And pray, my little coufin, how do you) contrive to employ it better?"

To this question Mifs Bridgetina difdaining reply, caft such a look of contempt upon her reverend relative, as but for the circumftance of the fquint, which we have already noticed, muft infallibly have difcomfited him. But as her eyes, while in the act of darting indignant fire in his face, had every appearance of being directed towards the door, the poor gentleman efcaped un

hurt.

Mrs. Botherim now thought it time to astonish her old friend, by a discovery of the wonderful accomplishments of her daughter.

"You do not know, fir," fhe exultingly exclaimed, "that Biddy is a great fcholar! You will find, if you converfe with her a little, that the is far too learned to trouble herself about doing any thing ufeful. Do, Bridgetina, my dear, talk to your coufin a little about the cowfation, and perfebility, and all them there things as Mr. Glib and you are fo often upon. You have no idcer what a scholar fhe is," continued the fond mother, again addreffing herself to Mr. Mapple, "fhe has read every book in the circulating li brary, and Mr. Glib declares fhe knows them better than he does himself."

Indeed, mamma, but I dono fuch thing,' cried Bridgetina, pettifhly; do you think I would take the trouble of going through all the dry ftuff in Mr. Glib's collection?---history and travels, fermons and matters of fact? I hope I have a better tafte! You know very well I never read any thing but novels and metaphyfics."

"Novels and metaphyfics!" repeated her kinfman, cafting up his eyes, "O tempora!

mores!"

• Mofes,

Mofes, fir,' rejoined the young lady, ‹if indeed fuch a man as Mofes ever exifted, was a - very ignorant perfon. His energies were cramped by fuperftition, and the belief of a God, which is well known to be the grand obftacle to perfectibility.'

"My poor child!" faid Mr. Mapple, in a tone of compaffion mixed with aftonishment, "where haft thou got all this?"

I told you fo!' cried the delighted mother, I knew you had no ideer of her larning. She puts every one as vifits us to a none-plush. The Doctor himself had as lief go a mile out of his road, as enter into an argument with her.'

"Truly, I make no doubt of it," returned Mr. Mapple, drily, "I am quite of his way of thinking; and. as you have probably fome preparations to make for the company you expect this evening, fhall take my leave, You know I ride but flowly, and I fhould like to reach***** before it grows dark."

Nay, do pray now, fir, have a little more talk with Biddy before you go; for as to preparing for the company, I does all thefe there fort of things with my own hands. For though Nancy is a tolerable good cook in a plain way, he has no notion of nick-nacks. I am fure, if any one knew what a trouble it is for me to give fuppers! Indeed, Mr. Mapple, you have no ideer. There had I this morning to make the tarts, and the custards, aye, and the pudding too, which you ate at dinner, and praised fo much. And now I have only to put on the best covers on the drawing-room chairs, and to unpaper the fire-fcreens, and to fix the candles on the fconces, and to prepare my daughter's things; fo that I fhall foon be ready; meanwhile you may

chat with Biddy-it will do your heart good to hear her talk."

Mr. Mapple feemed to be of a different opinion; and declining to enter into any controversy with an adverfary whofe prowefs was fo highly vaunted, he immediately took his leave.

CHAP. VI.

Diftruftful Senfe with modeft caution fpeaks,
It still looks home, and fhort excursions makes.
But rattling Nonfenfe in full vollies breaks;
And never fhock'd, and never turn'd afide,
Burfis out refiftlefs with a thund'ring tide.

A s

S the principal families in the parish conti nued the fame attentions to the widow of their late recor, which they had paid her as his wife, it will be concluded, to a certainty, by thofe who know any thing of the world, that she was left in poffeffion of affluence.

It was not, however, to the extent of her fortune, fo much as to the exertion of her talents, that Mrs. Botherim ftood indebted for the civilities of her richer neighbours.

Whatever idea the reader may have formed of the negative ftrength of her intellects, fhe had fufficient fagacity to difcover, that when she could no longer give dinner for dinner, and fupper for fupper, a complete termination would, in the minds of many of her dear friends in the neighbourhood, be given to her existence. Effectually to keep herself alive in their remembrance, was

a point

a point which she might literally be faid to labour. It required the inceffant exertion of all the economy, and all the notability, of which fhe was mistress: nor would these alone have been fufficient, if they had not been affifted by the perfect knowledge of a science, which produced effects more delightful to many of her guests than all "Philofophy e'er taught."

it

Though the fcience of cookery was the only one with which Mrs. Botherim was acquainted, may be doubted whether it did not fometimes produce attractions as powerful as the metaphyfical knowledge of her daughter.

Even Mr. Myope himself has been fufpected of this preference; and has been actually known' to leave his free-will opponent in poffeffion of the last word, from the necessity he felt himfelf under of devouring the good things fet before him on Mrs. Botherim's table. Never shall I forget the eulogium I once heard him make on one of the good lady's currant tarts: a tart which, as he judiciously obferved, could never have been fo nicely sweetened, if Alexander the Great had not fet fire to the palace of Perfepolis.*

To praife her cookery, or to praise her daughter, was at all times the most direct road to Mrs. Botherim's heart. When the tribute of flattery was on either of these fubjects withheld, the quickly difcerned the motive, and confoled herself by obferving, "that it was better to be envied than pitied.'

"

That the and her daughter were the objects of envy to many of her neighbours, fhe could not doubt. The rector's family, in particular, had given her many strong proofs of being poffeffed

A 4

* See Godwin's Pol. Inf. vol. i. p. 161.

of

of this hateful paffion: even the reverend gen tleman himself had oftener than once dropt some hints about the needlefs expence of formal entertainments among friends and neighbours; and it was certain, that neither he, nor his fifter nor his daughters, appeared to enjoy half fo much fatisfaction at one of her feafts, as at the fimple fare which was fet before them when on a chance vifit. The fame envious difpofition it was, which, in Mrs. Botherim's opinion, made them not only avoid the fubject of metaphyfics, on which her daughter could fo far outfhine them, but feem in pain when it was mentioned.

Of the vifitors expected at the conclufion of the laft chapter, the ladies of the family we have juft mentioned, accompanied by the daughter of the diffenting clergy-man, were the first that arrived. They were feated in the drawing-room before either Mrs. or Mifs Botherim were ready to make their appearance.

At length the mother came curtfeying into the room, and while fhe ftroked down the obftinate folds of her well-ftarched apron, made a thoufand apologies for not being fooner prepared for their reception. She was followed by Bridgetina, whofe ftiff turban and gaudy ribbons put the homely plainnefs of her countenance in the moft confpicuous point of view.

Neither her drefs nor person were, however, in any danger of criticifm from the party prefent. They perceived not the prodigious fund of merriment that might have been derived from her wearing a blue gown and yellow flippers; a circumftance, which would have afforded a week's gigling to many miffes, was altogether loft upon them. Their ftupid infenfibility to the pleasure of perfonal ridicule, will, no doubt, imprefs

many