend en ce 
 our com- 
 ch an In- 
 that they 
 fcs flruck 
 fire, 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE. 65 
 
 fire, he ftop'd him abruptly, contrary to 
 their refpedfulandfenfible cuftom of never 
 interrupting the perfon who fpeaks, « You 
 '^ miflake, brother/* faid he ^ " we are 
 '• fubjedts to no prince; a favage is free 
 " all over the world/' And heipoke only 
 truth i they are not only free as a people, 
 but every individual is perfedly fo. Lord 
 of himfelf, at once fubjed and mailer, a 
 favage knows no fuperior, a circumftance 
 which has a ftriking eiFed on his behavi- 
 our ; unawed by rank or riches, diftindions 
 unknown amongft his own nation, he would 
 enter as unconcerned, would poiTefs all his 
 powers as freely in the palace of an orien« 
 tal monarch, as in the cottage of the mean- 
 eft peafant : 'tis the fpecies, 'tis man, 'tia 
 his equal he reipefts, without regarding the 
 gaudy trappings, the accidental advantages, 
 to which poliihed nations pay homage. 
 
 I have taken fome pains to develope their 
 -V..C, 4» wfji as palt, religious fenti- 
 mcntj, becaufe the Jefuit miffionaries have 
 
 boafted 
 
 
 im.r^ 
 
 r« ^ 
 
 I . iff' 
 
 ;■ -s 
 
. "i 
 
 66 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 boafted fo much of their converfion ; and 
 Unci they have rather engrafted a few of 
 the nioH- plain and fimple truths of Chrifti- 
 anity on their ancient fuperftitions, than 
 exchanged one faith for another; they are 
 baptized, and even fubmit to what they 
 themlelves call the y$ke .of confeffion, and 
 worfhip according to the outward forms of 
 the Romifh church, the drapery of which 
 cannot but ftrike minds unufed to fplen- 
 dor ; but their belief is very little changed, 
 except that the women feem to pay great 
 reverence to the Virgin> perhaps becaufe 
 flattering to the fcx. They anciently be- 
 lieved in one God* the ruler and creator 
 of the univerfe, whom they called tbt 
 Great Spirit and the Mafter of Lifei in the 
 fun as his image and reprefentative j in a 
 multitude of inferior fpirits and demons ; 
 and in a future ftate of rewards and pu- 
 nifliments, or, toufe their own phrafe, in a 
 iomtry ofjouls. They reverenced the fpi- 
 rits of their denAvteA he»'0^c Km- ;♦• Arx 
 
 
 not 
 
 •m 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 6> 
 
 not appear that they paid them any religi- 
 ous adoration. Their morals were more 
 pure, their manners more fimple, than 
 thofe of polifhed nations, except in what 
 regarded the intercourfe of the fexes : the 
 young women before marriage were in- 
 dulged in great libertinifm> hid however 
 under the mofl: rcferved and decent exte- 
 rior. They held adultery in abhorrencej^ 
 and with the more reafon as their marriages 
 were diffolvihle at pleafure. The miffio- 
 ariea are faid to have found no difficulty 
 fo great in gaining diem to Chriftianity, as 
 that of perfuading them to marry for life : 
 they regarded the Chriftian fyftem of mar- 
 riage as contrary to the laws of nature 
 and reafon ; and aflerted that, as the Great 
 Sprit formed us to he happy, it was op- 
 pofing his will, to continue together when 
 otherwife. 
 
 fro 
 
 The fex we have fo unjuftly excluded 
 
 \jKki |ivwcr ui ^liurope nave a great ihare 
 
 'i 
 
 , ' .if 
 
 
68 
 
 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 "l i» 
 
 li'ir 
 
 in the Huron government ; the chief is 
 chofe by the matrons from amongft the 
 nea:..ii male relations, by the female line, 
 of Jiim he is to fucceed j and is generally 
 an aunt's or filler's fon ; a cuftom which, 
 if we examine fl-r'^ly into the principle on 
 which it is founded, feems a litde to con- 
 trad id what we are told of the extreme 
 chaftity of the married ladies. 
 
 The power of the chief is extremely li- 
 mited ; he feems rather to advife his people 
 as a father than command them as a maf- 
 ter : yet, as his commands are always rea- 
 fonable, and for the general good, no prince 
 in the world is fo well obeyed. They have 
 a fupreme council of ancients, into which 
 every man enters of courfe at an age fix^d, 
 and another of alTiftants to the chief on 
 common occafions, the members of which 
 are like him eleded by the matrons : I am 
 pleafed with this laft regulation, as wo- 
 
 men art> hp^tmnA oil /^/-w^iU*- -.u^ u^n. !..j 
 
 of the merit of men i and I Ihould be ex-^ 
 
 tremely 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 69 
 tremely pleafed to fee it adopted in En<r. 
 land : canvaffing for ekftions would then 
 be the nioft agreeable thing in the world, 
 and I am fure the ladies would give their 
 votes on much more generous principles 
 tlian we do. In the true &nk of the word, 
 w^ are the favages, who fo impolitely de- 
 prive you of the common rights of citizen- 
 Hiip, and leave you no power but that of 
 which we cannot deprive you. the refiftlefs 
 power of your charms. By the way I 
 don't think you are obliged in conf-^ience' to 
 obey laws you have had no Aare in mak- 
 ingi your plea would certainly be at leaft 
 as good as that of the Americans, about 
 which we every day hear fo much. 
 
 The Huronshave no pofitiv. laws; yet 
 being a people not numerous, with a ftrong 
 ftnfe of honor, and in that ftatc of equa! 
 lity which gives no food to the moft tor. 
 menting palTions of the human heart, and 
 t«eco-uaciiofaHcieHts having a power to 
 
 punilh 
 
 *!■ ( 
 
 
 IT IP 
 
 , 1 
 
 I. 'itt.! 
 
 IT' h ' 
 
 1. 4 1 
 
 '. I 
 
 tfi' f j 
 
 ■ v.ji 
 Mr 
 
 ■■•■ '' < fi t 
 
 ■1J 
 
13 
 
 m h 
 
 VI''- ''i 
 
 70 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 piinifli atrocious crimes, which power how- 
 ever they very feldom find occafion to ulti 
 they live together in a tranquilHty and or- 
 der which appears to us furprizing. 
 
 In more numerous Indian nations, I am 
 "told, every village has its chief and its coun- 
 cils, and is perfedly independent on the 
 reft ; but on great occafions fummon a ge- 
 neral council, to which every village fends 
 deputies. ' '^ ' 
 
 Their language is at once fublimc andj 
 melodious ; but, having much fewer ideas, 
 it is im^iofflble it can be fo copious as thofcl 
 of Europe: the pronunciation of the men 
 is guttural, but that of the women ex-| 
 tremely fofc and pleafing ; without under- 
 ftanding one word of the language, thel 
 found of it is very agreeable to me. Their 
 ftyle even in fpeaking French is bold and 
 metaphorical : and I am told is on impor- 
 tant occafions extremdy fublime. 'Even ini 
 
 common 
 
verhov^- 
 n to uff, 
 ' and er- 
 
 as, I am 
 its coiin- 
 t on the 
 on a ge- 
 ge fends 
 
 ime and! 
 er ideas, 
 as thofei 
 the men I 
 nen ex- 
 t under- 1 
 ige, the 
 Their 
 bold and I 
 I impor- 
 'Kven ini 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE. 71 
 
 common converfatioii they fpeak in figures, 
 of which I have this moment an inftance! 
 A favage woman was wounded lately in dc- 
 1 fending an Engliih family from the drunlccn 
 rage of one of her nation. I afked her 
 after her wound i "It is well," faid fhej 
 " my fifters at Quebec (meaning the EngliA 
 " ladies) have been kind to me ; and pi- 
 " aftres, you know, are veiy healing." 
 
 They have no idea of letters, no alpha- 
 bet, nor is their language reducible to 
 rules : 'tis by painting they preferve the 
 memory of the only events which intereft 
 them, or that they think worth recording 
 the conquefts gained over their enemies S 
 war. 
 
 When I fpeak of their pai«i„gs, j 
 Ihould not omit that, though extremely 
 rude they have a ftrong refemblance to 
 the Chinde, a circumftance which ftruck 
 me the more. »« Xt ic r.^*- ••»,. rt.„i _ <- 
 
 ' '~'' 'n* "/le or nature. 
 
 Their dances alfo, the moft lively pamo- 
 mimes I ever ikw, lUid cfpeciaUy the dance 
 
 «f 
 
 ■4 j^it' ] 
 
 fiii 
 
 .'/kj'jiifiii 
 
72 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 111 V'", 
 
 of peace> exhibit variety of attitudes re- 
 fembling the figures on Chinefe fans ; nor 
 have their features and complexion lefs 
 likenefs to the pidures we lee of the Tar- 
 tars, as their wandering manner of life, 
 before they became Chriftians, was the fame* 
 
 If I thought it neceflary to fuppofe they 
 were not natives of the country, and that 
 America was peopled later than the other 
 quarters of the world, I fhould imagine 
 them the defcendants of Tartars i as no- 
 thing can be more eafy dian their paf- 
 fage from Afia, from which America is pro- 
 bably not divided ; or, if it is, by a very 
 narrow channel. But I leave this to thofe 
 who are better informed, being a fubjed 
 on which I honefljy confefs my ignorance. 
 
 I have already obferved, that they retain 
 mod of their antient fuperftitions* I ihould 
 particularize their belief in dreams, of 
 which folly even repeated difappointments 
 cannot cure them : they have alfo an unli- 
 u mited 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE, yj 
 
 mited faith in their powawers, or conjurers, 
 x){ whom there is one in every Indian vill 
 lage, who is at once phyficiah, orator, and 
 ^vme, and who is conlulted as an oracle 
 on ev.-ry occafion. As I happened to fmile 
 at the recital a favage was making of a 
 prophetic dream, from which he afllired us 
 of the death of an Englilh officer whom I 
 knew to be alive, "You Europeans," 
 aid he, « are the moft unreafonable peo~ 
 „ r '" ^*= ^°^Jd ; yen laugh at our be- 
 lef in dreams, and yet expeft us to be- 
 
 « mcP"^' ' ""'"'''"'' '™'^ "'°'' '"^^^•• 
 
 Their general character is difficult to de- 
 fcribe; made up of contrary and even con- 
 trad.aory qualities, they are indolent, tram 
 q"J, quiet, humane in peace; adive, reft- 
 lefs, cruel, ferocious in war: courteous 
 
 J>ttent,ve, hofpitable, and even polite, ^S 
 kmdly treated, haughty, ftern^vindia;;^ 
 
 when they are not, and their refentment 
 ^s the more to be dreaded, as they hold it a 
 
 •^ point 
 
 'iMit^ 
 
W: 
 
 
 Rit 
 
 74 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 point of honor to difTemble their fenfe of 
 an injury till they find an opportunity to 
 revenge it. 
 
 ' They are patient of cold and heat, of 
 hunger and thirft, even beyond all belief 
 when neceflity requires, pafling whole days, 
 . and often three or four days together, with- 
 out food, in the woods, when on the watch 
 for an enemy, or even on their hunting par- 
 ties ; yet indulging themfelves in their 
 feafts even to the moft brutal degree of in- 
 temperance. They defpife death, and fufFer 
 ,the moft excruciating tortures not only with- 
 out a groan, but with an air of triumph j 
 fmging their death fong, deriding their tor- 
 mentors, and threatening them with the 
 vengeance of their furviving friends : yet 
 hold it honorable to fly before an enemy 
 that appears the leaft fuperior in number 
 or force. 
 
 Deprived by their extreme ignorance, 
 and that indolence which nothing but their 
 
 ardor 
 
 I 
 

 EMir.Y MONTAGUE. 75 
 ardor for war can 'fiirmount, of all the con 
 vemencies, ^ well as elegant refinements 
 of poLlhed hfe ; ftrangers to the fofter paf. 
 fions. love being with them on the fame 
 footing as amongft their fellow- tenants of 
 
 the woods their lives appear to me r her 
 tranquil than happ,: they have feweT 
 cares, but they have alfo much fewer en 
 
 Joyments,thanfaUto arihare. lamtol" 
 however, that, though, infenfible to love 
 they are not without affeftions , are ex 
 
 tremelyawaketofriend/hip,andpainonatei; 
 fond of their children. ^ 
 
 fJ,^Z """ °^ " "'PP^'" *^"^°'-> ^^i'^h is 
 rendered more unpleafing by a quantity 
 
 ofcoarfered on their cheeks /but L17 
 dren, when born, are of a pale fUver ^ht 
 . perhaps their indelicate cuftom of .real; 
 
 tl^rbodie. and their being fo n^Sl? 
 Pofed to the air and fun even from in 
 
 ^ncy, may caufe that total change ofcom 
 Plex-n, which I W not how o he ^w'^ 
 
 to account for: their hair is b J !^5 
 
 Alining, 
 
 I « 
 
 
 1 ,V|. 
 
 I 
 
tinHifi 
 
 76 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 fliining, the womens very long, parted at 
 the top, and combed back, tied behind, 
 and often twifled with a thong of leather, 
 which they think very ornamental : the 
 drefs of bothfexes is a clofe jacket, reach- 
 ing to their knees, with fpatterdalhes, all 
 of coarfe blue cloth, fhoes of deer -Ikin, 
 embroidered with porcupine quills, and 
 fometimes with filver fpangles i and a blan- 
 ket thrown acrofs their fhoulders, and faf- 
 tened before with a kind of bodkin, with 
 necklaces, and other ornaments of beads or 
 {hells. 
 
 m 
 
 They are in general tall, well made, and 
 agile to the laft degree 3 have a lively ima- 
 gination, a flrong memory 5 and, as far as 
 their interefts are concerned, are veiy dex- 
 trous politicians* 
 
 Their addrefs is cold and referved ; but 
 their treatment of ftrangers, and the un- 
 happy, infinitely kind and hofpitable. A 
 v£ry worthy pneft, with whom I am ac- 
 
 V-^-J 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 77 
 
 quainted at Quebec, was fome years finre 
 fliip wrecked in December on the ifiand of 
 Anticofti : after a variety of diftrefTes, not 
 difficult to be iT%iagined on an ifland vith- 
 out inhabitants, during the leverity of a 
 winter even colder than that of Canada ^ 
 he, with the fmall remains of his compa- 
 nions who furvived fuch complicated diftrefs, 
 early in the fpring, reached the main land 
 in their boat, and wandered to a cabbin of 
 ravages; the ancient of which, having heard 
 his ftory, bid him enter, and liberally fup- 
 plied their wants : " Approach, brother,"* 
 faid he j « the unhappy have a riglit to our 
 " affiftance -, we are men, and cannot but 
 " fed for the diflreifes which happen to 
 men;" a fentiment which has a ftrong 
 refemblance to a celebrated one in a Greek 
 tragec!/. 
 
 f '■ 
 
 
 
 rs 
 
 i! 
 
 ! , 
 
 S 111 )5'^i ' J 
 
 ra i 
 
 You will not expeft more from me on 
 thh Mjc% as my refidence here has been 
 il^ort, i,m I can only be laid to catch a few 
 
 E 3 marking 
 
 .'■V 
 
 iHiii 
 
|lr< 
 
 ji 
 
 . 78 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 marking features flying. I ani unable to 
 give you a pidure at full length. 
 
 Nothing afloniihes nne fo much as to find 
 their manners fo little changed by their in- 
 tercourfe with the Europeans ; they feem 
 to have learnt nothing of us but cxcefs ii\ 
 drinking* 
 
 The fitiiatlon of the village is very fine,, 
 ^on an eminence, gently rifing to a thick 
 wood at fome diflance, a beautiful ^ little 
 ferpentine riv^r in front, on which are a 
 bridge, a mill, and a fmall cafcade, at fuch 
 a diftance as to be very pieafing objefls, 
 from their houfes ; and a cultivated coun- 
 try, internnixed with little woods lying be- 
 tween them and Quebec, from which they 
 ^re diftant only nine very fliort miles. 
 
 What a letter have I written ! I fliall 
 quit my poft of hiftorian to your friend 
 Mifs Fermor j the ladies love writing much 
 
 better 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 79 
 
 better than we do ; and I fhould perhaps 
 
 be only juft, if I faid they write better. 
 
 Adieu ! 
 
 Ed. River«j. 
 
 LETTER XII. 
 To Mifs Rivers, Clarges-Street. 
 
 , "- Quebec, Sept. 12, 
 
 T YESTERDAY morning received a hu 
 
 A ter from Major Melmoth, to introduce 
 
 to my acquaintance Sir George Clayton, 
 
 who brought it -, he wanted no other intro- 
 
 dudion to me than his being dear to the 
 
 moft amiable woman breathing; in virtue 
 
 of that claim,hemay command every civility, 
 
 every attention in my power. He break- 
 
 Med with me yefterday : we were two 
 
 hours alone, and had a great deal of con- 
 
 verfationj we afterwards fpent the day to- 
 
 gether very agreeably, on a party of plea- 
 
 fure in the country. 
 
 MM 
 
 ■' r* 
 
 E4 
 
 I am 
 
 I 
 
Vi, 
 
 to THE FII STORY OF 
 
 I am going with him this afternoon to vi-. 
 fit Mifs Fermor, to whom he has a letter 
 from the divine Emily, which he is to de- 
 liver himfelf 
 
 i I ' 
 
 He is very handfomc,. but not of my fa- 
 vorite flile of t^eauty : extremely fair and 
 tlooming, with fine features, light hair 
 and eyes ; his countenance not abfolutely 
 heavy, but inanimate, and to my tafte in- 
 fipid : finely made, not ungenteel, but with- 
 out that eafy air of the world which I pre- 
 fer to the moft exa6l fymmetry without if. 
 tn fhort, he is what the country ladies in. 
 England call a fweet pretty man. He dreifTes 
 well, has the finefl horfes and the hand^^ 
 fomel't liveries I have ktri in Canada. His 
 manner is civil but cold., his converfation 
 fenfibie but not fpirited'j he feems to be a 
 man rather to approve tharhto love. Will 
 you excufe me if I fay, he refembles the 
 form my iimgin^bn paints of Prometheus^s 
 
 maa 
 
 i.. 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. Si 
 
 man of clay, before he ftole the ccleftial 
 fire to animate him ? 
 
 Perhaps I fcrutinize him too ftriaiy; 
 perhaps I am prejudiced in my judgment 
 by the very high idea I had form'd of the 
 man whom Emily Montague could love. I 
 will own to you, that I thought it impofilble 
 for her to be pleafed with meer beauty ^ 
 and I cannot even now change my opinion;. 
 I fhall find fome latent fire, fome liiddea- 
 Ipark, when we are better acquainted. 
 
 I intend to be very intimate with him, to 
 endeavour to. fee into his very foul ; I am^ 
 hard to pleafe in a* hufband for my Emily ;. 
 he muft have fpirit, he muft have feniibi- 
 lity, or he cannot make her happy. 
 
 He thanked me for my civility to Mils 
 Montague: do you know I thought him 
 impertinent ?. and I am not yet furc he was 
 
 E i) not 
 
 4rti*^i 
 
 ;V 
 
 .Ti V. 
 
 \ih'"]l 
 
 mm' 
 
 • • lip ' 
 
 tim 
 
4' ■' 
 
 82 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ¥ 
 
 not fo, though I faw he meant to be po- 
 lite. 
 
 I 
 
 14'"''' 
 (I 
 \ 
 
 n 
 
 
 He comes : our horfes are at the door. 
 Adieu ! 
 
 Tours, 
 
 Ed. Rivers, 
 
 I: ' A 
 
 Eight in the evening. 
 
 We are return'cl : I every hour like him 
 kfs. There were feveral ladies, French 
 and Englijh, with Mifs Fermor, all on the 
 rack to engage the Bai-onet's attention; 
 you have no notion gf the efFed of a title 
 in America. To do the ladies juftice how- 
 eyer, he really look'd very handfome ; the 
 ride,^ and the civilities he retieiv'd from a 
 circle of pretty women, for they were well 
 choie, gave a glovi to his complexion ex- 
 lirQnaely favorable, to his defire of p'eaf-^ 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. Sj 
 
 ing, which, through all his calmnefs, it was 
 impoflible not to obferve ; he even at- 
 tenmpted once or twice to be lively, but 
 feird : vanity itfelf could not inipire him 
 with vivacity , yet vanity is certainly his 
 ruling paflion, if fuch a piece of ftill life 
 can be faid to have any paflions at all 
 
 What a cha n, my dear Lucy, is there 
 in fenfibility ! *Tis the magnet which at- 
 tradts all to itfelf: virtue may command ef- 
 teem, underftanding and talents admiration, 
 beauty a tranfient defire; but 'tis fenfibility 
 alone which can infpire love. 
 
 Yet the tender, the fenfible Emily Mon- 
 tague—no, my dear, 'tis impoffible : Ihe 
 may fancy Ihe loves him, but it is not in 
 nature ; unlelk flie extremely miflakcs his 
 charadleiv His approbation of htr^ for he 
 cannot feel a livelier fentiment,. may at 
 prefent, when with her, raife him a little- 
 above his natural vegetative date, but after 
 
 E6^ marriage; 
 
 
 
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U THE HISTORY OF 
 
 marriage he will certainly fink, into it 
 again.. 
 
 
 If I have the leaftjndgment in nnen, he 
 will be a cold, civil, inattentive hufband ;' 
 a taftelefs, infipid, filent companion 3, a tran- 
 quil, frozen, unimpaflion'd lover 5 his ih^ 
 fenfibility will^ fecure her from rivals,, his 
 vanity will give her all the drapery of 
 happinefs ; her friend$ will congratulate her 
 choice; Ihe will be the envy, of her own 
 fex : without giving pofitiv£ offence, he 
 will every moment wound, becaufehe is a 
 ftranger to, all the fine feelings of a heart' 
 like hers ; fhe will feekjn vain the friend,^ 
 the lover,, fhe expefted; yet, fcarce know- 
 ing of what to. complain,,fhewiU accufe- 
 herfelf of caprice, and be aftonlHi'd to 
 find herfelf wretched with ^h hefi hujbandd 
 
 m 
 
 IltremblCc 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE, »j 
 
 r tremble for her happinefsj I know 
 how few of my own fex are to be found 
 who have the lively/ fenfibility of yours,, 
 and of thoie few how many wear out their 
 hearts by a life of gallantry and diffipation,, 
 and bring only apathy and difguft into mar- 
 riage. I know few men capable of making; 
 her happy; but this Sir George — my; 
 Lucy, 1 have not patience- 
 Did I tell you all the men., here are in 
 love with your friend Bell Fermor? The 
 women all hate her, which is an unequivo-^ 
 ^1 proof that Ihe pleafes the otlier fex.. 
 
 MMm 
 
 
8& THE HISTORY OF 
 
 LETTER XIIL 
 
 To Mifi Fermobl, at Silleri, 
 
 Montreal, Sept. z. 
 
 MY deareft Bell will better imagine 
 than I can delcribe, the pleafurc 
 it gave me to hear of her H^ing in Cana- 
 da ; I am impatient to fee her,, but as Mrs. 
 Melmoth comes in a fortnight to Quebec, 
 I know Ihe will excufe my waiting to come 
 Y/ith her. My vifitlhowever is to Silleri ; I 
 long to fee my dear girl, to tell her a thou-- 
 fend little trifles interefting only to friend- 
 fliip. 
 
 You congratulate me, my dear,^ on the 
 pleafing prolpe6t I have before me ; on 
 eny approaching marriage with a man young, 
 
 ** rich^ 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 87 
 
 rich, lovclyj, enamor*4 and of aa amiable 
 charafter,. - 
 
 mH' 
 
 Yes, mjrdear, I am obliged ta my uncle 
 for his choice ; Sir George is all you have 
 heard 5 and> without doubt,, loves me, as, 
 he marries me with fuch an inferiority of 
 fortune. I am very happy certainly 5 how 
 is it poffible I fhould be otherwife I 
 
 1 could indeed wiHi my tendernefs for 
 him more lively, but perhaps my wilhes. 
 are romantic. I prefer him to all his lex^ 
 but wifh my preference was of a lefs lan- 
 guid nature ; there is fomediing in it more 
 like friendfhip than love -, I fee him witk 
 pleafure, but I part from him without re- 
 gret ; yet he deferves my afFedion,. and I 
 can have no objedtion to him which is not 
 founded in caprice.. 
 
 You fay true 5 Colonel Rivers is very 
 amiable 5. he pafc'd fix weeks with us,^ yet 
 
 we 
 
 ml 
 
i 
 
 t 
 
 i 
 
 n 
 
 THE HrSTORT OF 
 
 we found his eonverfation always newj he 
 is the man on earth of whom one would 
 wiih to make a friend 5 I think I could 
 already truft him with every fentiment of 
 my foul i I have even more confidence in 
 him than in Sir George whom I love ; his 
 manner is foft, attentive, infinuating, and 
 particularly adapted to pleafe women. 
 Without defigns, without pretenfions j he 
 fteals upon you in the charader of a friend, 
 becaufe there is not the leaft appearance 
 of his ever being a lover : he feems to take 
 fuch an intereft in your happinefs, as gives 
 him a right to know your every thought. 
 Don't you think, my dear> thefe kind of 
 men are dangerous ? Take care of yourfelfj 
 my dear Bells as tome, I am fecure iarrry 
 fituationi. 
 
 Sir George is I'o have the pleafure of ' 
 delivering this to you, and comes again in 
 a few days s love him for my fake,. though 
 
 ke 
 
>F 
 
 lewj he 
 e would 
 I could 
 mem of 
 ience in 
 »ve; his 
 ng, and 
 women. 
 3ns 5 he 
 
 1 friend, 
 rearance 
 to take 
 IS gives 
 bought, 
 cind of 
 ourfelfj 
 
 2 iarrry 
 
 ifure of 
 gain in 
 though 
 ke 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE. 9^ 
 
 he deferves it for his own, I aflbre you, he- 
 fe extremely worthy,. 
 
 Adieu I my dear. 
 
 Your afFe(5lionate 
 
 Emily Montague^ 
 
 LETTER XIV: 
 To JofiN Temple, Efqj Pall Mall. 
 
 Quebec, Sept. 15, 
 
 BELIEVE me, Jack, you are wrong j 
 this vagrant tafte is unnatural, and 
 does not lead to happinefs ; your eager 
 purfuit of pleafure defeats itfelf 5 love 
 gives no true delight but where the heart 
 is attached, andyou do not give yours tim« 
 to fix. Such is our unhappy frailty, that 
 the tendereft paffion may wear out, and 
 
 another 
 
 m 
 
m 
 
 90 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 another fuccecd, but the love of change 
 merely as change is not in nature; where it 
 is a real tafle, *tis a depraved one. Boys are 
 inconftant from vanity and afFedation, old 
 men from decay of pafTion ; but men, and 
 particularly men of fenfe, find their happi« 
 nefs only in that lively attachment of which 
 it is impoifible for more than one to be the 
 objeft. Love IS an intelle6tual pleafure, 
 »n* ev«fl- the fenfes will be weakly efiefted 
 where the heart is filent^ • r - . 
 
 You will find this truth confirmed even 
 within the walls of the feraglio ; amidft 
 this crowd of rival beauties, eager to 
 pleafe, one happy fair generally reigns in 
 the heart of the fultan ; the reft ferve 
 only to gratify his pride and oftentauon^ 
 and are regarded by him with the fame 
 indifference as the furniture of his fuperb 
 palace, of which they may be faid to make 
 ^ part. 
 
 With 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 91 
 
 With your eftate, you fliould marry ; I 
 have as many objedions to the ftate as you 
 can havci I mean>on the footing marriage 
 is at prefcnt. But of this I am certain, that 
 two perfons at once delicate and fenfible, 
 united by frieodlhip^ by tafte, by a con- 
 fornndty of fentiment, by that lively ardent 
 tender inclination which alone dcfer^'es thq 
 name of lo¥e, will find hapfxinefs in mar* 
 riagCj, which is in vain fought in any othfir 
 kind of attachmem* 
 
 You are fo happy as to have the power 
 of chufing ; you are rich> and have not the 
 temptation to a mercenary engagement. 
 Look round you for a companion, a confi- 
 dante 5 a tender amiable friend, with all the 
 charms of a miftrefs : above all, be certain 
 of her afFedlion, that you engage, that 
 you fill her whole foul. Find luch a wo- 
 man, my dear Temple, and you cannot 
 make too much haftc to be happy. 
 
 ¥ 
 
 •♦ » 
 
 »''■*! 
 
 !S :il 
 
 I have 
 
 1 :i 
 
 UliEl 
 
 t? 
 
 m 
 
J|2 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 I ha^•" a thoufaiid things to fay to you, 
 but ?m fVtang oir ?^nmediately with Sir 
 George Clayccn, to -necrt the lieutenant^ 
 governor at Montreal ; a piece of refped 
 which I fhould pay with the moft lively 
 pleafure, if it did not give me the oppor- 
 tunity of feeing the woman in the world I 
 moft admire. I am not however going to 
 fet you the example of marrying : I am 
 not fo happy 5 fhe is engaged to the gen- 
 tleman who goes up with me. Adieu I 
 
 Yours,. 
 
 Ed^ Rivers, 
 
 LET- 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 93 
 
 LETTER 
 
 XV. 
 
 To Mils Montague, at Montreal, 
 
 Silleri^ Sept. 16. 
 
 TAKE care, my dear Emily, you do 
 not fall into the connmon error of fen- 
 fible and delicate minds, that of refinii^ 
 away your happinefs. 
 
 Sir George is handfome as 
 
 rvERs, I you allow him to be of an 
 
 Adonis ; 
 amiable cha- 
 
 rafteri he is rich, young, well born, and 
 loves you 5 you will have fine cloaths, fine 
 jewels, a fine houfe, a coach and fix -, all 
 the di^uceurj of marriage, with an extreme 
 pretty fellow, who is fond of you, whom 
 you Jee with pUafure, and prefer to all his 
 7^^ sand yet you are difcontented, becaufe 
 you have not for him at twenty-four the 
 romantic paffion of fifteen, or rather that- 
 ideal 
 
 yff^Wi 
 
 \ 
 
94. THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ideal pafTidn which perhaps never exifted 
 but in imagination. 
 
 To be happy in this world) it is neceflary 
 not to raife one's ideas too high : if I loved 
 a man of Sir George's fortune half as well 
 as by your own account you love him, I 
 Ihould not hefitate one moment about mar- 
 rying ; but fit down contented with eafe, 
 affluence, and an agreeable r.ian, without 
 expeding to find life what it certainly k 
 not, a ftate of continual rapture. *Tis, I 
 am afraid, my dear, your misfortune to 
 have too much fenfibility to be happy. 
 
 I could moralize exceedingly well this 
 morning on the vanity of human wifhes and 
 expectations, and the folly of hoping for 
 felicity in this vile fublunary world : but 
 the fubje6l is a little exliaufted, and I have 
 a paffion for being original. I think all the 
 moral writers, who have fet off with pro- 
 mifmg tj fhew us the road to happinefs, 
 have obligingly ended with telling us there 
 
 is 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 95 
 
 IS no fuch thing ; a conclufion extrcmcJy 
 confoling, and which if they had drawn be- 
 fore they fet pen to paper, would hav© 
 iiived both themfelves and their readers an 
 infinity of trouble. This fancy of luinting 
 for what one knows is not to be found, is 
 really an ingenious way of amufing both 
 one's felf and the world : I wifh people 
 would either write to fome purpofe, or be 
 fo good as not to write at all. 
 
 I believe I fhall fet about writing a fyf- 
 tcnfi of ethics myfelf, which fhall be fhort, 
 clear, and comprehenfive -, nearer the Epi- 
 curean perhaps than the Stoic i but rural, 
 refined, and fentimental ; rural by all 
 means ; for who does not know that virtue 
 is a country gentlewoman ? all the good 
 mammas will tell you, there is no fuch be- 
 ing to be heard of in town. 
 
 I fliall certainly be glad to fee you, my 
 dear j though I forefee flrange revolutions 
 in the flat e of Denmark from this event; 
 
 at 
 
 m 
 
 :!J 
 
 m 
 *ji.'i 
 
 •''# w% \ 
 
 k*\ 
 
 .Mt 
 
'^■v.^ 
 
 ^ ','f5f 
 
 i ;:'l 
 
 9« THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ^t prefent I have all the men to myfeli^ 
 and you muft know I have a prodigious 
 avcrfion to divided empire : however, 'tis 
 fome comfort they all know you are going 
 to be married. You may come, Emilyj 
 only be fo obliging to bring Sir George 
 along with you : in your prefent fituation, 
 you are not fo very formidable. 
 
 The men here, as I iaid before, are all 
 -dying for me ; there are many handfomer 
 women, but I flatter them, and the dear 
 creatures cannot refill it. I am a very good 
 girl to women, but naturally artful (if you 
 will allow the expreflion) to the other fex ; 
 I can blafh, look down, ftifle a figh, flutter 
 my fan, andfeem fb agreeably confufed— 
 you have no notion, my dear, what fools 
 men are. If you had not got the ftart of 
 me, I would have had your little white- 
 haired baronet in a week, and yet I don't 
 take him to be made of very combullible 
 
 
 
 pretty, 
 
SMILY MONTAGUE^ ^y, 
 
 pretty, I believe ; but he has vanity, which 
 Js quite enough for my purpofe. 
 
 Either your love or Colonel Rivers wiU 
 have the honor to deliver this letter • 'tis 
 rather cruel to take them both fitim us at 
 once ; however, we Ihall foon be made 
 amends ; for we ftall have a torrent of 
 beaux with the general. 
 
 v,^°"'' ^'\*^'* *' ^"''''" fliS c6«n-tnr~ 
 vaftly more chearing than in England M 
 
 J charmed with the fun, to fay nothing 
 
 of the moon, though to be fv.e I. never faw 
 
 amoon-hghtn,ghtthatdere,;e.^the„amc 
 w X came to America. 
 
 Mm Cher ?«v defires a thoufand eom- 
 
 ^unents.youknow,I;vcha.,t>,,n,«,-lo,.e 
 With jou ever fince you wez^ feven years. 
 
 old:he,svaftlybettertWlmvoy^e,and 
 . -^-, -wa^dua, ana ioQks 
 
 younger than before he fet 
 Vol. I. p 
 
 OMt. 
 
 years 
 
 m 
 
 m\ 
 
 it i?i 
 
 ill! 
 
 
 Aviieu! 
 
9^^ THE H I S T O R Y^ a F 5? 
 
 Adieu! I am going to ramble. in- th« 
 woods, and. pick berries, with a littk fmil- 
 ing civil captain, who is enamoured of me: 
 a pretty rural aniufement for lovers i ^ / 
 
 Good. morrow, my dear Emily, , 
 
 Yours, 
 
 A. Perm OR, 
 
 t ' f 
 
 LET t E R XVI. 
 
 V-Jfi J 
 
 ' To Mifs RivERs, Clarges-Street. 
 
 Sillerl, Sept. i8. 
 
 XT OUR brother, my dear, is gone to 
 jt ' M^treal with Sir George Clayton,' 
 of whom I fuppofe you have heard^ and 
 wh6 is going to marry' a friend of mine,- to 
 pay a vifit if^'Mmfieur le General, ^Ho is 
 arrived there. 'The men in Ca'tiada, the 
 Englilh I mean, are eternally changing 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE, pp 
 place, even when they have not fo pkafine 
 
 ! 'f ^^^^^"'"g '^ ^h^-P and amuOng. the 
 
 profpeds lovely, the weather i.witingfand 
 
 here are no very lively pkafures at pre- 
 
 rent to attach them either to Quebec or 
 
 This fancy of tlie men, which k ex- 
 
 'r he °^/"^'--^^0". -hich ferves to 
 varytheamufementof the ladies, fo that 
 
 upon t^e whole 'tis a pretty faihion, and 
 dcferves encouragement. 
 
 but with no fuch very ftrfking difference 
 from that of Eneland =.c ^^ • ^^"^^"^^ 
 fiv =, ,.,n- A , g'^"'^' ^^ to give room to 
 lay a vaftdeal on the fubjed, though I 
 be eve, if you will pkafe to comp ?'„ 
 letters, you will find, cutrin. ..„ £_ . "'^ 
 - cut a pretty fig - in-i;;-^-;-; 
 
 way i at le^ if your brother te-^^ 
 
 i% 
 
 \iW9t^/ 
 
 me truth. 
 You 
 
 ^ 
 
 'il^hHn 
 
 mi 
 
 '' J' 
 
too THE HISTORY OF 
 
 You may expeft a very well painted froft- 
 piece from me in the winter j as to tne 
 prefent feafon, it is juft like any fine au- 
 tumn in England :. I may add, th^t the 
 beauty of the nights ]s much beyond my 
 power of defcription : A conftant Aurom 
 borealis, without a cloud in the heavens 5 
 and a moon fo rcfplendent that you may 
 fee to read the fmalleft print by its light ; 
 one has nothing to wifh but that it was 
 fall moon every night. Our evening walks 
 are delicious, efpecially at Silleri, where, 
 'tis the pleafanteft thing in the world to lif- 
 ten to foft nonfenfe. 
 
 « Whilft the moon dances through the 
 " trembling leaves." 
 
 (A line I ftole from Philander and Sylvia) : 
 But to return: 
 
 ni 
 
 The French ladies never walk but at 
 :ht, which Ihews their good talle 5 and 
 
 then 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. loi 
 
 the 
 
 then only within the walls of Quebec, 
 which does not : they Taunter flowly, afcer 
 fupper, on a particular barcery, which is a 
 kind of little Mall : they have no idea of 
 walking in the country, nor the Icaft feel- 
 ing of the lovely fcenc around them j there 
 are many of them who never law the falls 
 of Montmorenci, though little more than 
 an hour's drive from the town. They feem 
 born without the fmalkft portion of curio- 
 fity, or any idea of the pleafures of the 
 imagination, or indeed any pleafurc but 
 that of being admired : love, or rather co- 
 quetry, drefs, and Uc^votion, feem to fhare 
 all their hours : yet, as they are lively> and 
 m general handfome, the men are very 
 ready to excufe their want of knowledge. 
 
 K. ■**• 
 
 'lit 
 
 There are two ladies in the province, I 
 am told, who read ; but both of them are 
 above fifty, and they are regarded as pro- 
 digies of erudition. 
 
 MM 
 
 i< i 
 
 F3 
 
 Abfo- 
 
loz THE HISTORY OF 
 
 Eight in the evening. 
 
 Abfolutely, Lucy, I will marry a favagc,. 
 and turn iquaw (a pretty foft name for 
 an Indian princefs ! ) : never was any thing 
 delightful as their lives j they talk of 
 French hu/bands,. but commend me to an 
 Indian one, who lets his- wife ramble five 
 hundred miles, without afking where Iheis 
 going. 
 
 1 was fitting aft?er dinner with a book, iij- 
 a. thicket of hawthorn near the beach^ 
 when a loud laugh called my attention to 
 the river> where I faw a canoe of Jkvages 
 making to the ftore ; there were fix wo- 
 men, and two or three children, without 
 one man amongft them : th^ey landed, tied 
 the canoe to the root of a tree> and finding 
 out the moft agreeable Ihady fpot amongft 
 the bulhes with which the beach was 
 coveredj( which happened to be very near 
 
 me*. 
 
 f» 
 
 (>} 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE, loj 
 
 me,' maSde a' fire, on which they laid fome 
 fifh to 1 broil, and, fetchii^ water from 
 the river, fat down on the grafs to their 
 frugal repaft* 
 
 "» i ftole-foftly to the houfe, and,, ordering 
 Va fervant to bring fome wine and cold^pr^- 
 vifions, returned to my«<fquaw&: I afkcd 
 V them in French if they wereiof Lorette ? 
 ^they fhook their heads: I rcpea|;cd the 
 ^'^tlefl:ion m'Englifh, when the ddcft of the 
 wonhfeW'told me, they Were nooj that their 
 -icountry was oh the bo#ders.:of New Eng- 
 land 'y that, their hu/bands being on a hunt- 
 ing party m the woods, curiofity, and the 
 defire of feeing their brethren theiEnglifh^. f 
 '^who had conquered Quebec, had brought * 
 them up the great riyer, down which they 
 fhould return as foon as they had feen Mon- 
 treal. She courtcoufly afked me to fit down, 
 and eat with them, which I complied with, 
 ' and" produced my part of the feaft. We 
 ^foon became good company^ mdl^rigbu^'d 
 rmM F4 ' fte 
 
 tM 
 
 Hi] 
 
 Mtf.'i 
 
 m 
 
 I. 
 
 * 
 
 lit ' *»>!<? 
 
 
 mm 
 
. I04 THE HISTORY Qp 
 
 the chah offriendjhip with two bottles of 
 wine, which put them into fuch fpirits^ 
 that they danced, fung,. Ihook me by the 
 hand, and grew fo very fond of me, that 
 I began to be afraid I fhould not eafily get: 
 rid of them. ,Thcy were very iinwiJlingto 
 part with me; but^ after two. or three very 
 ridiculous hours, I widt fome diflicuUy pre- 
 vailed on the ladies to purfue their voyage,, 
 having firft replcniflied their canoe with 
 provifiOAs and a few bottler of wine, aad. 
 given thejn.a letter of recommendatfen to 
 your brother, that they might be in no cK- 
 ftrefs at Montreal.. 
 • ' • ■' ' . • 
 
 Adieu 1 my fiither is j^ft come in, ani 
 has brought fome Company with him from; 
 Quebec to fupper. ; 
 
 Yours ever. 
 
 'V ih.-J^ -ift to tr 
 
 A. Fermoji^ 
 
 ^ ■-%. 
 
 Don't 
 
EMILY MOKTAGUE. 105 
 
 Don't you think, my dear, my good 
 fillers the fquaws fcem to live fornc- 
 thing the kind of Ufe of our gyp- 
 fies ? The idea ftruck me as diey 
 were dancing. I alTure you, there is 
 a good deal of refemblance in their 
 perfons : I have Cscn a fine old fea- 
 foned female gypfey^ of as daik ^ 
 complexion as a favage : diey are 
 all equally marked as children of 
 the fun. 
 
 m 
 
 Pllii] 
 
 -i-*« 
 
 LETT E R xvir.. 
 
 A J 
 
 To Mils Rivers, CJarges- Street. 
 
 Repentigny, Sept. ig> ten at night. 
 
 T Study my fellow traveller dqBy ; his 
 A charafter, indeed, is not diificuk to af- 
 certain^ his feelings are dull, ncthing makes> 
 
 
io6 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ft* 
 
 the leaft mipreflion on him; he is as infen* 
 fible to the yarious beauties of the charm- 
 ing country ' through which we have tra- 
 velled, as the very Canadian peafants them- 
 fclves who inhabit it.. I watched his tycs 
 at fome of the mofl: beautiful profpefts, 
 and faw not the leaft gleam of pleafure 
 there : I introduced him here to an extreme 
 handfome French lady, and as lively as fhe 
 is handfome, the wife of an officer who is 
 of my acquaintance;, thefame taftelefs com^ 
 pofure prevailed; he complained of fa- 
 tigue, and; retired to his apartment at eight :. 
 the family are now in bed, and I have an. 
 an. hour to. give to my dear Lucy.. 
 
 He admires Emily becaufe he has. ften,^ 
 her admired by all the world, but he can- 
 not tafte her charms of hirafdf ; they are 
 not of a ft lie topleafehim: I cannot fup-- 
 port the thought of fuch. a woman's being 
 fo loil;, there are a thoufand infcnfible good 
 j^oung women, to be found, who would. 
 vaylife.witlvhim 
 
 4p:&£ 
 
 ana be happy. 
 
 A richi 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 107 
 
 A rich, fober, fcdate, prcfbyterian ci- 
 tizen's daughter, ^<^u^a««ci -by her grand- 
 mother in the country, who would roll 
 abqwt wjth^hia^ in u^eUdy fplendorv and 
 dream away a lazy exiiience, would be the 
 proper wift fpr him. h it, for him, a lifeleis 
 compofitiqa of, eaafh,;and.^atei^ ^ ^^jf 
 himfelf to the aftiverelements wbicji ckM- 
 pole ray divine Emily ?. j , 
 
 Adieu ! my.de^r l.we ftt,out,earIy in (hg 
 
 Your affectionate- - ^^^^^^^ ^ ^^i^^rfj^^/ 
 
 . Ed. RivER'si. 
 
 ^-#:^4it:4< 
 
 ■ ' » 
 
 r • \ 
 
 . H 
 
 f ■=» 
 
 J ^i 
 
 i I . 
 
 'h^nku .'Ai :^ o:<nrtCf i&i^ ;./u 
 
 « 
 
 ft 
 
 Umq 
 
 
 Id 
 
 ILET- 
 
io8 THE HISTORT OP 
 
 WvCl 
 
 LETTER XVIII. 
 To Mifi RivBRs, Clargci-Strccti 
 
 Montr«a1, Sept. 19^ eleven o'clock.. 
 
 NOy my dear, it is impofBblc fhe caii; 
 love him; his dull foul is ill fuited ta 
 hers J heavy> unmeaning, formal 5 a flave: 
 to rules, to ceremony, to eti^uitie.^ he has 
 oot an idea above tho'e of a gendemaa 
 iilher. He has been three hours in town 
 widiout feeing her ;^ drelTing, and waiting 
 to pay his compliments firft to the general,, 
 who is riding,, and every minute expe^ed , 
 back . I am all impatience, though only her 
 friend^ but think it would be indecent in. 
 me to go without him, and look like a de- 
 figa of reproaching his coldnefi.. Howdif 
 fcrently ^rc we formed ! I • Ihould have fix ■ : 
 ^ moment to fee the woman I: loved from^ 
 the firft priiice in the univerie.. 
 
 The- 
 
IMILY MONTAGUE. 109^ 
 
 The general k r«tgme(JL Adku I till 
 our vifit is over j we go from thence to M^ 
 jor Mclmoth's, wKoft fari.ily I fhouki have 
 told you are in towa, and not half a ftreer 
 fronn us. What a foul of fire has this 
 hver I 'Tis to proftne th.e ^vord to ufc it in: 
 j|)eak ing of him. 
 
 On . c*clock.. 
 
 1 am miftaken, Lucy; aftoniihingasitis,, 
 flie loves him ; this d«ll clod of uninformed 
 earth has touched the lively foul of my 
 Emily. Lave is indeed the child of ca- 
 price f I will not fay offympathy, for what 
 fympathy can there be between two hearts 
 fo different ? I am hurt^ flie k lowered ia 
 my efleem ; I expected to find in the man 
 flie loved,, a mind fcnfible and tender as her 
 own. 
 
 li 
 
 „ I, 
 
 I repeat h^ my dear Lucy^ihe loves hirni 
 
 lobfecvedkerwhen we entered the room : 
 
 — ^ 
 
 
»io TKE HISTORY OF 
 
 fhebluihcd, fhe turned pale, fh€ trembled^ 
 her voice faltered; every look fpoke the 
 ftrong emotion of her foul. ^^4 toi 
 
 She is paler than when I faw her laft ; 
 flie is, I think, lefs beautiful, but more 
 touching than ever; there i« a languor in 
 her air, a fofinefs in her countenance, 
 which are the genuine marks of a heart in 
 love; all the tendernefs of her foul is in 
 her eyes.. : : - ; « } 
 
 Shall I own to you all my injuftice ? 1 
 hate this man for having the happinefs to 
 pleafe her : 1 cannot even behave tp him 
 with the politenefs due to every gentle- 
 man. 
 
 I begin to fear my weaknels is greater 
 tiian I fuppofed. 
 
 zzd in the eyenino^i 
 
 f 
 
 I am certainly nmd, Lucy ,• vi^hat right 
 have I to expeft !— you will fcarce believe 
 
 the 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE, iiir 
 
 thecxcefs of my folly. I went after dinner 
 to Major Melmoth'^ , I found Emiiy at pi- 
 quet with Sir George : can you conceive 
 that I fancied- myfelf ill ufed, that I fcarce 
 fpoke to her, and returned immediately 
 home, though ftrongly prelTed tt>fpend the 
 evening there. I walked two or three times, 
 about m.y ^bom^ cook my hat, and went to 
 vifitthe handfomeft French woman atMon- 
 treftl, whofe windows are diredly oppofitd 
 to Major Melmoth's ^ in the excefs of my 
 anger, I ajfked this lady to dance with me 
 to-morrow at a little ball we are to have out 
 of tov/n; Can you imagihe any behaviour 
 more childifh ? It would have been fcarce 
 pardonable at fixtcen.. 
 
 Adieu 1 my letter Ts called for. I will 
 write to you again in a few days.. 
 Yours, 
 
 Ed. Rivers- 
 
 -or 3a,»j^.* iTa...i»xi^-ui LCiiaiiic^ Eney are tobe 
 married in a month at Quebec, and; 
 
 t30> 
 
 ' ' ; • 
 
 !i !; ' 
 
 
 1 • I 
 
 
Miz THE HISTORY OF 
 
 to embark immediately for England. 
 I will not be there 5 I cannot be^r 
 to fee her devote herfdf to wretch- 
 cdnefi : fhe wiB be the moft unhappy 
 of her fex with this man s I fee clearly 
 into his chara^er i his virtue is the 
 meer abfence of vice ; his good qua- 
 lities are all of the negative kind. 
 
 ■i' ■«. 
 
 LETTER XIX. 
 
 To Mifs Fermor, at SillerL 
 
 Montreal, Sept. 24r 
 
 IH AV E but a moment, my dear, to ac- 
 kowledge your lafts this week has beea 
 a continual hurry. 
 
 You miftake me ; it is not the romantic 
 paffion of fifteen I wifli to feeJ, but that 
 tender lively friendlhip which alone can 
 
 give 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 113 
 
 give charms to fo intimate an union as that 
 of marriage. I wife a greater conformity 
 in our charadbers, in our lentiments> in our 
 taftes. :.. , . - 
 
 But I will % no more on this fubjeft tiU 
 1 have the pleafure of feeing you at Silleri. 
 Mrs. Melnnoth and I come in a fl\ip which 
 fails in a day or two ; they tell us, it is the 
 moft agreeable way of coming: Colonel 
 Rivers ii fq polite,, a^ to ftay to accompany 
 us down : Major Mdmojthii/kM Sir George,, 
 but he preferred the pleafure of parking 
 into Quebec, and fliewing his fi/^e horfqs and 
 fine perfon to advantage, to that of attending 
 his miftrefs ; feall I own to you that I am 
 hurt at this inftance of his negleft, as I 
 know his attendance on the generd was not 
 expeded ? His fituation was more than a 
 fdfficieoi excufe ; it was highly improper 
 for two women to go to Quebec alone ; it 
 h in fome degree fo that any other man 
 ftould accompany mp at this time : my 
 pride is extremely wounded. I expeft a 
 
 thoufand 
 
 mm* " 
 I milk 
 
 'AM 
 
114 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 thoiiland times more attention from him 
 fince his acquifition of fortune; it is with 
 pain Ltell you, my dear friend,[ he fcems 
 to fhew me much lefs. I will not defcend 
 to fuppoie he prefumes on this increafe of 
 fortune, but he prefumes on the inclination 
 he fuppofes I have for him ; an inclination^ 
 however, not violent enough to make me 
 fubmit to the leaft ill treatment from him* 
 
 In my prefent ftate of mind, I am ex- 
 tremely hard to pleafe ; either his beha- 
 viour of my temper have fufFercd a change. 
 I know not how it is, but I fee his faults in a 
 much ftronger light than I have ever feen 
 them before. I am alarmed at the coldnefsof 
 his difpofition, fo ill fuited to the fcnfibi- 
 lity of mine ; I begin to doubt his being of 
 the amiable charafter I once fuppofed : in 
 fhort, I begin to doubt of the poflibility 
 of his making me happy. 
 
 i» ..JiTCJ fit ^: 
 
 <. at 
 
 louwiiij pernaps, can it ^nfexccfo ot 
 pridc^ when I %> I ani: much. Ms inclined 
 
 ■■■'■'■ .-'^ to 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 115 
 
 to marry him than when our fituatlons were 
 equal. I certainly love him ; I have a ha- 
 bit of confidering him as the man I am-to 
 marry, but my afFedlion is not of that kind 
 which will make me eafy under the fenfe of 
 an obligation. ^ 
 
 I will open all my heart to you when w« 
 meet : I am not fo happy as you imagine t 
 do not accufe me of caprice; can I be too 
 cautious, where thehappinels of my whok 
 life is at ftake ? . , 
 
 
 mi 
 
 Adieu I 
 
 Your feith&l 
 
 f 
 
 kjfy 
 
 Emily Montaour. 
 
 :!' ,ti 
 
 If, L I. h* 
 
 LET- 
 
 * Ji!| 
 
 ^U. u 
 
 K 
 
%i6 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 LETTER XX. 
 
 To Mifs R I V E R s> Clarges-Streer. 
 
 SlUeri, Sept. 24. 
 
 I DECLARE offatonce;! will not be a 
 fquawj I admire their talking of the li- 
 berty of favages; in the moft effential point, 
 they are flaves : the mothers marry their 
 children without ever confulting their in- 
 clinations, and they are obliged to fubmit 
 to this foolifh tyranny. Dear Englan4 ! 
 where liberty appears, not as here among 
 thefe odious favages, wild and ferocious 
 like themfelves, but lovely, fmiling, led by 
 the hand of the Graces. There is no true 
 freedom any where elfe. They may talk 
 of the privilege of chufing a chief; but 
 what is that to the dear Englifh privilege 
 of chufing a hufband ? 
 
 I have been at an Indian wedding, and 
 have no patience. Never did I fee fo vile 
 an aiTortment.. 
 
 Adieu 1 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 117 
 
 Adieu ! I (hall not be in good humor 
 this month. 
 
 Yours, 
 
 -A. Fermor. 
 
 
 LETTER XXI. 
 To John Temple, Efq; PaU-Mall 
 
 Montreal, Sept. 54. 
 
 WHAT you fay, my dear friend, is 
 more true than I wifh it was : our 
 Englifh women of charader are generally 
 too referved ; their manner is cold and for- 
 bidding; they feem to think it a crime to 
 be too attradlive j they appear almoft afraid 
 topleafe. 
 
 *Tis to this ill-judged referve I attribute 
 
 men; the grave faces and diftant beha- 
 viour 
 
 
 Itm 
 
 'k 
 
 llf j|.f;'J|i 
 
 
 
 
iVS THE HISTORY: OF 
 
 viour of the generality of virtuous women 
 fright them from their acquaintance, and 
 drive them into thefociety of thofe wretched 
 votaries of vice, whofe converfation de- 
 bafes every fentiment of their fouls. 
 
 « 
 
 With as much beauty, good fenfe, (en- 
 fibility, and fofcnefs, ^t leaft, as any wo- 
 men on earth, no women pleafe fo little as 
 the: Englifh : depending on their native 
 charms, and on thofe really amiable quali- 
 ties which envy cannot deny them, they are 
 too carelefs in acquiring thofe enchanting 
 nameiefs graces, which no language can de- 
 fine, which give refiftlefs force to beauty, 
 and even fupply its place where it is want- 
 ing. 
 
 They are fatisned with being good, 
 without confidering that unadorned vir- 
 tue may command efteem, but will never 
 excite love; and both are neceflary in mar- 
 riage, which 1 fuppofe to be the ftate 
 every woman of honor has in profpedt ; for 
 
 I own 
 
r ^ 
 
 ,fj; 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE, 119 
 
 I own myfelf rather incredulous as to the 
 afTcrtions bf nnaiden aunts .and coufins to 
 the cooitrary,- I wiih niy aimiable county- 
 wonnen would confider one flrioment, that 
 virtue is never fo lovely as when drcfled in 
 fmiles : the virtue of wonaen fhould hive 
 all the loftnefs of the fex j it iliould be gen-, 
 tlev it flioiild be even playful, to pleafe. * 
 
 Thei-e is a lady here, whom I wifh yon 
 to fee, as the iliorteft way of explaining to 
 you all I me^i fhe is the mofl pleafing wo- 
 man I ever beheld, independently of her 
 being one of the handfonieft j her manner 
 is irrefiftibie : fhe has all the fmili.ig graces 
 of Fi ^ '\\\ the blulhing delicacy and 
 native io.^ of England. 
 
 " ' ' , - 
 
 Nothing can be more delicate, my dear 
 Temple, than the manner in which you 
 offer me your eftate in Rutland, by way of 
 anticipating yoisr intended legacy: it h 
 however impolTible for me to accept itj my 
 fethei*, who faw me naturally more profufc 
 
 than 
 
 
 
 ^9m 
 
 I'm' 
 
 
 if 
 
 I 
 
 k 5 4 » 
 
luo THE HISTORY OF 
 
 than became my expectations, took fuch 
 pains to counterwork it by infpiring nrrc 
 with t[ie love of independence, that I can- 
 not liave fuch an obligation even to you* 
 
 Befides, your kgacy is left on the fup- 
 pofition that you are not to marry, and I 
 ^m abfolutcly determined you fhalli fo that, 
 by accepting this mark of your efteem, I 
 ihould be robbing your younger children. 
 
 I have not a wifli to be richer whilft I 
 ^m a batchelor, and the only woman I ever 
 wilhed to marry, the only one my heart 
 defires, will be in three weeks the wife of 
 another j 1 fhail fpejnd lefs than my income 
 here : fball I not then be rich ? To make 
 you eafy, know I have four thou (and 
 pounds in the funds; and thilt, fro in the 
 equaliiry of living here, an enfign is c. iiged 
 to fpend near as much as 1 am ; he is inevi- 
 tably ruined, but I fave money. 
 
 .1 pity 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 
 
 I2t 
 
 I pity you, my friend j I am hurt to 
 hear you talk of happinefs in the life you 
 at prefent lead j of f nding pleaiure in pof- 
 feffing venal beauty ; you are in danger of 
 acquiring a habit which will vitiate your 
 tafte, and exclude you from that flate of 
 refined and tender friendlhip for which na- 
 ture formed a heart like yours, and which is 
 only to be found in marriage : 1 need not 
 add^in a marriage of choice. 
 
 It has been faid that love marriages are 
 generaUy unhappy j nothing is more falfe, 
 marriages of meer inclination will always 
 be fo : paflion alone being concerned, when 
 that is gratified, all tendernefs ceafes of 
 courfe : but love, the gay child of fympa- 
 thy and efteem, is, when attended by de- 
 licacy, the only happinefs worth a reafon- 
 able man's purfuit, and the choiceft gift of 
 heaven : it is a fofter, tenderer friendlhip, 
 enlivened by tafte, and by the mofl- »rH.„t 
 ^°'- ^' G defire 
 
 mm 
 
 y^M ■ 
 
 
122 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 defirc of pleafing, which time, inftead of 
 deftroying, will render every hour more 
 dear and interefting. 
 
 * 
 
 If, as you pofTibly will, you Ihould call 
 me romantic, hear a man of pleafure on 
 the fubjed, the Petronius of the laft age, 
 the elegant, but voluptuous St. Evremond, 
 who fpeaks in the following manner of the 
 friendihip between married perfons : 
 
 " I believe it is this pleafing intercourfc 
 " of tendernefs, this reciprocation of ef- 
 teem, or, if you will, this mutual ardor 
 of preventing each other in every en- 
 dearing mark of affe(5lion, in which con- 
 « fifts the fweetnefs of this fecond fpecies 
 *^ of friendihip. 
 
 €C 
 
 €€ 
 
 « 
 
 * *' I do not fpeak of other pleafures, 
 "which are not fo much in themfelvesas 
 " in the afTurance they give of the intire 
 " poliefiion of thofe welove: this appears 
 
 " to 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 123 
 
 " to me fo true, that I am not afraid to 
 afTert, the man who is by any other 
 means certainly afliired of the tender- 
 nefs of her he loves, may eafily fup- 
 port the privation of thofe pleafures ; 
 and that they ought not to enter into 
 the account of friendfhip, but as proofs 
 
 *^ that it is without referve. 
 
 cc 
 
 cc 
 
 C( 
 
 cc 
 
 cc 
 
 cc 
 
 " 'Tis true, few men are capable of the 
 
 purity of thefe fentiments, and 'tis for 
 
 that reafon we fo very feldom fee per- 
 
 '' fed friendfhip in marriage, at leaft for 
 
 " any long time : the objed which a fen- 
 
 fual paffion has in view cannot long fuf- 
 
 '' tain a commerce fo noble as that of 
 
 friendfhip." 
 
 €C 
 
 xc 
 
 cc 
 
 cc 
 
 cc 
 
 You fee, the pleafures you fo much boaft 
 are the leaft of thofe which true tender- 
 nefs has to give, and this in the opinion of 
 a voluptuary* 
 
 »; 
 
 \>* 
 
 Gz 
 
 My 
 
124 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 My dear Temple, all you have ever 
 known of love is nothing to that fweet con- 
 lent of fouls in unifon, that harmony of 
 minds congenial to each other, of which 
 you have not yet an idea. 
 
 You have feen beauty, and it has inipired 
 a momentary emotion, but you have never 
 yet had a real attachment ; you yet know 
 nothing of that irrefiftible tendernefs, that 
 delirium of the foul, which, whilfl: it re- 
 fines, adds ftrength to paflion. 
 
 I perhaps fay too much^ but I wifh with 
 ardor to fee you happy ; m which there is 
 the more merit, as I have not the leaft 
 prolpe6t of being fo myfelC 
 
 I wifli you to purfue the plan of hfe 
 which I myfelf think moft likely to bring 
 happinefs, becaufe I know our fouls to 
 be of the fame frame : we have taken dif- 
 ferent 
 
f '» " ' 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE. 125 
 
 ferent roads, but you wili coiik; back to 
 mine. Awake to delicate pkafures, I 
 have no tafte for any other; there are no 
 other for fenfible minds. My gallantries 
 have been few, rather (if it is aUowed to 
 fpeak thus of one's felf even to a friend) 
 from elegance of tafte than feverity of 
 manners j I have loved feldom, becaufe I 
 cannot love without efteem. 
 
 Believe me. Jack, the meer pleafure of 
 loving, even without a return, is fuperior to 
 all the joys of fenfe where the heart is un- 
 touched : the French poet does not exag- 
 gerate when he fays, 
 
 ^ J * ~" -Amouf ; 
 
 Tons les mtmplai/trs nevakntpas tespeines. 
 _ You will perhaps call me mad; I am 
 juft come from a woman who is capable of 
 making all mankind fo. Adieu ' 
 
 Yours, 
 
 Ed. R 
 
 IVERS. 
 
 G 
 
 '3 
 
 L E T- 
 
 \\\\\%\ 
 
 Hh 
 
 
 
 «( '! 
 
126 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 LETTER 
 
 XXII. 
 
 To Mifs Rivers, Clargcs-Strect, 
 
 Sillerl, Sept, 2^. 
 
 I HAVE been rambling about amongft 
 the peafantSj and afking them a thou- 
 fand queftions, in order to fatisfy your in- 
 quifitive friend. As to my father, though, 
 properly Ipeaking, your queftions are ad- 
 drefledlo him, yet, being upon duty, he 
 begs that, for this time, you will accept of 
 an anfwer from me. 
 
 The Canadians live a good deal like 
 the ancient patriarchs -, the lands were ori- 
 ginally fettled by the troops, every officer 
 became a feigneur, or lord of the manor, 
 every foldier took lands under his com- 
 mander 3 but, as avarice is natural to man- 
 
 Ir 1 f^/-"! 
 
 r.oj: 
 
 It* «^ y^*<^>"krf^ 4* jrA j^ ^~^ I 
 
 than they could cultivate, by way of pro- 
 viding 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 127 
 
 \dding for a family : which is the reafon fo 
 much land is now wafte in the fineft part 
 of the province : thofe who had children, 
 and in general they have a great number, 
 portioned out their lands amongft them as 
 they married, and lived in the midft of a 
 little world of their defcendents.. 
 
 There are whole villages, and there is 
 even a large ifland, that of Coudre, where 
 the inhabitants are all the defcendents of 
 one pair, if we only fuppofe that their 
 fons went to the next village for wives, for 
 I find no tradition •f their having hada dif- 
 penfation to marry their fiflers. 
 
 The corn here is very good, though not 
 equal to ours ; the harveflnot half fo gay 
 as in England, and for this reafon, that 
 the lazy creatures leave the greatcft part of 
 their land uncultivated, only fowina; as 
 much corn of different forts as will lerve 
 
 themfelvc\S : anH hf-ino- tf\. nrr-v ^ -J - 
 
 idle to work for hire, every family gets in 
 
 G 4 its 
 
 Mil 1' 
 
 III n^ti 'I? , 
 
i2i3 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 its own harvefl,, which prevents all that jo- 
 vial fpirit whicli we find when the reapers 
 work together in large parties. 
 
 Idlenefs is the reigning paflion here, from 
 the peafant to his lord ; the gendemen 
 never either ride on horfeback or walk, but 
 are driven about like women, lor they never 
 drive thennfelves,^ loHing at their eaie in a 
 ealache : the peafants, I mean the mailers 
 of families, are pretty near as ufelefs as 
 ^heir lords. 
 
 You will fcarce believe me> wlien I tell 
 you, that I have feen,. at the farm next us^ 
 two children, a very beautiful boy and 
 girl, of about eleven years old, affifted by 
 their grandmother, reaping a field of oats, 
 whilft the lazy father, a ftrong fellow of 
 thirty-two, lay on the grafs, fmoaking his 
 pipe, about twenty yards from them : the 
 old people and children work here ; thofe 
 in the age of llrength and health only take 
 their pleafure* 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. i2j^ 
 
 apropos to fmoaking, 'tis common to fee 
 here boys of three years old, fitting at their 
 doors, fmoaking their pipes, as grave and 
 compofed as little old Chinefe men on a 
 chimnev. 
 
 You aik me after our fruits : we have,, 
 as I am told, an immenfity of cranberries, 
 all the year ; when the fnow melts away^ 
 in fpring, they are faid to be found under 
 It as frefh and as good as in autumn : ftraw- 
 berries and raiberries grow wild in profu- 
 fion ; you cannot walk a flep in the fields 
 without treading on the former .- great- 
 plenty of currants, plumbs, apples^^^and^ 
 pears j a few cherries and gi*apes,. Bur not 
 in much perfe6lion : excellent muflr me- 
 lons,, and water melons in abundance,, but - 
 not fo good in proportion as the mull<,. 
 Not a peach, nor any thing of thQ kind ;, 
 this r am however convinced^is lefs the fault 
 of the climate than of the people,, who. 
 
 G i 
 
 arti^ 
 
 
 
 ix .Li'/I li I 
 
 ' if 
 
 r. 
 
 ■'» 
 
 rf 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 i J ! "1 
 
 U * ' '^ 
 
ijo THE HISTORY OF 
 
 are too indolent to take pains for any thing 
 more than is abfolutely neceflarv to their 
 exiflence. They might have any fruit here 
 but goofcberries, for which the fummer is 
 too hot 3 there are bufhes in the woods, 
 and fome have been brough: n Eno-land, 
 but the fruit falls off before it is ripe. The 
 wild fruits here, efpecially thofe of the 
 bramble kind, are in m.uch greater variety 
 and perfedtion than in England. 
 
 When I fpeak of the natural productions 
 of the country, I fhould not f©rget that 
 hemp and hops grow every where in the 
 woods i I fliould imagine the former might 
 be cultivated here with great fuccefs, if die 
 people could be periuaded to culr* vate any 
 thing. 
 
 A little corn of every kind, a little hay, 
 a little tobacco, half a dozen apple-trees, 
 a few onions and cabbages, make the whole 
 of a Canadian plantation. There is fcarce 
 a flower, except thofc in the woods, where 
 
 there 
 
 ED 
 
 there 
 fhrubs 
 the wc 
 flower 
 leafl e( 
 
 Th< 
 manur 
 flightei 
 at that 
 frofl: V 
 but thi 
 fliewn. 
 year a 
 manure 
 ever fa 
 
 Ifhc 
 never t< 
 gardens 
 the mai 
 river. 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 131 
 
 there is a variety of the mod beautiful 
 fhrubs I ever faw j the wild cherry, of which 
 the woods are full, is equally charming in 
 flower and in fruit ; and, in my opinion, at 
 leaft equals the arbutus. 
 
 They fow their wheat in fpring, never 
 manure the ground, and plough it in the 
 flighteft manner i can it then be wondered 
 at that it is inferior to ours ? They fancy the 
 froft would deftroy it if fown in autumn ; 
 but this is all prejudice, as experience has 
 fhewn. I myfelf faw a field of wheat this 
 year at the governor's farm, which was 
 manured and fown in autumn, as fine as I 
 ever faw in England. 
 
 I ihould tell you, they are fo indolent as 
 never to manure their lands, or even their 
 gardens 5 and that, till the Englilh came, all 
 the manure of Quebec was thrown into the 
 river. 
 
 G6 
 
 ou 
 
 
 ii, 
 
 i f.. 
 
 ,!. !■ 
 
 ' * .' 
 
 *h' ¥ . 
 
 I'll .: "-I'i: ' 
 
 1 
 
13 1 THE HIS TORT OF 
 
 You will judge how naturally rich, 
 the foil muft be,, to produce good crop^ 
 without manure,, and without ever lying 
 fellow, and almoft without ploughing ; yet 
 our political writers in England never fpeak 
 of Canada without the epithet of harrem. 
 They tell me this extreme fertility is owing 
 to the fnow,, wJiich lies five or iiK. months, 
 on the ground. Pl-ovifions are dear, which 
 is owing to the prodigious number ofhorfes. 
 kept here -, every family having a carriage,, 
 even.the poorefi pealant^ and every fon of^ 
 •that peafant keeping a horfe for his littler 
 excurfions of plealiire,, befides thofe necef- 
 lary for the bufinefs of the farm.. The war- 
 alfo dellroy the breed of cattle,, which li 
 am told however begins toencreafe; they 
 have even fo far improved in xorn,, as to; 
 export fometlxis year to Italy and Spain. 
 
 Don't you think I- am- become an excel- 
 lent fUrmerefs ? 'Tis intuitions feme people- 
 ^e born.learned :. are you not all aftoniili^. 
 
 mentr 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE, i^y 
 
 ment at my knowledge ? I never was fo vain: 
 of a letter in my life. 
 
 Shall I own the truth ? I had moft of my- 
 intelligence from old John, who lived long 
 with my grandfather in the country ;. and! 
 who, having little elfe to do here, has takeni 
 fome pains to pick up a competent know- 
 ledge of the ftate of agriculture five mUes; 
 round Quebec. 
 
 Adieu ! I am tired of tha fubjedf.. 
 
 Your fiiithful, / 
 
 A. Fermor.. 
 
 Now I think of it, why did you not 
 write to your brother? Didyou^ 
 chufe me to expofe my ignorance ? 
 If*fo, I flatter myfelf you are a lit- 
 de taken in, for I think John and I; 
 %ure m the rural way. 
 
 ''t! 
 
 L E T- 
 
 ■' +,. 
 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 it- Ml' 
 
 
134 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 LETTER XXIII. 
 To Mils Rivers, Clarges-Street. 
 
 Silleri, Sept. 29, ioo*clock. 
 
 OT O be fure ! we are vaftly to be pi- 
 tied : no beaux at all with the ge- 
 neral ; only about fix to one ; a very pretty 
 proportion, and what I hope always to fee. 
 We, the ladies I mean, drink chocolate 
 with the general to-morrow, and he gives 
 us a ball on Thurfday -, you would not 
 know Quebec again ; nothing but fmiling 
 faces now ; all fo gay as never was, , the 
 fweeteft country in the world ; never ex- 
 pe6l to fee me in England again j one is 
 really fomebody here : I have been afked 
 to dance by only twenty-feven. 
 
 On the fubjefl of dancing, I am, as it 
 were, a litde embarrafled : you will pleafe 
 
 to 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 135 
 
 to obfcrve that, in the time of fcarcit^, 
 when all the nnen were at MontreaJ, I fuf- 
 fered a fooliHi little captain to fjgh and fay 
 civil things to me, pour pafer le terns, and 
 the creature takes the .\irs of a lover, to 
 which he has not the leaft pretenfions, and 
 chufes to be angiy that I won't dance with 
 him on Thurfday, and I pofitively won't. 
 
 It is really pretty enough that every ab- 
 furd animal, who takes upon him to make 
 love to one, is to fancy himfelf entitled to 
 a return : I have no patience with the mens 
 ridiculoufnefs : have you, Lucy ? 
 
 ^ But I fee a iliip coming down under full 
 fail ; it may be Emily and her friends : the 
 colours are all out, they llacken lail ^ they 
 drop anchor oppofitc the houfe ; 'tis cer- 
 tainly them 3 I mull fly to the beach : 
 mufic as I am a perlbn, and an awning on 
 the deck : the boat puts off with your bro- 
 ther in it. Adieu for a moment ; I muft 
 go and invite them on fhore. 
 
 'Twas 
 
 llr'r ^^ 
 
 n- •JKJ 
 
 W^^>(\ 
 
 
 
 1 M • I 1 
 
ij6 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 2 o'clock. 
 'Twas Emily and Mrs. Melanoth, with 
 two or three very pretty French women j 
 your brother is a happy man : I found tea 
 and coffee under the awning, and a table 
 loaded witli Montreal fruit, which is vaftly 
 better than ours 5 by the way, the colonel 
 has brought me an immenfity ; he is fo 
 gallant and all that : we regaled ourfelves, 
 and landed -, they dine here, and we dance 
 in the evening; we are to have a fyllabub 
 in the wood : my father has fent for Sir 
 George and Major Melmoth, and half a 
 dozen of the moft agreeable men, from 
 Quebec: he is enchanted with his litde 
 Emily, beloved her when ilie was a child. 
 1 cannot tell you how happy I am ^ my 
 Emily is handfomer than ever ; you know 
 how pardal I am to beauty : I never had a 
 fricndfhip for an ugly woman in my life. 
 Adieu ! ma ires chere. 
 Yours, 
 
 A. Fermor, 
 Your 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 137 
 
 Your brother looks like an angel this 
 morning j he is not dreH", he is not undreft, 
 but fomehow, eafy, elegant and enchant- 
 ing : he has no powder, and his hair a 
 little degagee, blown about by the wind, 
 and agreeably difordered i fuch fire in his 
 countenance; his eyes fay a thoufand agree- 
 able things i he is in fuch fpirits as I never 
 fav/ liinn : not a man of them has the leaft 
 chance to-diiy. I Ihall be in love with him 
 if he goes on at this rate : not that it will 
 be to any pujpofc in the world i he never 
 would even flirt with me, though I have 
 made him a thoufand advances. 
 
 My heart is fo light, Lucy, I cannot 
 defcribe it : I love Emily at my foul : 'm 
 three years fince I faw her, and there is 
 fomething fo romantic in finding her in Ca- 
 nada : there is no faying how happy I am i - 
 I want only you to be perfeftly fo. 
 
 The 
 
 w 
 
 « T; ■m^'M 
 
 i II ' 
 
 I 
 
 biiiiil i: I IJ. ; 
 
 !: 
 
 rMH 
 
 f 
 
ijS THE HISTORY OF 
 
 3 o'clock* 
 
 The imeflenger is returned; Sir George 
 is gone with a party of French ladies to 
 Lake Charles : Emily blufhed when the 
 meflage was delivered j he might reafona- 
 bly fiippofe tity would be here to-day, as 
 the wind was fair : your brother dances 
 with my Iweet friend ; Ihe lofes nothing by 
 the exchange; fhe is however a little 
 piqued at this appearance of difrefped.. 
 
 t2 o'clock.. 
 
 Sir George camejuftas we fat down to 
 fupper ; he did right, he complained firfl, 
 and afre6i:ed to be angry fhe had not fent 
 an exprefs from Point au 'tremble. He was 
 however gayer than ufual, and very atten- 
 tive to his miftrefs ; your brother feemed 
 chagrined at his arrival ; Emily perceived 
 it, and redoubled her politenefs to him, 
 which in a little tim.e reftored nart of his 
 
 good 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE, 139 
 
 good humor : upon the whole, it was an 
 agreeable evening, bpt it would have been 
 more fo, if Sir George had come at firft, 
 or not at all. 
 
 The ladies lie here, and we go all toge- 
 ther in the morning to Quebec j the gen- 
 tlemen are going. 
 
 I fteal a moment to feal, and give this to 
 the colonel, who will put it in his packet 
 to-morrow. 
 
 LETTER XXiy. 
 To Mifs Rivers, Clarges-Street. 
 
 Quebec, Sept. 30. 
 
 WOULD you believe it poflible, my 
 dear, that Sir George Ihould de- 
 cline attending Emily Montague from Mon- 
 
 trale. 
 
 hi 
 
 .'*. I 
 
 ) f 
 
 r, *> 
 
 
 
I40 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 treal, and leave the pleafmg commiflion to 
 me ? I am obliged to him for the three 
 happieft days of my life, yet am piqued 
 at his chufing me for a cecijbeo to his mif- 
 trefs : he feem.s to tliink me a xmxijans 
 (on/equence, with whom a lady may fafely , 
 be trufted : there is nothing very flattering 
 in fuch a kind of confidence : let him take 
 care of himfelf, if he is impertinent,, and 
 fets me at defiance ; I am not vain, but fet 
 our fortunes afide, and I dare enter the 
 lilts with Sir Gcorg.- Cinyton. I cannot 
 give her a coach ani h ; [v.x I can giveher, 
 what is mon:: c: uniicive to happineis, a 
 heart which knows how to value her per- 
 fcd;ions. 
 
 I never had fo pleafing ajournfey; we 
 were three days coming down, becaufe we 
 made it a continual party of pleafure, took 
 mufic with us landed once or twice a day, 
 vifited the French families we knew, lay 
 uuux, xii^iiw wn iiiuxc, ana oanc^a at the 
 feigneur's of the village. 
 
 This 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 14, 
 
 This river, from Montreal to Quebtc 
 exhibits a fcene perhaps not to be matched 
 m the world : it is Ibttled on both fides 
 though the fettlements are not fo numerous' 
 on the fouth fhore as on the other • the 
 lovely confufion of woods, mountains, mea- 
 dows, cornfields, rivers (for there are feveral 
 on both fides, which lofe themfdves in the 
 St. Lawrence) intermixed with churches 
 and houfes breaking upon you at a diftance 
 through the trees, from a variety of knd- 
 fcapes, to which it is difficult to do jultice. 
 
 This charming fcene, with a clear ferene 
 %, a gentle breeze in our favor, and the 
 converfation of half a dozen fine women, " 
 would have made the voyage pleafing to the 
 mofl: infenfible man on earth-: my Emily 
 loo of the party, and moft politely atten- 
 tive to the pleafure Ihe faw I had in making 
 the voyage agreeable to her. 
 
 
 
 > mm 
 
 i*^;-.!! 
 
 I 
 
 every 
 
 ■ i Ik 
 
142 TH£ HISTORY OF 
 
 1 every day love her more; and, widiout 
 coiifidering the impropriety of it, I cannot 
 htlp o-iving way to an incHnadon, in which 
 I find liich exquifite pleafure; I find a thou- 
 fand charms in the ieaft trifle I can do to 
 oblige her* 
 
 Don't rcdfon with me on this fubjea : 1 
 know it is madnefs to continue to fee her ; 
 but 1 find a delight in her converfation, 
 which I cannot prevail on myfdf to give 
 up till fhe is adually married. 
 
 I refped her engagements, and pretend to 
 no more from her than her friendihip ; but, 
 as tomyfelf, will loveher in v/hatever manner 
 1 pleafe : to Ihew you my prudence, how- 
 ever, I intend to dance with the handfomeft 
 unmarried French woman here on Thuif- 
 day, and to fliew her an attention which 
 fhall deftroy all fufpicion of my tendernefs 
 for Emily. I am jealous of Sir George, 
 -_ J L^^^ u:,^ . Uf-it- T rllflpmhlp it better than 
 
 I thought it poffible for me to do. 
 
 My 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. T43 
 My Lucy, I am not happy , my ^inj jj 
 in a Hate not to be defcnbtd ; I am weak 
 enough to encourage a hope for which 
 there is not the ieall foundation ; I mifcon- 
 ftrue her friendihip for me every moment, 
 and mat attention which is merely gratitude 
 tor my apparent anxiety to oblige. I even 
 fancy her eyes underftand mine, which I 
 am afraid fpeak too plainly the fentiments 
 or my heart. 
 
 theVT^"^'"'^'^''"'^''^' '-^'"adnefs, 
 thefe three days 
 
 I am interrupted. Adieu ! 
 
 Yours, 
 
 Ed. Rivers, 
 
 'TisCapt. Fermor, who infifts on my 
 dimng at SiUeri. They will eternally 
 throw me in the way of this lovely 
 
 woman: of what materials do they 
 iuppofe me formed .' , ' 
 
 L E T- 
 
 
 
 ,1 
 
 I 
 
 ;! ''fi: '^ \ 
 
 ■$ 
 
 ' * 
 
 lt^''% 
 
 liil 
 
 [lis \i, 
 
 ■f:' 
 
 ii'«' 
 
 1 ' 
 
 L ■* ' 
 
 1" ,.,i'f I 
 
 
 f * 
 
 -1 
 
 1' i 
 
 b. 
 
 7!.} "f 1 
 
 / » • t 
 
 :i5 
 
144 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 LETTER XXV. 
 To Mifs Rivers, Clarges- Street. 
 
 Silleri, Od. 3, Twelve o'clock. 
 
 AN enchanting bail, my dear; your lit- 
 tle friend's head is turned. I was 
 more admired than Emilyi, which to be fure 
 did not flatter my vanity at all". I fee fhc 
 muft content herfelf with being beloved^ 
 for without coquetry *tis in vain to exped 
 admiration. 
 
 We had more than three IiUndred per- 
 fons at the ball ; above three-fourths men ; 
 all gay and well drefled, an elegant fup- 
 per J in lliort, it was charming. 
 
 I am half inclined to marry ; I am not 
 at all acquainted with the man I have fixed 
 
 iir^nin T nfv^r fnrArf* tn Kim t-ill lofl- nirrfif 
 
 nor did he take the leaft notice of me, more 
 
 than 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 145 
 
 than of other ladies, but that is nothing ; 
 he pleafes me better than any man I have 
 feen here j he is not handfome, but well 
 made, and looks like a gentleman 5 he has 
 a good charader, is heir to a very pretty 
 dilate. I will think further of it : there .i<; 
 nothing more eafy than to have him if I 
 chufe it : 'tis only faying to fome of his 
 friends, that I think Captain Fitzgerald the 
 moll agreeable fellow here, and he will 
 immediately be aftonilhed he did not fooner 
 find out I was the handfomeft woman. I 
 will confider this affair ferioufly ; one mull 
 marry, *tis the mode ; every body marries- j 
 why don't you marry, Lucy ? 
 
 This brother of yours is always here ; 1 
 am furprized Sir George is not jealous, for 
 he pays no fort of attention to me, 'tis eafy 
 to fee why he comes; I dare fay I fhan't 
 fee him next week : Emily is going to Mrs. 
 Melmoth's, where Ihe flays till to-morrow 
 fevennight i Ihe goes from hence as foon as 
 dinner is oven 
 
 Vol. L 
 
 «.r! 
 
 • ''I '*,! 
 
 ; -1 
 
 H 
 
 Adieu ! 
 
146 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 Adieu! I am fatigued; we danced till 
 morning -, I am but this moment up. 
 
 Yours, 
 
 A. F£RM0R» 
 
 Your brother danced with Mademoifellc 
 Clairaut -, do you know 1 was piqued he did 
 not give ine the preference, as Emily danced 
 with her lover ? not but that I had perhaps 
 a partner full as agreeable, at leaft I have 
 a mind to thinly fo. 
 
 I hear it whifpered that the whole affair 
 of the wedding is to be fettled next week j 
 my father is in the fecret, I am not. Emily 
 looks ill this morning j fhe was not gay 
 at the ball. I know not why, but Ihe 
 is not happy. I have my fancies, but they 
 are yet only fancies. 
 ■♦ 
 
 Adieu ! my dear girl j I can no more. 
 
 LET- 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 147 
 
 LETTER XXVI, 
 
 To Mifs Rivers, Clarges-Street. 
 
 Quebec, Oa. 6. 
 
 JAM going, my Uicy.— I know not well 
 A whither I am going, but I will not flay 
 to fee this marriage. Could you have be^ 
 lieved ic poffible— But what folly! Did 
 I not know her fituation from the firft ? 
 Could I fuppofe fhe would break off an en- 
 gagement of years, with a man who gives 
 fo clear a proof that he prefers her to all 
 other women, to humor the frenzy of one 
 who has never even told her he loved her ? 
 
 Captain termor alTures me all is fettled 
 but the day, and that Ihe has promifed to 
 name that to-morrow. 
 
 t will leave. Qijebee to-night; no one 
 Ihall know the road I take : I do not yet 
 
 " * know 
 
 ■f: 
 
 lt»M' ^ 
 
 '*.':;*' I 
 
uS THE HISTORY OF 
 
 know it myfelf ; I will crofs over to Point 
 Levi with my valet de chambre, and go 
 wherever chance diredls me. I cannot 
 bear even to hear the day named, I am 
 flrongly inclined to write to her ; but what 
 can I fay ? I Ihould betray my tendernefs in 
 fpite of myfelfi and her compafTion would 
 perhaps difturb her approaching happinefs : 
 were it even poflible fhe Ihould prefer mc 
 to Sir George, Ihe is too far gone to re- 
 cede. 
 
 My Lucy, I never till this moment felt 
 to what an excefs I loved her. 
 
 Adieu ! I Ihall be about a fortnight ab- 
 
 fetit : by that time Ihe will be embarked for 
 
 England. I cannot bring myfelf to fee her 
 
 the wife of another. Do not be alarmed for 
 
 me i reafon and the impoflibility of fuccefs 
 
 will conquer my paflion for this angelic 
 
 woman ; I have been to blame in allowing 
 
 myfelf to fee her fo often. 
 
 Yours, 
 
 Ed, Rivers, 
 
 LET- 
 
HMILY MONTAGUE. 149 
 
 LETTER XXVir. 
 To Mifi Rivers, Clargcs-Street. 
 
 Beaumont, Oft. 7. 
 
 T THINK I breathe a freer air now I am 
 A out of Quebec. I cannot bear where- 
 cver I go to meet this Sir George ; his tri- 
 umphant air is infupportable ; lie has, or I 
 fancy he has, aJl the infolence of a happy 
 rival i 'tis unjufl, but 1 cannot avoid hat- 
 ing him I I look on him as a man who has 
 deprived me of a good to which I foohfhly 
 fancy I had pretenfions. 
 
 My whole behaviour has been weak m 
 
 the laft degree : I ihallgrow morereafon- 
 
 able when I no longer fee this charming 
 
 woman -, I ought fooner. to have taken tliis 
 ftep. 
 
 I have found here an excufe for my ex- 
 «urfion 3 I have heard of an eilate to be 
 
 ^^3 fold 
 
 h 
 
 ft:l 
 
 
 
 Tt 
 
 ■i r 
 
 I 
 
ISO THE HISTORY OF 
 
 fold down the river ; and am told the pur- 
 chafe will be kfs expcnce than clearing any 
 lands I might take up. I will go and fee it; 
 it is an objed, a purfuit, and will amufe 
 
 I |m going to fend my fcrvant back to 
 Quebec i my manner of leaving it muflap- 
 pear extraordinary to my friends; I have 
 therefore made this cflate my excufe. I 
 have written to Mifs Fermor that I am go- 
 ing to make a purchafe ; have begged my 
 warmeft willies to her lovely friend, for 
 whofe happinefs no one on earth is more 
 anxious ; but have told her Sir George is 
 too much the objed of my envy, to expedl 
 from me very fincere congratulations. 
 
 Adieu ! my fervant waits for this. You 
 Ihall hear an account of my adventures 
 when I return to Quebec, 
 
 Yours, 
 
 Ed. Rivers. 
 
 LET^ 
 
•I H ' 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE. 151 
 
 LETTER XXVIII. 
 To Mifs F E R M R, at Silleri. 
 
 * M^ 
 
 Quebec, Oft. 7, twelve o'clock, 
 
 T MUST fee you, my dear, this evening; 
 A my mind is in an agitation not to be ex- 
 prefled 5 a few hours will determine my 
 happinefs or mifery for ever j I am dif- 
 pleafed with your father for precipitating 
 a determination wliich cannot be made with 
 too much caudon. 
 
 U\ 
 
 I have a thoufand things to fay to you, 
 which I can fay to no one elfe. 
 
 Be at Iiome, and alone j I will come to 
 you as foon as dinner is over. 
 
 Adieu ! 
 
 Your affeftionate 
 
 Emily Montague, 
 H 4 L E T- 
 
152 THE HISTORY QF 
 
 I 
 
 LETTER XXIX, 
 
 To Mifs Montague, at Quebec. 
 
 WILL be at home, my dear, and de- 
 nied to every body but you. 
 
 I pity you, my dear Emily; but I am 
 unable to give you advice. 
 
 The world would wonder at your hefi- 
 tating a moment. 
 
 Your faithful 
 
 A. Fermor, 
 
 L E T- 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 15a 
 
 L E T T E R XXX. 
 To Mifs Fermor, at Silleri.. 
 
 Quebec, Oft. 7, three o'clock* 
 
 MY vlfit to you is prevented by an; 
 event beyond my hopes. Sir Georo^e 
 has this moment a letter from his mother,, 
 defiring him earneftly to poftpone his mar- 
 riage till fpring, for fome reaibns k confe- 
 quence to his fortune,, with the particulars 
 of which fhe will acquaint him by the:^ext 
 packet. '^'M-l 
 
 He communicated this intelligence to mc 
 with a grave air,, but with a tranquillity 
 not to be defcribed, and I received it with a. 
 joy I found it im.poflible wholly to conceal- 
 
 I'have now tim.e to confult both my heart' 
 and my reafon at leifure, and to break with^ 
 him, if necelfary,. by degrees,. 
 
 :',r'i' 
 
 n I 
 
 ^:M 
 
 \.h.- 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 
%J4 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 What an efcape have I had ! I was within 
 four and twenty hours of either determin- 
 ing to marry a man with whom 1 fear I 
 have little chance to be happy, or of 
 breaking with him in a manner that would 
 have fubjedled one or both of us to the cen- 
 fures of a piying impertinent world, whofe 
 cenfures the moft fteady temper cannot 
 always contemn,. 
 
 I will own to you, my dear, I every 
 hour have more dread of this marriage: 
 his prefent fituation has brought his fauks 
 into full light* Captain Clayton, with lit- 
 tle more than his commiflion, was modelt,, 
 . humble, affable to his inferiors, polite to 
 all the world ;. and I fancied, him pofTefTed 
 of thpfe more adive virtues, which I fup^ 
 pofed the fmallnefs of his fortune prevented 
 from appearing. 'Tis with pain I fee that 
 Sir George, with a fplendid income^ is ava- 
 ricious,, felfifn,, proud,, vain, and proflife ; 
 kviSiXQ every caprice of vanity and oitentar- 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 155 
 
 tation which regards himfelf, coldly inat- 
 tentive to the real wants of others. 
 
 Is this a charadlcr to make your Eniily 
 happy ? We were not formed for each 
 other : no two minds were ever fo different; 
 my happinefs is in friendfliip, in the tender 
 affedions, in the fweets of dear domeilic 
 life; his in the idle parade of affluence, in 
 drefs, in equipage, in all that fplendor, 
 whicli, whilft it excites envy, is too often 
 t&e mark of wretchednefs.. 
 
 
 Shall I fay more I Marriage is feklom 
 happy where there is a great difproportion; 
 of fortune. The lover, after he loies tha€ 
 endearing character in die hufband, which 
 in common minds I am afraid is no? lonp-.. 
 begins to refled how many more thoulknds 
 he might have expeded ; and perhaps fihf- 
 pe6ls his miflrefs of ttiofe intereHcd motives 
 in marrying, of which he nov/ feels his own 
 
 iitCaiw v-apaOiC. V^Uii.iiJCi5^ lUipiCIonjf auQ 
 
 Hd 
 
 mutual! 
 
 
 
i5fi;THE HISTORY OF 
 
 mutual want of eftecm and confidence, fok^ 
 low of courfe.. 
 
 I will come back with youto Silleri this 
 evening; I have no happinefs but when T 
 am with you. Mrs. Melmoth is fo fond of 
 Sir George,, fhe is eternally perfecuting m« 
 with his praifes ; Ihe is extremely mortified: 
 at this delay, and very angry at the manner, 
 in which I behave upon it., 
 
 Gbme to us dire6lly, my dear Bell, and: 
 rejoice with your faithful 
 
 Emily Montague*^ 
 
 L E T T E R XXXI,. 
 
 To Mifs Montague, at- Quebec. 
 
 I CONGRATULATE you.my dear 3 you. 
 A will at lead have the pleafure of being 
 
 .- n. 
 
 .^L- 1 
 
 • /^ ^» 
 
 j*:/^ vf i*-viiiuiiUAP iuiigci /our own niiUreis^., 
 
 which 
 
 5> 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 157 
 
 which, in my opinion, when one is not 
 violently in. love, is a confideration worth 
 attending to. You will alfo have time to 
 fee whether you like any body dfe better ; 
 and you know you can take him if you: 
 pleafe at lafl:.. 
 
 Send him up to his regiment at Montreal? 
 with the Melmoths ; ftay the winter with 
 me, flirt with fomebody elfe to try the 
 ftrength of your paffion,.and, if it holds out 
 againft fix months abfence, and the atten- 
 tion of an agreeable fellow, I thinly yom 
 may fafely venture to marry him. 
 
 apropos to flirting, have you km Co^ 
 lonel Rivers ? He has not been here thefe. 
 two days. I Ihall begin to be jealous of 
 this little impertinent Mademoifelle CJai- 
 Tiaut.. Adieu! 
 
 Yours, 
 
 A. Feilmor;. 
 
 B-ivers. 
 
 
 ■^ r.J 
 
 I'M 
 
 M i 
 
 I* -1 
 
 'wssJ' 
 
tS% THE HISTORY OF 
 
 Rivers is abfurd. I have a mighty foolifh 
 letter from him j he is rambling about the 
 country, buying eftates: he had better have 
 been here, playing the fool with us ; if I 
 knew how to write to him I would fiell him 
 fo, but he is got out of the range of human 
 beings, down the river. Heaven knows 
 where j he fays a tlioufand eivil things to 
 you, but I will bring the letter with me to 
 fave the trouble of repeating them. 
 
 I have a fort of an idea he won't be very 
 unhappy at this delay 5 I want vaftly to 
 fend him word of it. 
 
 Adieu ! ma cbere.. 
 
 L E 
 
 A •«» 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 15^ 
 
 ai 
 
 LETTER XXXIL 
 
 To Mifs Rivers, Clarges-Street. 
 
 
 Kamarafkas, Odl, lOi. 
 
 1AM atprefent, my dear Lucy, in the 
 wildeft country on eartk ; I mean of 
 thofe which are inhabited at all : 'tis for 
 feveral leagues almoft a continual forefl, 
 with only a few llraggling houfes on the ri- 
 ver fide; 'tis however of not the leaft con- 
 fequence to me, all places are equal to me 
 where Emily is not.. 
 
 I feek amufement, but without finding; 
 it : file is never one moment from my^ 
 thoughts ; I am eveiy hour on the point of 
 returning to Quebec -, I cannot fupport the 
 idea of her leaving the country without 
 mv feeins: her^ 
 
 11 
 
 W -! 
 
 «S:::ft ) 
 
 Ti& 
 
tfio THE HISTORY OF 
 
 *Tis a lady who has this eftate to fell : I 
 am at prefent at her houfe; fhe is very 
 amiable J a widow about thirty, with an 
 agreeable perfon, great vivacity, an excel- 
 lent underflanding, improved by reading, to 
 . which the abfolute folitude of her fituation 
 has obliged her;, fhe has an open pleafing 
 countenance, with a candor and fincerity 
 in her converfation which would pleafe me, 
 if my mind was in aftate to be pleafed with 
 any thing.. Through all the attention and 
 civility I think myfelf obliged to Ihew her, 
 fhe feems to perceive the melancholy 
 which I cannot fhake off: Ihe is always 
 contriving fome little party for me, as if 
 fhe knew how much I am in want of amufe^ 
 ment. 
 
 Ga. 12; 
 
 Madame Des Roches is very kind ; flie 
 fees my chagrin,, and take^ every method 
 
 to 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. tGt 
 
 to divert it : ihe infills on my going in her 
 fhallop to fee the laft fettlement on the 
 tWer, oppofite the lOe of Barnaby; fhe 
 does me the honor to accompany me, with, 
 a gentleman and lady who live about a 
 mile from her. 
 
 Ifle Barnaby, Oa. 13V 
 
 I have been paying a very lingular 
 vifit } '^tis to a hermit, who has lived fixty 
 years alone on this ifland ; I came to him 
 with a llrong prejudice againft him ; 1 
 have no opinion of thofe who fly fociety 5 
 who feek a ftate of all others the moft con- 
 trary to our nature. Were I a tyrant, and 
 wifhed to inflidt the moft cruel punifhrnent 
 human nature could fupport, I would fe- 
 clude criminals from the joys of fociety,, 
 and deny them the endearing fight of their 
 ipecies* 
 
 .«» 
 
 I am certain T rmilfl nnt ^yiff i» v^^ar 
 
 alone : I am miferabk even in that degree 
 
 of 
 
 J-v 'm ! 
 
 Ill H ^ 
 
 1; I 
 
 111 
 
 'S'lP.i i 
 
 ■' i 
 
 li 
 
 i 
 
 « 
 
 
 
 ■i 
 
 '^ 
 
 I 
 
 
 ■ i > T 
 
 i 
 
 ■■.,' ■ ' '"■*» 
 
 
 fe 
 
 : 
 
 w 
 
 J 
 
x62 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 of folkiide to which one is confined in a 
 fhip J no words can ^peak the jc^y which I 
 felt when I came to ./\:nerica, on the firft 
 appearance of fomething like the chearful 
 haunts of men ; the firlt man, the firft 
 houfe, nay the firft Indian Hac <jf which I 
 faw the fmoke rife above the trees, gave me 
 the moft lively tranfport that can be con- 
 ceived J I felt all the force of thofe ties 
 which unite us to each other, of that fo- 
 cial love to which we owe all our happi- 
 nefs here. 
 
 But to my hermit : his appearance dif- 
 armed my diflike ^ he is a tall old man, 
 with white hair and beard, the look of 
 one who has known better days, and the 
 ftrongeft marks of benevolence in his 
 countenance. He received me with the ut- 
 moft hofpitality, fpread all his little ftores 
 of fruit before me, fetched me frefh milk, 
 and water from a fpring near his houfe. 
 
 After 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 163 
 
 After a little converfation, I exprefled 
 my aflonilhment, that a man of whofe kind- 
 nefs and humanity I had jufl had fuch 
 proof, could find his happinefs in flying 
 mankind : I faid a good deal on the fub- 
 jed, to which he liftened with the politcft 
 attention. 
 
 ♦ .Ml 
 
 fcfc' ■ 
 
 li * 
 
 .4 
 
 *il 
 
 i <■ 
 
 i ! 
 
 (( 
 
 cc 
 
 (C 
 Cc 
 
 cc 
 cc 
 <c 
 cc 
 cc 
 cc 
 
 IC 
 (C 
 
 " You appear," faid he, " of a temper 
 to pity the miferies of others. My ftory 
 is fhort and Ample: I loved the moft 
 amiable of women ; I was beloved. The 
 avarice of our parents, who both had 
 more gainful views for us, prevented an 
 union on which our happinefs depended. 
 My Louifa, who was threatened with an 
 immediate marriage with a man fhe de- 
 tefted, propofed to me to fly the tyranny 
 of our friends : Ihe had an uncle at 
 Quebec, to wh m fhe was dear. The 
 wilds of Canada, faid jfhe, may aflPord 
 us that refuge our cruel country denies 
 
 cc 
 
 ua.. 
 
 I 
 
 ) ■ 
 
 
 'I ' 
 
164 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 i< 
 
 €< 
 
 CC 
 
 US. After a fecret maiTiage, we embarked. 
 Our voyage was thus far happy ; I landed 
 on the oppofite fhore, to feek rcfrefh* 
 ments for my Louifa j I was returning, 
 " pleafed with the thought of obliging the 
 objeA of all my tendernefs, when a be- 
 ginning ftorm drove me to feek fhelter in 
 this bay. The ftorm encreafed, I faw its 
 progrefs with agonies not to be defcribed; 
 •' the ihip, which was in fight, was unable 
 to refift its fury; the failors crowded 
 into the boat; they had the humanity to 
 place my Louifa there 5 they made for 
 ** the ipot where I was, my eyes were 
 •' wildly fixed on them ; I ftood eagerly on 
 *' the utmofl verge of the water, my arms 
 •* ftretched out to receive her, my prayers 
 *' ardently addrefTed to Heaven, when an 
 " immenfe wave broke over the boat ; I 
 ** heard a general fhriek ; I even fancied I 
 *' diftinguifhed my Louifa's cries ; it fub- 
 " fided, the failors again exerted all their 
 •' force i a fecond wave — 1 faw them, no 
 " more^ 
 
 4i 
 
 <t 
 
 €t 
 
 tf 
 
 U 
 
 *i 
 
 CC 
 
 Never 
 
<( 
 
 €C 
 
 t( 
 
 sc 
 <e 
 <c 
 « 
 
 <6 
 <C 
 « 
 <( 
 << 
 <( 
 U 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE, i6s 
 
 •* Never will that dreadful fcenc be ab- 
 fent one moment from my memory : I 
 fell fenfelefs on the beiich ; when I re- 
 turned to life, the firft objedt 1 beheld 
 was the breathlefs body of my Loiiifa 
 at my feet. Heaven gave me the wretched 
 confolation of rendering to her the laft 
 fad duties. In that grave all my happi- 
 nefs lies buried. I knelt by her, and 
 breathed a vow to Heaven, to wait here 
 the moment that Hiould join me to all I 
 held dear. I every morning vifit Iier 
 loved remains, and implore the God of 
 mercy to halten my diflblution. 1 feel 
 that we Ihall not long be feparated ; 
 I Ihall foon meet her, topart jio more." 
 
 He flopped, and, without feeming to 
 remember he was not alone, walked haflily 
 towards a litde oratory he has built on the 
 beach, near which is the grave of his 
 Louifa i I followed him a few fteps, I faw 
 
 Binoi 
 
 ■'Mli 
 
 -S' ) 
 
i66 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 jhim throw himfelf on his knees; and, re- 
 fpeding his forrow, returned to the hoiife. 
 
 Though I cannot abfohitely approve, 
 yet I more than forgive, I almoft admire, 
 his renouncing the world in his fituation. 
 Devotion is perhaps the only balm for the 
 wounds given by unhappy love ; the heart 
 is too m'lch foftened by true tendernefs to 
 ^dmit any common cure. 
 
 Seven in the evening. 
 
 I am returned to Madame Des R oches and 
 her friends, who decliaed vifiting the her- 
 mit. I found in his converfation all which 
 could have adorned fociety; he was pleafed 
 v/ith the fympathy I fhewed for his fufFer- 
 ino-s y we parted with regret. I wiihed to 
 have made him a prefent, but he will re- 
 ceive nothing. 
 
 A fhip for England is in fight, . Madame 
 Des Roches is fo polite to fend off this let- 
 ter i 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 167 
 
 ter ; we return to her houfe in the morn* 
 ing. 
 
 Adieu ! my Lucy. 
 
 Yours, 
 
 Ed. Rivers. 
 
 LETTER XXXIII. 
 To Mifs Rivers, Clarges-Street. 
 
 Quebec, 0£l. 12, 
 
 1HAVE no patience with this foolifh 
 brother of yours j he is rambling about 
 in the woods when we want hir.i here : we 
 have a moft agreeable aflembly every Thiirf- 
 day at the GeneraFs, and have had another 
 ball fince he has been gone on tliis ridicu- 
 lous ramble i I mifs the dear creature where- 
 ever I go. We have nothing but balls, 
 cards, and parties of pleafu re i but they 
 arc nothing without my little Rivers. 
 
 ill' rj 
 
 -A ' 
 
 Ihav 
 
 « 
 
i€8 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 I have been making the tour of the three 
 religions this morning, and, as I am the moft 
 -conftant creature breathing, am come back 
 only a thoufand times more pleafed with 
 my own. I have been at mafs, at church, 
 and at the Prefbyterian meeting : an idea 
 ilruck me at the laft, in regard to the dra- 
 pery of them all j that the Romilli feligion 
 is like an over-drelTed^ tawdry, rich citi- 
 zen's wife ; the Prefbyterian like a a rude 
 aukward country girlj the church of Eng- 
 land like an elegant well-drefled woman of 
 quality, "plain in her neatnefs" (to quote 
 Horace, who is my favorite author). There 
 is a noble, gracefol fimplicity both in the 
 AVorjQiip and the ceremonies of the church 
 of England, which, even if I were a ftranger 
 to her do6lrines, would prejudice me flrong- 
 ly in her favon 
 
 Sir George fets out for Montreal this 
 evening, fo do the houfe of Melmoth -, I 
 have however prevailed on Emily to (lay a 
 
 month 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 169 
 
 month or two longer with me. I am rejoiced 
 Sir George is going away ; I am tired of 
 feeing that eternal fmile, tliat countenance 
 of his, which attempts to fpeak, and fays 
 nothing. I am in doubt whether I fhall let 
 Emily marry him 5 fhe will die in a week, 
 of no diftemper but his converfation. 
 
 They dine with us. I am calleo aown. 
 Adieu I 
 
 
 Eight at night. 
 
 Heaven be praifed, our lover is gone ; 
 they parted with great philofophy on^both 
 fides : they are the prettieil mild pair of in^ 
 amoratoes one fhall fee. 
 
 Your brother's fervant has juft called to 
 tell me he is going to his mailer. I have a 
 great mind to anfwer his letter, and order 
 him back. 
 
 ui 
 
 rViM.; 
 
 Vnr Ti 
 
 L^ET- 
 
i-o THE HISTORY OF 
 
 LETTER 
 
 XXXIV, 
 
 To Mifs Rivers, Clargcs-Street. 
 
 oa. 12* 
 
 IH AV E been looking at the eflate Ma- 
 dame Des Roches has to fell ; it is as 
 •wild as the lands to which I have a right ; 
 I hoped this would have amufed my cha- 
 grin, but am miftaken : nothing interefls 
 me, nothing takes up my attention one mo- 
 ment: my mind admits but one idea. This 
 charming woman follows me wherever I 
 go J I wander about like the firft man 
 when driven out of Paradife : I vainly 
 fancy every change of place will relieve 
 the anxiety of my mind. 
 
 Madame Des Roches fmifes, and tells 
 me I am in love ; 'tis however a fmile of 
 tendernefs and compaffion : your fcx have 
 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 171 
 
 great penetration in whatever regards the 
 heart. 
 
 oa. 13. 
 
 I have this moment a letter from Mifs 
 . Fermor, to preis my return to Quebec j Ihc 
 tells me, Emily's marriage is poliponed till 
 Fpring. My Lucy ! how weak is the hu- 
 man heart ! In fpite of myfelf, a ray of 
 hope ~ I fet off this inftant : I cannot con^ 
 ceal my joy. 
 
 LETTER XXXV. 
 To Col. Rivers, at Quebec. 
 
 London, July 25. 
 
 Y O U have no idea, Ned, how much 
 • your abience is lamented by the dow- 
 agers, to whom, it •n.-a- be owned, vour 
 chanty has been preuv vXtenfive. 
 
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172 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 It would delight you to fee them condo-*^ 
 ling with each other on the lofs of the dear 
 channing man, the man of fentiment, of 
 true tafte, who admires the maturer beau-i 
 ties, and thinks no woman worth purfuing 
 -till turned of twenty- five : 'tis a lofs not 
 to be made up -, for your talle, it mufi: be 
 ow.ned, is pretty fingular. 
 
 *1 have feen your lall favorite. Lady 
 
 H , who afllires me on the word of a 
 
 woman of honour, that, had you Aaid 
 feven years in London, fhe does not think 
 Ihe Ihould have had the leaft inclination to 
 change : but an abfent lover, fhe well ob- 
 ferved, is, properly fpeaking, no lover at 
 all. " Bid Colonel Rivers remember," faid 
 (he, " what I have read fomewhere, the 
 *^ parting words of a French lady to a 
 " billiop of her acquaintance. Let your 
 " abfence be fliort, my lord 5 andremem- 
 ^^ ber that a miilrcfs is a benefice which 
 
 obliges to refidence." 
 
 I am 
 
 f< 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 17J 
 
 I am told you had not been gone a week 
 before Vjack Willmott had the honor of 
 drying up the fair widow*s tears. 
 
 I am going this evening to Vauxhall, and 
 to-morow propofe fetting out for my 
 houfe in Rutland, from whence you ihall 
 hear from me fgain. 
 
 Adieu ! I never write long letters in Lon- 
 don. I fhould tell you, I have been to fee 
 Mrs. Rivers and your filler -, the former is 
 well, but very anxious to have you in Eng- 
 land again ^ the latter grows fo very hand- 
 fome, I don't intend to repeat my vifits 
 often. 
 
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 Yours, 
 
 J. T E M P L JE, 
 
 
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J74 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 LETTER XXXVI. 
 
 To John Temple, Efqj Pail-Mall.. 
 
 Quebec, OA. 14-, 
 
 I A M this moment arrived from a ramble 
 down the river ; but, a fhip being jufl 
 going, mull acknowledge your laft. 
 
 You make me happy in telling me my 
 
 dear Lady H has given my place in her 
 
 heart to fo honeil a fellow as Jack Will- 
 mott -y and I fincerely wifli the ladies al- 
 ways chofc their favorites as well. 
 
 I ftiould be very unreafonable indeed to> 
 exped conftancy at almoft four thoufand 
 miles diftance, efpecially when the pro- 
 iped of my return is fo very uncertain. 
 
 My voyage ought undoubtedly to be 
 confidered ?ls an abdication ; I am to all in-i 
 
 tents 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 17s 
 
 tents and purpofea dead in law as a lover ; 
 and the lady has a right to confider her heart 
 as vacant, and to proceed to a new cieclion. 
 
 I claim no more than a fhare In her ef- 
 teem and remembrance, which I c!are fay 
 I fhall never want. 
 
 That I have amufed myfelf a little in 
 the dowager way, I am very far from de- 
 nying; but you will obferve, it was lefs 
 from tafle than the principle of doing as 
 little mifchief as poflible in my few excur- 
 fions to the world of gallantry. A litde 
 deviation from the exadt rule of right we 
 men all allow ourfelves in love affairs 3 but 
 I was willing to keep as near it as I could. 
 Married women are, on my principles, for- 
 bidden fruit ', I abhor the fedu6tion of in- 
 nocence i I am too delicate, and (v/ith all 
 my modefty) too vain, to be pleafed with 
 venal beauty : what was I then to do, with 
 a heart too adive to be abfolutely at refl", 
 
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176 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 and which had not met with its coiinteN 
 part ? Widows were, I thought, fair prey> 
 as being fufliciently experienced to take care 
 of thernf elves, 
 
 I have faid maiTied women are, on my 
 principles, forbidden fruit : I fhould have 
 explained myfelf i I mean in England, for 
 my ideas on this head change as foon as I 
 land at Calais. 
 
 Such IS the amazing force of local pre^ 
 judice, that I do not recoilecfl having ever 
 made love to an Englilli married woman, or 
 a Frcjich iinmarriecl one. Marriages in 
 France being made by the parents, and 
 therefbre gentrrJly -vvithout inclination on 
 cither fide, gallantry feem-s to be a tacit 
 condition, though not abfolutely expreffecj 
 in the contra6l. 
 
 But to return to my plan : I think it an 
 excellent one ; and would recommend it to all 
 thofe young men about tov/n, who, like me> 
 
 5nd 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 177 
 
 Hm 
 
 find in their iiearts the neceflity of loving, 
 before they meet with an objedt capable of 
 fixing theiii for life* 
 
 l^ M 1 
 
 By tlfe way, I think the widows ought 
 to raife a llatiie to my honor, for having. 
 done my poffthle to prove that, for the fake 
 of decorum, morals, and order, they ought: 
 to have al^ the men to themielves.. 
 
 \u- 
 
 I have this moment your letter fromf 
 Rutland. Do you know I am almoil angi y ? 
 Your ideas of love are narrow and pedan- 
 tic ; cuftom has done enough to make the- 
 life of one half of our fpecies tallelefs; 
 but yoU' would reduce them to. a' Hate of" 
 ftill greater infipidity than even; that ta 
 which our tyranny has doomed, theniw. 
 
 You would limit the pleafure of loving: 
 and being beloved,, and. the charming power 
 of pleafing, to three or four years , or^j m 
 the life of that fex. which is peculiarfv 
 formed to feel tendernefsi, women are born^ 
 
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178 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 With more lively affedions than men^whichi 
 are ftijl more foftened by education j to deny 
 them the privilege of being amiable, the 
 only privilege we allow them, as long as 
 nature continues them fo, is fueh a mixture 
 of cruelty and falfe tafte as I fhould never 
 have fufpeded you of, notwithftanding your 
 partiality for unripened. beauty. 
 
 . As to myfelf, I perffi in my opinion, 
 that women are moft charming when they 
 join the attradions of the mind to thoft 
 of the perlbn, when they feel the palTion 
 they infpirei or rather, that they are never 
 charming till then.. 
 
 A woman in the {ir& bloom of youth re- 
 fembks a tree in bloiTom y^ when mature, in. 
 fi'uit : but a. woman who retains the charms 
 of her perfon till her underftanding is ia 
 its full perfeaion, is like thofe trees in 
 feappier climes, which produce blo/Toms and 
 fruit together.. 
 
 Tdxii 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 17^ 
 
 You will fcarce believe. Jack, that I have, 
 lived a week tete a tetCy in the midft of a 
 wood, with juft the woman I have been 
 defcribing ; a widow extremely my tafte, 
 mature^ five or fix years more fo than you 
 fay I require, lively, fenfible, handfome, 
 without faying one civil thing to her ; yet, 
 nothing can be more certain.. 
 
 T could give you powerful reafonj fir 
 my infenfibility ; but you are a traitor to 
 love, and therefore have no right to be \vt 
 any of his fecrets. 
 
 r will cxcufe your vifjts to my flder ; as. 
 well as I love you my i:- If, I have a tlioii- 
 fand reafons for chufing ihe fiiould not ba 
 acquainted with you.. 
 
 What you fay in regard to rry mother, 
 gives me pain j. I will never take ba^.k my 
 little gift to her -, and I cannot a^^^ m Er.g-. 
 
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i8o THE HISTORY OF 
 
 land on rfiy prefent income, though it en- 
 ables me to live en prince^ in Canada. 
 
 Adieu [ I have not time to lay more. I 
 have ftole this half hour from the loveliefl 
 woman breathing, whom 1 am going to 
 vifit : furely you are infimtely obliged to 
 me. To leflen the obligation, however, my 
 calafh is not yet come to the door» 
 
 . Adue ! once more. 
 
 Yours, 
 
 Ed. RrvEjis^ 
 
 L E T T E R XXXVIL 
 
 To Mifs Rivers, Ckrges- Street.. 
 
 Silleri, Ca 15,. 
 
 U R wanderer is returned, my dear,, 
 and in fuch fpirits as you can*t con- 
 cede : lie paffed yeflerday with us -, he 
 
 likes 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE, iff 
 
 likes to have us to himfclf, and he had ygC- 
 terday ; we walked ^ trio in the wood, and 
 were foolifh j I have not pafTed fo agreeable 
 a day fince I canne to Canada : I love mighti- 
 ly to be foolifh, and the people here have 
 no tafte that way at all : your brother is di- 
 vinely fo upon occafion. The weather was, 
 to ufe the Canadian phraky/uperie et mag^ 
 fiifque. We fhall not, I am told, have much 
 more in the fame magnifique ftyle, ^o we 
 intend to make the moft of it : I have or- 
 dered your brother to come and walk with 
 us from morning till night j every day and 
 all the day. 
 
 I; i'i 
 
 The dear man was amazingly overjoyed 
 to fee us again j we fliared in his joy, 
 though my little Emily took fome pains to 
 appear tranquil on the occafion j I never 
 faw more pleafure in the countenances of 
 t^^o people in my life, nor more pains 
 taken to liipprefs it. 
 
 lit * 
 
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i»2 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 Do you know Fitzgerald is really an 
 agreeable fellow ? I have an admirable natu- 
 ral inftindt; I perceived he had under- 
 (landing, from his aquiline nofe and his 
 eagle eye, which are indexes I never knew 
 fail I believe we are going to be great ; 
 I am not fure 1 fhall not admit him to make 
 up a partie qiiarree with your brother and 
 Emily : I told him my original plot upon, 
 him, and he was immenfely pleafed with. 
 it.. I almoft fancy he can be foolifli j in 
 that cafe, my bufinefs is done : if with 
 his other merits he hao that,, I am a loft 
 woman. 
 
 He has excellent fenfe,. great good na- 
 ture, and the true princely fpirit c^ an 
 Irifhman : he will be ruined here, but that 
 is his affair, not mine. He changed quar- 
 ters with an officer now at Montreal ; and,, 
 becaufe the lodgings were to be furnifhed,, 
 thought himfelf obliged to leave three: 
 f months wine ia the cellars^ 
 
 His. 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE, ig.j 
 His perfon is pleafing ; he has good 
 eyes and teeth (the only beauties I require) 
 is marked with the fmali-pox, which in 
 men gives a fenfible look ; very manly^ 
 and looks extremely like a gentleman. 
 
 He comes, the conqueror comes.. 
 
 I fee him plainly through the trees ; he 
 15 now in full view, within twenty yards of ' 
 the hoafe. He looks particularly well on 
 horfeback, Lucy 5 which is one certain, 
 proof of a good, education. The fellow is 
 well born, and has idea of things : I think I 
 fliall admit him of my train. 
 
 Emily wonders I have never been in 
 rove : the caufe is clear; I have prevented 
 any attachment to one man, by conftantly 
 flirting with twenty : 'tis the rnoft foverei4 
 receipt in the world. I think too, my derr ' 
 you have maintained, a fort of running fight 
 
 , witk 
 
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 :iii 
 
iS4 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 P with the little deity : our hour rs not yet 
 comer Adieu ! 
 
 Yours, 
 
 Ar Fermok, 
 
 LETTER XXXVI IL 
 
 To Mils Rivers, Clarges- Street* 
 
 Quebec, 061. 15, evening. 
 
 I A M returned, my dear, and have had 
 the pleafure of hearing you aiJ. my 
 mother are well, though I have had !ia 
 letters from either of you* ^ 
 
 Mr. Temple, my deareft I^ucy, tells me 
 he has vifited you. Will you pardon me a 
 freedom which nothing but the moil tender 
 friendfliip can warrant, when 1 tell you 
 
 that 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 1S5 
 
 that I would wifh you to be as little ac- 
 quainted with him as politenefs allows ? He 
 is a mofl agreeable man, perhaps too agree- 
 able, with a thoufand amiabk qualities ; he 
 is the man I love above all others j, and^ 
 where women are not concerned, a man of 
 thcmofl: unblemiflied honor: bwthismanncr 
 of life is extremely libertine, and his ideas 
 of women unworthy the r^ft of his cha- 
 rafter i he knows not the perfedlions which 
 adorn the valuable part of your fex, he is 
 a ftranger to your virtues, and incapable^ 
 at leaft I fear fo, of that tender affedlion 
 ^hich alone can make an amiable woman 
 happy. With all this, he is polite and at- 
 tentive, and has a manner, which, without 
 Intending it, is calculated to deceive women 
 into an opinion of his being attached when 
 he is not : he has all the fplendid virtues 
 which command efteem ; is noble, gem. 
 rous, difinterefted, open, brave 1 and is the 
 moft dangerous man on earth to a womaa 
 
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lU THE HISTORY OF 
 
 of honor, who is unacquainted with the 
 arts of man. 
 
 Do not however miftake me,, my Lucy ^ 
 I know him to be as incapable of forming 
 improper defigns on you, even were you 
 not the fifter of his friend, as you are of 
 liftening to him if he did : 'tis for your 
 heart alone I am alarmed -, he is formed to 
 pleafe ; you are young and inexperienced, 
 and have not yet loved ; my anxiety for 
 your peace makes me dread your loving a 
 man whofe views are not turned to ma- 
 nage,, and who is therefore incapable of 
 returning properly the tendernefs of a wo- 
 man of honor* 
 
 I have feen my divine Emily : her man- 
 ner of receiving me was very flattering -, I 
 cannot doubt her friendihip for me ; yet I 
 am not abfolutely content, I am however 
 convinced, by the eafy tranquillity of hec 
 air, and her manner of bearing this delay 
 of their marriage,, that fhe does not love 
 
 the 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 187 
 
 the man for whom fhe is intended : ihe has 
 been a vidim to the avarice of her friends. 
 I would fain hope— yet what have I to 
 hope ? If I had even the happinefs to be 
 agreeable to her, if fhe was difengaged from 
 vSir George, my fortune makes itimpoffible 
 for me to marry her, without reducing her 
 to indigence at home, or dooming her to 
 be an exile in Canada for life. I dare not 
 aflc myfelf what I wifh or intend r yet I 
 give way in fpite of me to the delight of 
 feeing and converfing with her, 
 
 I muft not look forward ; I will only en- 
 joy the prefent pleafure of believing myfelf 
 one of the firft in her efteem and friend- 
 fliip, and of fhewing her all thofe little 
 pleafing attentions fo dear to- a fenfible 
 heart j attentions in which her kver is 
 itftonifhingly remifs : he is at Montreal, and 
 I am told was gay and happy on his jour- 
 ney tloithcr, though he left bis miftrefs 
 behind. 
 
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i38 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 I have fpcnt two very happy days at 
 Silleri, with Emily and your friend Bell 
 Fermor : to-morrow I meet them at the 
 governor's, where there is a very agreeable 
 ftflcmbly on Thurfday ev«?nh^gii^ Aditu ! 
 
 Yoursj 
 
 Ed. Riv£rs. 
 
 I fhall write again by a fhip which faih 
 next week. 
 
 LETTER XXXIX^ 
 
 To John Temiple, Efq; Pall-MalL 
 
 Quebec, Oa. i9. 
 
 IH AV E this moment a letter from Ma- 
 dame Des Roches, the lady at whofe 
 houfc I fpent a week, and to whom I am 
 
 greatly 
 
'i i 
 
 /■ 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE. 189 
 
 (greatly obliged. I am fo happy as to liave 
 an opportunity" of rendering her a fcrvice, 
 :in which I muft defire your afliftancc. 
 
 'Tis in regard to fonie lands belonging 
 to h^r, which, not beingfettlcd, feme other 
 .perfon has applied for a grant of at home. 
 1 fend you the particulars, and beg you 
 will lofe no time in entering a caveaf, and 
 taking other proper Heps to prevent what 
 would be an ad of great injuftice : the war 
 and the incurfions of the Indians in alliance 
 with us have hitherto prevented thefe lands 
 from being fettled, but Madame Des Roches 
 is adually in treaty with fome Acadians to 
 fettle them immediately. Employ aJi your 
 friends as well as mine if neceflary; my 
 lawyer will dired you in what manner to 
 apply, and pay the expences attending the 
 application. Adieu ! 
 
 Yours, 
 
 Ed. RivjERs. 
 
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i^oTHE HISTORY OF 
 
 LETTER XL. 
 
 To Mifs Rivers, Clarges- Street. 
 
 Silleri, 06V. 2 3, 
 
 ID ANCED laft night till four o'clock in 
 the morning (if you will allow the ex- 
 preflion) without being the leaft fatigued : 
 the little Fitzgerald was my partner, who 
 grows upon me extremely j the monkey 
 has a way of being attentive and carelefs 
 by turns, which has an amazing efFed ; no- 
 thing attaches a woman of my temper fo 
 much to a lover as her being a little in fear 
 of lofing him ; and he keeps up the fpirit 
 of the thing admirably. 
 
 Your brotherand Emily danced together, 
 and 1 think I never faw either of them look 
 fo handfomej Ihe was a thoufand times 
 more admired at this ball than the firfl, 
 and reafon good, for fhe was a thoufand 
 t ^ ' times 
 
E M I L Y MONTAGUE, i^i 
 
 times more agreeable j your brother is 
 really a charming fellow, he is an immenfe 
 favorite with the ladies ; he has that very 
 plejjllng general attention, vvhich never fails 
 10 charm women ; he can even be particu- 
 lar to one;, without wounding the vanity of 
 the reft: if he was in company with twenty 
 Jais miftrefs of the number, his manner 
 would be iUch, that every woman tha-e 
 would think herfelfthe fecond inhis efteem- 
 •and that, if his heart had not been unlucki' 
 ly pre-engaged, flie herfelf fliould Jiavc 
 been the objedt of his tendernefs. 
 
 His eyes are of immenfe ufe to him ; h- 
 looks the civileft things imaginable j' hh 
 whole countenance fpeaks whatever he 
 wilhes to fay J he has the leaft occafion for 
 words to explain himfelf of any man I ever 
 knew. 
 
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 •1 
 
 
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 Fitzgerald has eyes too, I afllire you, and 
 
 tycs that know how to fpeak i he has 
 
 a 
 
 look 
 
 
t^i THE HISTORY OF 
 
 look of faucy unconcern and inattention, 
 which is really irrefiftibie. 
 
 We hai'ehad agreat deal of fnow already, 
 but it melts away j 'tis a lovely day, but an 
 odd enough mixture of fummer and winters 
 in fome places you fee half a foot of fnow 
 ;lying, in others the duft is even trouble- 
 some. 
 
 Adieu ! there are a dozen or two of 
 vbeaux at the door. 
 
 Yours, 
 
 A. Fermor, 
 
 L e; T-. 
 
EWILY MONTAGUE. 193 
 
 --•i t Jn TUl^tit 
 
 I^ E T T E R XLT. 
 To Mifs Rivers, Clarges-Street. . 
 
 . , _Nov. 10. 
 npHE favages affure ns, my dear, bn the 
 
 A information of the b^avcft, 'that* We 
 fliall have a very mUd winten it feems, 
 thefe creatures have laid in a lefs winter 
 ftock than ufual, I take it very ill, Lucy, 
 that the beavers have better intelligence 
 than we have. 
 
 We are got Into a pi-etty Compofed eafy 
 way ; Sir George writes very agreeable, 
 lenfible, fentimental, gofllping letters, once 
 a fortnight, which Emily anfwers ifl due 
 courfe, withal! the regularity ofa counting, 
 houfe correfpoftdehcei he talks of coming 
 down after Chriftmas: we exoeft him wi^h 
 out impatience 5 and in the mean time 
 amufe ourfelves as well as we can, and foftert 
 
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«94 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 the pain of abfence, by the attention of a 
 man that I fancy we like quite as well. 
 
 i i 
 
 With fubmifTion to the beavers, the 
 weather is very cold> and we have had a 
 great deal of fnow already j but they tell 
 me 'tis nothing to what we Ihall have : they 
 are taking prec^u,tions which make me 
 ^^^^ ,W?F^^^^^> palling up the win- 
 dpwsj and not leaving an avenue where 
 cold can enter. 
 
 i * -y^ jti,. 
 
 I like the winter carriages immcnfely ; 
 the open carriole is a kind of one-horfe 
 chaife, the covered one a chariot, fet on a 
 fledge to run on the ice ; we have not yet 
 had fnow enough to ufe them, but I like 
 their appearance prodigioufly ; the covered 
 carrioles feem the prettieft things in nature 
 to make love in, as there are curtains to draw 
 before the windows : we, fhall have three 
 in effed, my father's, Rivers's, and Fitz- 
 
 orpralH'*: ? tliP t\xrr% Iciffpr ar<f* *'f^ ^f* f^lf^tronre^ 
 
 itfelfi and entirely for the fervice of the 
 
 ladies : 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 195 
 
 ladies : your brother and Fitzgerald are 
 trying who fhall be ruined firfl for the honor 
 of their country. I will bet three to one 
 upon Ireland. They arc every day contriv- 
 ing parties of pleafure, and making the 
 moft gallant little prefents imaginable to 
 the ladies. 
 
 Adieu! my dear, ' 
 
 Yours, 
 
 A. pERMOlt* 
 
 «« 
 
 LETTER XLir. 
 To Mifs Rivers. 
 
 Quebec, Nov. 14. 
 
 T SHALL not, mydear^ have above 
 A one more opportunity of writing to 
 you by the fhips i after whi^h we r^^n ^n}y 
 write by the packet once a month. 
 
 K2 
 
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10 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 My Emily is every day more lovely j I 
 fee her often, and every hour difcover jiew 
 charn^ in her ; fhe has an exalted under- 
 (landing, improved by all the knowledge 
 which is becoming in your fexj a foul 
 awake to all the finer fenfations of the 
 heart, checked and adorned by the native 
 lovelinefs of woman : fhe is extremely 
 handfome, but Pat would pleafe every feel- 
 ing heart if fhe was not j fhe has the foul 
 of beauty : without feminine foftnefs and 
 dehcate fenfibility, no features can give 
 lovelinefs ; with them, very indifferent ones 
 can charm: that fenfibility, that foftnefs, 
 never were fo lovely as in my Emily. 1 can 
 write on no other fubjedt. Were you to 
 fee her, my Lucy, you would forgive me. 
 My letter is called fon Adieu ! 
 
 Yours, 
 Ed. R I VERS. 
 
 Your friend Mifs Fermor will write you 
 
 every thing. 
 
 LET. 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 197 
 
 LETTER XLIIL 
 To Mll^ MoHTAQVfi, at Sillcrir 
 
 Montreal, Nov. i^* 
 
 MR. Melmoth and I, my dear Emily, 
 expefted by this time to have feen 
 you at Montreal. I allow fomething to 
 your friendfhip for Mifs Fermor j but there 
 k alfo fomething due to relations who ten- 
 derly love you, and under whofe protec- 
 tion your uncle left you at his death. 
 
 I Ihouid add, that there is fomething* 
 due to Sir George, had I not already dif- 
 pleafed you by what I have faid on the 
 fubjedt. 
 
 You are not to be told, that in a week 
 the road from hence to Quebec will beim- 
 pafilible for at leaft a month, till the rivers 
 are fufHciently froze to bear carriap-es. 
 
 K3 
 
 I will' 
 
 iij 
 
 '!!I1 
 
 ,^.-^: •" 
 
 t • f' 
 
 I'' 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 "''.'ill 
 
 \m 
 
 Mim 
 
i93 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 I will own to you, that I am a little jea- 
 lous of your attachment to Mifs Fermor^ 
 though no one can think her more amiable 
 than I do» 
 
 If you do not come this week, I would 
 wilh you to ftay till Sir George comes 
 downy and return with him j I will entreat 
 the favor of Mifs Fermor to accompany you 
 to Montreal, which we will endeavour to 
 make as agreeable to her as we can. 
 
 J have been itl of a flight fever, but am 
 now perfedlly recovered. Sir George and 
 Mr. Melmoth are well, and very impatient 
 to fee you here. 
 
 Adieu ! my dear. 
 
 Your aiFeftionate 
 
 E, Melmoth* 
 
 LET- 
 
»m 
 
 EMILY MONTAGUE. 199 
 
 ;M 
 
 LETTER XLIV. 
 
 I 
 
 To Mrs. Mblmothj at Montreal. 
 
 Sillcri, Nov.aa. 
 
 I HAVE a thoufand reafons, my deareft 
 Madam, for intreating you to excufe 
 my (laying fome time longer at Quebec. 
 I have the fincereft efteem for Sir George, 
 and am not infenfible of the force of our 
 engagements ; but do not think his being 
 there a reafon for my coming : the kind of 
 fufpended ftate, to fay no more, in which 
 thofe engagements now are, call for a de- 
 licacy in my behaviour to him, which is 
 fo difficult to obferve without the appear- 
 ance of affedation, that his abfence re- 
 lieves me from a very painftd kind of re- 
 ftraint : for the fame reafon, 'tis iriripoflible 
 for me to come up at the time he does, if 
 
 accompany me. 
 
 K4 
 
 'illlil 
 
 Al I 
 
 111 11 ., 
 
 i 
 
 til ]' 
 
 
 „it!'!! 
 
 i 
 
 tf 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 A mo- 
 
 
OQo^THE HISTORY Off 
 
 A moment's reilexion will convince you 
 of the propriety of my flaying here till 
 his mother does mc tiie honor again to ap^ 
 prove his choice i or till our engagement is 
 publicly known to be at an, end. Mr?. 
 Clayton is a prudent motiier, and a woman 
 of the world, and may confider that Sir 
 George's fituation is changed fincc (he con- 
 Icnted to his marriage. 
 
 I am not capricious ; but I will own to 
 you, that my efteem for Sir George is much^ 
 lellcned by his behaviour fince his laft re- 
 turn fern New- York : he miftakes me exr 
 tremely, if he fuppofes he has the leail 
 additional merit in my eyes from his late 
 acquifition of fortune :- on the contrary, I 
 now, fee faults in him which were concealed: 
 by the-mediocrity of his fituation before,, 
 and which do not promife happinels to a 
 heart like mine, a heart which has little 
 tafte: for-the falft glister of life^ and the 
 
 moft- 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE, aor 
 
 « 
 
 moft lively one poffible for the calm real 
 delights of friendfhip, and donicftic feli- 
 city* 
 
 Accept my fincereft congratulations ow 
 your return of health j and believe me,, 
 
 Mydeareft Madam,. 
 
 Your obliged and affedlionate^ 
 
 Emily MoNTAtsirfi,. 
 
 * "< 
 
 ^ 
 
 , 'III 
 
 n 
 
 i'.ii 
 
 '4 
 
 44 ) 
 
 mh 
 
 i 
 
 
 L E T T E R: XLV.. 
 
 To Mifs Rivers,; Clarges-Street;- 
 
 Sil'leH, Novj 23,. 
 
 1 HAVE been feeing the lift fbip go out" 
 of the port,, Lucy^ you' have- no no-- 
 tion what a melancholy fight- it is :'tv^ are' 
 
 ilLfW iCU Lw wuiiViTVb, aiiJ.1 AiiCfJ. tip UOkU ail ^ 
 
 the world for^ the winter i- fomehow we- 
 
 !'lli.l: 
 
 B;i 
 
toz THE HISTORY OF 
 
 fecm fo forfaken, fo cut ofF from the reft 
 of human kind, I cannot bear the idea ! I 
 fent a thoufand fighs and a thoufand ten- 
 der wiihes to dear England, which 1 never 
 loved fo much as at this moment. 
 
 Do you know, my dear, I could cry if I 
 was not afhamed ? I fhall not abfolutely be 
 in ipirits again this week, 
 
 Tis the firft tinne I have felt any thing 
 like bad fpirits in Canada : I followed the 
 fhip with my eyes till it turned Point Levi^^ 
 and, when I loft fight of it, felt as if I had 
 loft every thing dear to me on. earth. I am 
 not particular : I fee a gloom on every 
 countenance; I have been at church,, and 
 think I never fawfo many dejeded faces in 
 zjiylife... 
 
 Adieu! far the prefent :. it win oe a 
 fertnight before I can fend this letter i ano- 
 ther, difegreeable circumftance that: would, 
 
 to. 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 2oj 
 
 to Heaven I were in England, though I 
 changed the bright fun of Canada for a 
 fog! 
 
 Dec 1^ 
 
 We have had a week's fnow^without in- 
 termiflion : happily for us, your brother 
 and theFitz have been weather-bound all 
 the time at Silleri, and cannot pofTibly get 
 away* 
 
 We have amufed ourfelves within doors, 
 for there is no flirring abroad, with play- 
 ing at cards, playing at Huitdccock, playing 
 the fool, making love, and making moral 
 reflexions : upon the whokv tlie week' has 
 not been very difagreeable^ 
 
 The fnow is when we wake conftantly 
 up to our chamber windows i we are lite- 
 rally dug out of it every morning. 
 
 K6 
 
 & 
 
 
 -^■MJlli 
 
 
 It 1 
 
 •i • 
 
 ' '"'''1 • 
 
 
 ■M 
 
 
 
 1 ^ 
 
 
 .1 
 
 II 
 
 ffll 
 
 i 1 
 
 
 H 
 
 ^11 
 
 ,11 
 
 i 
 
 1 ' 
 
 
 
 i 
 
ii04 THfi HISTORY OE- 
 
 AstoQiiebec, Tgive up all hopes of 
 ever feeing it again : but my comfort is,, 
 that the. people there cannot poflibly g^t 
 to their neighbours ; and I flatter myielf 
 very few. of them have heenhalf fo well 
 entertained at home, . 
 
 . Wt fliall be abufed, J know, for ( wliat is 
 really the fault of the weather) keeping 
 thefe two creatures hiere this week ^ the 
 ladies hate us for. engroffing.two fuch RnQ- 
 fellows as your brother and Fitzgerakl, as 
 well as for having. vaftlyvmore than our; 
 (hare of all the men : . we : generally go ouc 
 attended by at leafl: a dozen, without any 
 ether woman, but a lively old Frenchlady,, 
 who is a ; flirt of my father's, aad...will cerl- 
 tainjy: be my mamma*, 
 
 " We: fweep into the gencralV a/Icmbly 
 on Thurfdays with fuch- a train . of beaux: 
 as draws every eye upon us : the refl of ' 
 lUv, xviivy»vo uiuVu iuunu us i tiae milies 
 di:3w lip, blufn, and flutter their fans j .and i 
 
 your^- 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 205: 
 
 )^ur little Bell fits down with fuch a faucy 
 impertinent confcioufnefs in her counte- 
 nance as is really provoking : Enriily on the- 
 contrary looks mild and humble, and feems 
 by her civil decent air to apologize to them 
 for being fo mu'ch more agreeable than 
 themfelves, which is a fault I for my part 
 am not in the Icaft inclined to be afhamed^ 
 of. 
 
 ! 
 
 
 Your idea of Quebec, my dear, is per- 
 fedlyjuft i it is like a third or fourth rate 
 country town in England ; much hofpitality, 
 litde fociety -, cards, fcandal,. dancing, and. 
 good cheari all excellent things to pafs, 
 away a winter evening, and pecuharly 
 adapted to what I am told, and what I be- 
 gin to kd, of the feverity of this climate. . 
 
 I am told they abnfe me^, which I can- 
 eafily believe, becauie my impertinence to: 
 them deferves it: but what care I, you, 
 know, Lucy, lo long as I pleafc myfelf, , 
 and am at Silleri out of the found. 
 
 They 
 
 t':,' 
 
20$ THE HISTORY OF 
 
 They are fquabbling at Quebec, I hear, 
 about I cannot tell what, therefore fhall 
 not attempt to explain : fome dregs of old 
 diiputes, itfeems, which have had not time 
 to fetde : however, we new comers have 
 certainly nothing to do with thefe matters : 
 you can't think how comfortable we fed 
 at Silleri, out of the way. 
 
 My father fays, the politics of Canada 
 are as complex and as difficult to be under- 
 ftood as thofe of the Germanic fyftem. 
 
 For my part, I think no politics worth 
 attending to but thofe of the little com- 
 monwealth of woman : if I can maintain 
 my empire over hearts, I leave the men to 
 quarrel for every thing elfe. 
 
 I obferve a (Iridt neutrality, that I may 
 have a chance for admirers amongft both 
 parties. Adieu ! the poft is jull going out. 
 
 Your faithful 
 
 A. Fermorv 
 LET- 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE, zof 
 
 i.!': ■'!, 
 
 LETTER XLVr. 
 
 f- 
 
 To Mifs Montague, at Silleri, 
 
 Montreal, Dec. 1 8. 
 
 ^HERE is fomething, my dear Emily, 
 ± in what you fay as to the delicacy 
 of your fituation -, but,, whilft you are fo 
 very exad in afting up to it on one fide, 
 do you not a little overlook it on the 
 other ? 
 
 I am extremely unwilling to fay a di/- 
 agree:ible thing to you, but Mifs Fermor is 
 too young as well as too gay to be a pro^ 
 te6lion-the very particular circumflance 
 you mention makes Mr. Melmotli's the 
 only houfe in Canada in which, If I have 
 any judgment, you can with propriety live 
 till your marriage takes place. 
 
 You 
 
 'lii'li J! 
 
 m 
 
 H'TI 
 
iroS^ THE HISTORY OF 
 
 You extremely injure Sir George in flip- 
 pofing it pofllble he fliould fail in his en- 
 gagements : and I fee with pain that you 
 are more quick lighted to his failings than 
 is quite confiilent with that tendernefs,, 
 which (allow me to fay) he has a right to 
 exped from you. He Is like other men of 
 his age and fortune; he is the very man 
 you fo lately thought amiable,, and of 
 whofe love you cannot without injuftice 
 have a doubt. 
 
 Though 1 approve your contempt of the 
 felfe glitter of the world, yet I think it ai 
 little ftraincd at your time of life : did I 
 not know you as well as I do, 1 fhoSld fay 
 that philofophy in a young and efpecially a 
 female mind, is fo out of feafon, as to be 
 extremely fufpicious. The pleafures which: 
 attend on affluence are too great, and too 
 pleafing. to youth, to be overlooked, ex- 
 cept 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE, aoy 
 
 eept when under the influence of a livelier 
 pafTion.. 
 
 Take care, my Emily ) I know the 
 goodnefs of your heart, but I alfo know 
 its fenfibilityi. remember that, if your fuu- 
 ation requires great circumfpeftion in your 
 behaviour to Sir George, it requires much 
 greater to every other perfon : it is even 
 more delicate than marriage itfel£ 
 
 I fliall exped you and Mifs Fcrmor as 
 foon as the: roads are fuch that you can. 
 ti-avd agreeably; and, as you objeft to Sir- 
 George as a conduclror, I will entreat Cap^. 
 taia Fermor to accompany you hithen. 
 
 I am, my dear, 
 
 Tour mof: affedionatc 
 
 E. Melmothv 
 
 '.■'« 
 
 ! 
 
 !*i<l 
 
 !'>'l 
 
 
 » 
 
2I0THE HISTORY OP 
 
 LETTER XLVII. 
 To Mrs. MfiLMOTH, at Montreal 
 
 Silleri, Dec, 26, 
 
 T ENTREAT you, my deareft Madam, 
 A to do me the juftice to believe I fee 
 my engagement to Sir George in as ftrong 
 a light as you can do ; if there is any 
 change in my behaviour to him, it is owing 
 to the very apparent one in his condud to 
 me, of which no one but myfelf can be a 
 judge. As to what you fay in regard to 
 my contempt of affluence, I can only fay 
 it is in my charader, whether it is gene- 
 rally in the female one or not. 
 
 Were the cruel hint you are pleafed to 
 givejuft, be allured Sir George fhould be 
 the firft perfon to whom I would declare it. 
 I hope however it is poffible to efteem 
 
 merit 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 211 
 
 merit without ofFendIng even the moft fa* 
 cred of all engagements. 
 
 A gentleman waits for this. I have only 
 time to fay, that Mifs Fcrmor thanks you 
 for your obliging invitation, and promifes 
 flie will accompany me to Montreal as foon 
 as the river St. Lawrence will bear car- 
 riages, as the upper road is extremely in- 
 convenient. 
 
 I am. 
 
 My deareft Madam> 
 Your obliged 
 
 and faithful 
 Emily Montague, 
 
 f f 
 
 - 1 I 
 
 ■i<ii 
 
 LET- 
 
ih THE HISTORY OF 
 
 LETTER XLVIIL 
 
 To Mirs Riyfift&i Cki'g^i-Street. 
 
 Silleri, Dec* 37. 
 
 AFTER a fortnight's fhow, we have 
 had near as much clear blue Iky 
 and funfliine : the fnow is fix feet deep, fo 
 that we may be faid to walk on our own 
 heads i that is, fpeaking en philo/ophe^ we 
 occupy the fpace we ftiould have done in 
 fummer if we had done fo j or, to explain 
 it more clearly, our heels are now where 
 our heads iliould be. 
 
 The fcene is a little changed for the 
 worfe : the lovely landfcape is now one un- 
 diilinguiflied wafte of fnow, only a little 
 diverfified by the great variety of ever- 
 greens in the woods : the romantic winding 
 path down the fide of the hill to our farm, 
 p.n which we ufed to amufe ourfelves with 
 
 feeing 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 213 
 
 feeing the beaux ferpentize, is now a con« 
 ibfed, frightful, rugged precipice, which 
 one trembles at the idea of afcending. * 
 
 There is fomething exceedingly agreea- 
 ble in the whirl of the carrioles, which 
 -fly along at the rate of twenty miles an 
 iiour; and really hurry one out of one's 
 fenfes. 
 
 Our little coterie is the objea: of great 
 €nvyi we live jufl as we like, without 
 thinking of other people, which I am ,x)t 
 fure hen is prudent, but it is pleafant, 
 which is a better thing. 
 
 - 'v', wf.o is the civileft creature 
 breav .g, is for giving up her own plea- 
 fure to avoid offending others, and wants 
 me, every time we inake a carioling-party, 
 to invite all the miffes of Quebec to go 
 with us, becaufe they feem angry at our 
 being happy without diem : but for that 
 
 Ml 
 
 I'M' ''ill 
 
 1 Mi, 
 
 lit 
 
 
 
 I:;. a 
 
 it? 
 
 III 
 
 
2r4THE HISTORY OF 
 
 very reafon I perfift in my own way, and 
 confider wifely, that, though civility is due 
 to other people, yet there is alfo fome ci- 
 vility due to one*s felf. 
 
 I agree to vifit ever/ body, but think it 
 mightjr abfurd I muft not take a ride with- 
 out alking a hundred people I fcarce know 
 to go with nne : yet this is the ilyle here ; 
 they will neither be happy themfelves, nor 
 kt any body elfe. Adieu ! 
 
 Dec* 29. 
 
 I will never take a beaver's word again 
 as long as I live : there is no fupporting 
 this cold ; the Canadians fay it is feventeen 
 years fince there has been fo fevere a fea- 
 Jen. I thought beavers had been people 
 of more honor. 
 
 Adieu! I can no more: the ink freezes 
 as I take it from the ftandifh to the paper, 
 though clofe to a large ftove. Don't ex- 
 
 pedt 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 215 
 
 peft mc to write again till May^ one's fa- 
 culties are abfolutely congealed this wea- 
 
 ther. 
 
 Yours, 
 
 A. Fermor. 
 
 i"$ 
 
 LETTER XLIX. 
 
 To Mifs RivBRs, Clarges-Street. 
 
 Silleri, Jan. i. 
 T T is with difficulty I breathe, my dear, 
 • A the cold is amazingly intenfe as al ' 
 moft totally to Hop refpiration. I have 
 bufmefs, the bufinefs of pleafure, at Que^ 
 bee J but have not courage to ftir from the 
 ftove. 
 
 We have had five days, the feverity of 
 which none of the natives remember to 
 
 have 
 
 
ai6 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ]iave ever feen equaled : *tis faid, the cold 
 is beyond all the thermometers hcre^ tho^ 
 intended for the climate. 
 
 The flrongefl wine freezes in a room 
 which has a ftove in it ; even brandy is 
 thickened to the confillence of oil : the 
 largeft wood fire, in a wide chimney, does 
 not throw out its heat a quarter of a yard. 
 
 I muft venture to Qi)ebec to-morrow, or 
 have company at home : amufements arc 
 iiere necelfary to life; we muft be jovial, 
 or the blood will freeze in our veins. 
 
 I no longer wonder the elegant arts arc 
 iinknown here ; the rigour of the climate 
 fufpends the very powers of die underftand- 
 ing J what then muft become of thofe of 
 the imagination ? Thofe who exped to fee 
 
 4( 
 
 A new Athens rifing near the pole, 
 
 will 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 2,7 
 
 will find themfelves extremely difappoint- 
 ed Genius will never mount high, where 
 the faculties of the mind arc benumbed 
 half the year. 
 
 « 
 
 'Tls fufficient employment for the moft 
 lively fpirit here to contrive how to pre- 
 ferve an exiftence, of which there are mo- 
 ments that one is hardly confcious : the 
 
 ^ cold really fometimes brings on a fort of 
 
 " ftiipefaftion. 
 
 We had a million of beaux here' yefter- 
 day, notwithftanding the fevere cold : 'tis 
 the Canadian cuftom, calculated I fuppofe 
 for the climate> to vifit all the ladies on 
 New-year's-day, who fit drefled in form 
 to bekifled: I aflbre you, however, our 
 kifles could not warm them -. but we were 
 obliged, to our eternal difgrace, to call in 
 rafberiy brandy as an auxilary. 
 
 '•'■ It 
 
 . I 
 
 Vol. L 
 
 You 
 
2i8 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 You would have died to fee the men ; 
 they look juft like fo many bears in their 
 open carrioles, all wrapped in flirs from 
 head to foot; you fee nothing of the hu* 
 man form appear, but the tip of a nofe. 
 
 They have intire coats of beaver Ikin, 
 exadlly like Friday's in Robinfon Crufoe, 
 and cafques on their heads like the old 
 knights errant in romance ; you never faw 
 fuch tremendous figures ; but without this 
 kind of cloadiing it would be impoflible to 
 ftir out at prefent. 
 
 The ladies are equally covered up, tho* 
 In a lefs unbecoming ftyle j they have long 
 cloth cloaks with loofe hoods, like thofe 
 worn by the market-women in the north 
 of England, I have one in fcarlet, the 
 hood lined with fabk, the prettieft ever 
 feen here, in which I affure you I look 
 amazingly handfome i the men think (o, 
 
 unci 
 
 and ( 
 name 
 
 T[ 
 in In 
 in th( 
 Woms 
 
 Bel 
 
 out, V 
 our fe 
 us alnr 
 the w} 
 the we 
 
 Our 
 canvas 
 becauH 
 tains t( 
 fwiftnei 
 along 1 
 
 
 blood. 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 219 
 
 and call me the Little red riding-hood ; a 
 name which becomes me as well as the 
 
 The Canadian ladies wear thefe cloaks 
 in India filk in fummer, which, fluttering 
 in the wind, look really graceful on a fine 
 Woman. 
 
 Befides our riding-hoods, when we go 
 our, we have a large buffaloe's fkin under 
 our feet, which turns up, and wraps round 
 us almoft to our flioulders j fo that, upon 
 the whole, we are pretty well guarded from 
 the weather as well as the mere 
 
 Our covered carrioles too have not only 
 canvas windows (we dare not have glafs 
 becaufe we often overturn) but cloth cur- 
 tains to draw all round usj the extreme 
 fwiftnels of diefe carriages alfo, which dart 
 along hke lightening, helps to keep one 
 
 TfZ' "f promoting the circulation of the 
 blood, 
 
 ipity 
 
 % i 
 
 1! 1 
 
aao THE HISTORY OF 
 
 I pity the Fitz ; no tiger was ever fb 
 hard-hearted as I am this weather: the 
 little god has taken his flight, like the fwal- 
 lows. I fay nothing, but cruelty is no 
 virtue in Canada j at lead: at this feafon, 
 
 I fuppofe Pygnmalion's ftatue was fomc 
 frozen Canadian gentlewoman, and a fud- 
 den warm day thawed her. I love to ex- 
 pound ancient fables, and I think no expo- 
 fition can be more natural than this. 
 
 Would you know what makes me chat- 
 ter fo this morning ? Papa has made me 
 take fome excellent liqueur 5 'tis the mode 
 here ; all the Canadian ladies take a little, 
 which makes them fo coquet and agreeable^ 
 Certainly brandy makes a woman talk like 
 an angel. Adieu! 
 
 Yours, 
 
 A. FfiRMORt 
 
 LET* 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE, 2Cli 
 
 LETTER L. 
 
 To Mifs Rivers, Clargcs-Street. 
 
 Silkri, Jiin. 4, 
 
 T DON'T quite agree with you, my 
 A dear; your brother does not appear 
 to me to have the leaft fcruple of that 
 foolifh falfe modefly which ftands in a 
 man's way. 
 
 He is extremely what the French call 
 awakenedj he is modeft, certainly ; that is, 
 he is not a coxcomb, but he has all that 
 proper felf-confidence which is neceflary to 
 fet his agreeable qualities in full light : no^ 
 tiling can be a ftronger proof of this, than 
 that, wherever he is, he always takes your 
 attention in a moment, and this without 
 feeming to folicit it. 
 
 L3 
 
 m. 
 
 11 
 
 I am 
 
222 THE HISTORY OP 
 
 I am very fond of him, though he never 
 makes iove to me, in which circumllance he 
 is very fingular : our friend/hip is quite 
 platonic, at leaft on his fide, for I am not 
 quite fo fure on the other. I remember 
 one day in fummer we were walking tete a 
 tete in the road to Cape Rouge, when he 
 wanted me to fliike into a very beautiful 
 thicket : " Pofitively, Rivers,'* faid I, « I 
 ^^ will not venture with you into that 
 " wQod/' « Are you afraid o^me. Bell ?" 
 " No, but extremely of mxfelf:* 
 
 I have loved him ever fince a little fcene 
 that paired here three or four months ago : 
 a very afFeding ftory, of a diftreffed family 
 in our neighbourhood, was told him and 
 Sir George 5 the latter preferved all the 
 philofophic dignity and manly compofure 
 of his countenance, very coldly exprefled 
 his concern, and failed another fubjeft : 
 your brother changed color, his eyes glif- 
 
 ti*ne»A . 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 243 
 
 tenedj he took the firft opportunity to leave 
 the room, he fought thefe poor people, he 
 found, he relieved them ; which we difco- 
 vered by accident a month after. 
 
 The weather, tho' cold beyond all that 
 you in England can form an idea of, is yet 
 mild to what it has been the laft five or fix 
 days J we are going to Quebec, to church. 
 
 Two o'clock. 
 
 Emily and I have been talking religion 
 all the way home: we are both mighty 
 good girls, a$ girls go in thefe degenerate 
 days i our grandmothers to be fure— but 
 it's folly to look back. 
 
 We have been faying, Lucy, that 'tis 
 the ftrangeft thing in the world people 
 fliould quarrel about religion, fince we un- 
 doubtedly all mean the fame thing; all 
 good minds in every religion aim at pleaf- 
 mg the Supreme Being j the means we take 
 
 L. 4 differ 
 
 
 m 
 
 m 
 
 ; 
 
 ■} i 
 
 n 
 
 31 
 
 If 
 
224 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 differ according to the country where we 
 are born, and the prejudices we imbibe 
 from educations a confideration which 
 ought to infpire us with kindnefs and in- 
 dulgence to each other. 
 
 If we examine each oiaer's fentiments 
 with candor, we fliall find much kfa differ- 
 ence in effentials than we imagine j 
 
 *< Since alJ agree to own, at leail to mean> 
 « One great, one good, one general Lord 
 " of all/' 
 
 There is, I think, a very pretty Sunday 
 reflexign for you, Lucy. 
 
 V 
 
 You muft know, I am extremely religious; 
 and for this amongft other reafons, that I 
 think infidelity a vice peculiarly contrary 
 to the nadve foftnefs of woman : it is bold, 
 daring, mafculine; and I Ihould almoft 
 
 dnnhf- tht^ f%v f\f «»> .,*,u^i: r- --^^: 
 
 coats^ 
 
 Women 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 1^25: 
 
 Women are religious as they are virtu- 
 ous, lefs from principles founded on rea- 
 foning and argument, than from elegance 
 of mind, delicacy of moral tafle, and a' 
 certain quick perception of the beautifull 
 and becoming in every thing- 
 
 This inftinft, however, for fuch it is, is. 
 ■Vvorth all the tedious reafonings of the men;, 
 which is a point I flatter myfelf you wilil 
 not dilpute with me*. • 
 
 Monday, Jan. 5;. 
 
 This is the firft day I have ventured in an^ 
 open. carriole J we have been running at 
 race on the fnow, your brother and I againft: 
 Emily and Fitzgerald : we conquered from > 
 Fitzgerald's complaifance to Emily,. I fhalli 
 like it mightily, well wrapt up :: I feloffi* 
 with a crape over my face to keep ■■ olF the * 
 cold,, but 'a three minutes it- was> ai cake^ 
 
 L5, off 
 
126 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 of folid ice, from my breath which froze 
 upon it i yet this is called a mild day, and 
 tiie fm fliines in all his glory^ 
 
 Silleri, ThurfUay, Jan. 8, midnight. 
 
 We are juft come from the General's. 
 aflemWy; much company, and we danced 
 till this minute ; for I believe we have not 
 been more coming thefe four miles. 
 
 i 
 
 Fitzgerald is the very pink ofcourtefy ^ 
 he never ufes his covered carriole himfelf,, 
 but devotes it intirely to the ladies 5 it 
 ftands at the General's door in waiting on 
 Thurfdays : If any lady comes out before- 
 ber carriole arrives, the fervants call out. 
 meehanicallyi " Captain Fitzgerald's car- 
 ^' riole here, fer a lady.'' The Colonel is 
 equally gallant^ but I generally lay an em- 
 bargo on. his :: they have each of them aa 
 extreme pretty^ one for therafelves, or to. 
 4i'iye a feir lady a, morning's airings, whm. 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. o.%j 
 
 flie will allow tliem the honor, and the 
 weather is mild enough to permit it* 
 
 Bon/oir ! I am fleepy^ 
 Tours^ 
 
 A. FlRMOR* 
 
 LETTER LL 
 To John Temple^ Efq^^ PaU-MalL 
 
 'i 
 
 m 
 
 I' Mi 
 
 iiit i 
 
 i 
 
 i! 
 
 Quebec, Jan. 9 
 
 XrOUmiftakeme extremely,. Jack, as 
 A you generally do: I have by no 
 «neans.forfwQrn marriage: on the contrary,, 
 though, happinefs is not fo often found 
 there as I wifh it was, yet I am^ convinced 
 tt IS to be fcund no where elfe. and,, po^r 
 w„ * «x*i, X iiiv^uiQ ijut ntiiuace atjout tryino^ 
 the experiment myfelf to-morrow^ if I 
 
 L-6 could 
 
 
 Is' 
 
 
 ■Ill 
 
^^iS THE HISTORY OF 
 
 could meet with a woman to my tafte, unap*.. 
 priated, whofe ideas of the ftate agreed 
 with mine, which I allow are fomething 
 out of the common road : but I muft bc; 
 certain thofe ideas are her own,, therefore- 
 they muft arife fpontaneoufly, and not in; 
 complaifance to mine; for which reafon, if 
 I could,.! would endeavour to lead my mif- 
 trefs into the fubjed,^ and know her fenti^- 
 ments on the manner of living in that ftatc: 
 before I: difco vered. my o wn. 
 
 I muft alio be well convinced of lier ten- 
 dernefs before I make a declaration of mine :: 
 Ihe muft not diftinguilh me becaufe I flatter ■ 
 her, but becaufe fhe thinks I have merit;., 
 thofe fancied pafTions, where gratified vanity 
 afllimes the form of love, will: not fatisfy 
 my heart : the eyes,, the air, the voice of 
 the woman Ilove, a thoufand little indif- 
 cretions dear to the heart,, muft convince- 
 me I. am beloved,, before I ccnfefs I- love.. 
 
 Though; 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE; 2ly 
 
 Though fenfible of the advantages of 
 fcrtune, I can be happy without it : if I 
 
 • fliould ever be rich enough to live in the 
 world, no one will enjoy it with greater 
 guft; if not, I can with great Ipirit, pro^ 
 vided 1 find fuch a companion as I wifh,, 
 
 ^ retire from it to love, content, and a cot- 
 tage : by which I mean to the life of a. 
 Kttle country gentleman^ 
 
 L ■ 
 
 You afk me my opinion of the winter 
 here. If you can bear a degree of cold,,, 
 of which Europeans can form no idea, it 
 is far from being unpleafant -, we have fet- 
 tled froft, and an eternal blue liy. Tra- 
 velling in this country in winter is particu- 
 larly agreeable : die carriages are eafy, and. 
 go on the ice with an amazing velocity,, 
 though drawn only by one horfe. 
 
 The continual plain of fnow would be 
 "extremely fatiguing both to the eye and 
 
 irnaorl no fir»n 
 
 
 U„*.1 
 
 Hsjl uQlii relieved, not 
 
 only 
 
 ■n 
 
 ^'.t- \ 
 
»30 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 only by the woods in proipeft^ but by the 
 taU branches of pines with which the road 
 is aiarked out on each fide, and which 
 form a verdant avenue agreeably contrafted 
 with the dazzling whitenefs of the fnow> on 
 which, when the fun fhines, it is almoft im- 
 poflible to look fteadily even for a momenta 
 
 Were it not for this nnethod of marking 
 out the roads, it would be impoflible ta 
 find the way from one village to another.. 
 
 The eternal famenefs however of this 
 avenue is tirefonae when you go far in one 
 road» 
 
 I have pafled the M two months in the 
 moft agreeable manner poflible, in a litde 
 fociety of perlbns I extremely love : I feel 
 myfelf fo attached to this little circle of 
 friends, that I have no pleafure in any other 
 company, and think all the time abfolutely^ 
 loft that politenels forces me to Ipend any 
 
 where 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE, aji 
 
 where dfe. I extremely dread our party's, 
 being difTolved, and wifh the winter to laft 
 for ever^ for I am afraid the fpring will di- 
 vide us» 
 
 Adieu ! and believe me. 
 
 ji'! 
 
 iiiii 
 
 Yours^ 
 
 Ei>. RiVERSi. 
 
 LETTER Uh 
 
 To Mifs Rivers, Clarges-Street. 
 
 SiMeri, Jan. 9^ 
 T BEGIN not to difrelilh the winter 
 A here j now I am ufed to the cold> I 
 don't feel ij: fo much : as there is no buii- 
 Befs done here in the winter,, 'tis the feafoa 
 — Q^**t,*v^ vtiXAi^ivtivii^ iiiiiuierDcnu is the 
 
 * ftudy 
 
 I 
 
 h 
 
 I 
 
 ' 1 
 
 !ii 
 
 < 1 
 
 f 
 
 
2J2THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ftudy of every body, and the pakis peot)Ie 
 take to pleafe themfelves contribute to the 
 general pleafure: upon the whole, i am 
 not fure it is not a pleafanter winter than 
 that of England. 
 
 Both our houfes and our carriages are 
 lancommonly warm ; the clear ferene fkiy, 
 the dry pure air, the little parties of danc- 
 ing and cards, the good tabfe we all keep, 
 the driving about on- thfeice, the abundance 
 of people we fe there, for every body has 
 a carriole, the variety of objeds new to an 
 European, keep the fpirits in a continual^ 
 agreeable hurry, that is difficult to defcribe,, 
 but very pleafant to feel* 
 
 Sir George (would you believe it ?) has. 
 written Emily a very warm letter ^ tender, 
 lentimental, and ahuoil impatient j Mrs,„ 
 Mclmoth's dilating, I will anfwer for it j, 
 not at all in his own compofed agreeable 
 ftyle.- He talks qf coming down in a- few- 
 days: 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 2jj 
 
 days : I have a ftrong notion he is coming, 
 after his long tedious two years fiege, to 
 endeavor to take us by ftorm at laft 5 he 
 certainly prepares for a coup de main. He 
 is right, all women hate a regular attack. 
 
 Adieu for the prefent. 
 
 Monday^ Jan, \u 
 
 We fup at your brother's to-night, with 
 all the heau monde of Quebec : we fball be 
 fuperbly entertained, I know. I am maUci- 
 
 ' /^ rt' 
 
 Vila 
 
 ciiougn CO wnn :5ir Lreorge may arrive 
 ' during the entertainment, becaufe I have 
 an idea it will mortify him 5 though Lfcarce 
 know why I think fo. Adieu I 
 
 Yours, 
 
 ^'V 
 
 
 m 
 
 A. Fermor. 
 
 .»' 
 
 L E T- 
 
aj4 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 LETTER 
 
 LIII, 
 
 To Mifs Rivers, Clarges-Strcet. 
 
 t 
 
 Jan. 13, Eleven o'clock. k 
 TT7E paffed a moft agreeable evening * 
 
 ▼ V with your brother, though a large 
 company, which is feldom the cafe: a 
 moft admirable fupper, excellent wine, an 
 elegant defert of preferved fruits, and 
 every body in Ipirits and good humor. j 
 
 The Colonel was the foul of our enter- 
 tainment: amongft his other virtues, he 
 has the companionable and convivial ones 
 to an immenfe degree, which I never had 
 an opportunity of difcovering fo clearly 
 before. He feemed charmed beyond words 
 to fee us all fo happy : we ftaid till four 
 o'clock in the morning, yet all complained 
 to-day we came away too foon. 
 
 & 
 
 I need 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 235 
 
 I need not tell you we had fiddles, for 
 there is no entertainment in Canada without 
 them : never was fuch a race of dancers. 
 
 One o'clock. 
 The dear man is come, and with an equi- 
 page which puts the Emprefs of Ruffia's 
 traineau to fhame. America never beheld 
 any thing fo brilliant. 
 
 « All other carrioles, at fight of this, • 
 « Hide their diminifh'd heads," 
 
 Your brother's and Fitzgerald*s will never 
 dare to appear now 5 they fink into no* 
 thing. 
 
 Seven in the evening. 
 Emily has been in tears in her chamber ; 
 'tis a letter of Mrs. Melmoth's which has 
 had this difagreeable efFeftj fome wifead- 
 vice, I fuppofe. Lord ! how I hate people 
 that give advice ! don't you, Lucy ? 
 
 Mi. 
 hi 
 
 I 
 
 H 
 it 
 
 r 
 
 t 
 
 If: 
 
 I don't 
 
23^ THE HISTORY OF 
 
 Idon*t like this lover's coming; he is al- 
 mofl as bad as a hu/band : 1 am afraid he 
 will derange our little coterie ; and we have 
 been lo hapy, I can't bear it. 
 
 Good nighty my dear. 
 
 Yoursj 
 
 A« Fermor. 
 
 LETTER LIV. 
 
 To Mifs Rivers,. Clarges-Street. 
 
 Sillcri, Jan. 14, 
 
 WE have pafled a mighty ftiipid day ;, 
 Sir George is civil, attentive, and 
 dull; Emily penfive, thoughtful, andfilent; 
 and my little felf as peevifh as an old maid : 
 nobody comes near us, not even your bro- 
 ther^ becaufe we are fuDoofed to ne fef. 
 
 tlins: 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 237 
 
 tling pteliminaries j for you muft know, Sir 
 George has graciouO/ condefcended to 
 change his mind, and will marry her, if (he 
 pleafes, without waiting for his mother*s 
 letter, which refolution he has communi- 
 cated to twenty people at Quebec in his 
 way hither ; he is really extremely oblig. 
 ing. I fuppofe the Melmoth's have fpirited 
 him up to this. 
 
 One o'clock. 
 
 Emily is ftrangely referved to me y fhe 
 avoids feeing me alone, and when it hap- 
 pens talks of the weather 3 papa is how- 
 ever in her confidence : he is as ftrong an 
 advocate for this milky baronet as Mrs. 
 Melmoth, 
 
 Ten at night* 
 
 AH is over, Lucy j that is to fay, all is 
 
 fixed : they are to be married on Monday 
 
 next at the Recollcfts church, and to fee 
 
 off immediately for Montreal : my father 
 
 has 
 
 i 
 
ai» THE HISTORY OF 
 
 has been telling me the whole plan of ope- 
 rations : we go up with them. Hay a fort- 
 night, then all come down, and (hew away 
 till fummer, when the happy pair embark 
 in the firft fhip for England. 
 
 I 
 
 Emily is really what one would call a 
 prudent pretty fort of a woman, I did not 
 think it had been in her : fhe is certainly 
 right, there is danger in delay 5 fhe has a 
 thoufand proverbs on her fide j I thought 
 what all her fine fentiments would come 
 to-, fhe fhould at Icafl have waited for mam- 
 ma's confent ; this hurry is not quite con» 
 fiftent with that extreme delicacy on which 
 fhe piques herfelf ; it looks exceedingly as 
 if fhe was afraid of lofing him. 
 
 I don't love her half fo well as I did three 
 days ago ; I hate difcreet young ladies that 
 marry and fettle ; give me an agreeable 
 fellow and a knapfack. 
 
 ! ^- 
 
 My 
 
EMILY MONTAGUE. 435 
 
 My poor Rivers ! what will become of 
 him when we are gone ? he has neglefted 
 every body for us. 
 
 Aslhelom the pleafures of converfation. 
 ihe will be amazingly happy in her choice ; 
 
 « With fuch a companion to fpend the 
 " long day !" 
 
 He is to be fure a moft entertaining 
 
 creature. ^ 
 
 Adieu ! I have no patience. 
 
 Yours, 
 
 A. Fermor, 
 
 After all, I am a little droll; I am angry 
 wnh Emily for concluding an advantageous 
 match with a man Ihe does not abfolutely 
 dinike, which aU good mammas fay is fuffi. 
 cient J and this only becaufe it breaks in on 
 a httie circle of friends, in whofe fociety I 
 Aave«ecn happy, oi felfj ftifi i^ould 
 
 have 
 
 ( 
 
240 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 have her hazard lofing a fine fortune and a 
 coach and fix, that I may continue my co- 
 terie two or three months longer. 
 
 Adieu ! I will write again as foon as we 
 are married. My next will, I fuppofe, be 
 from Montreal. I die to fee your brother 
 and my little Fitzgerald 5 this man gives me 
 the vapours. Heavens ! Lucy, what a 
 difference there is in men ! 
 
 END OF VOL, h 
 
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