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they are not punishable by law. I had no such scruple myself; and yetI hope my cousin Sophia will not think it an affront when I say shecannot detest every real species of falsehood more than her cousinFitzpatrick. To my aunt, indeed, I pretend no duty, nor doth shedeserve any. However, sir, I have given you my advice; and if youdecline pursuing it, I shall have the less opinion of yourunderstanding--that's all."Jones now clearly saw the error he had committed, and exerted hisutmost power to rectify it; but he only faultered and stuttered intononsense and contradiction. To say the truth, it is often safer toabide by the consequences of the first blunder than to endeavour torectify it; for by such endeavours we generally plunge deeper insteadof extricating ourselves; and few persons will on such occasions havethe good-nature which Mrs Fitzpatrick displayed to Jones, by saying,with a smile, "You need attempt no more excuses; for I can easilyforgive a real lover, whatever is the effect of fondness for hismistress."She then renewed her proposal, and very fervently recommended it,omitting no argument which her invention could suggest on the subject;for she was so violently incensed against her aunt, that scarceanything was capable of affording her equal pleasure with exposingher; and, like a true woman, she would see no difficulties in theexecution of a favourite scheme.Jones, however, persisted in declining the undertaking, which had not,indeed, the least probability of success. He easily perceived themotives which induced Mrs Fitzpatrick to be so eager in pressing heradvice. He said he would not deny the tender and passionate regard hehad for Sophia; but was so conscious of the inequality of theirsituations, that he could never flatter himself so far as to hope thatso divine a young lady would condescend to think on so unworthy a man;nay, he protested, he could scarce bring himself to wish she should.He concluded with a profession of generous sentiments, which we havenot at present leisure to insert.There are some fine women (for I dare not here speak in too generalterms) with whom self is so predominant, that they never detach itfrom any subject; and, as vanity is with them a ruling principle, theyare apt to lay hold of whatever praise they meet with; and, though theproperty of others, convey it to their own use. In the company ofthese ladies it is impossible to say anything handsome of anotherwoman which they will not apply to themselves; nay, they often improvethe praise they seize; as, for instance, if her beauty, her wit, hergentility, her good humour deserve so much commendation, what do Ideserve, who possess those qualities in so much more eminent a degree?To these ladies a man often recommends himself while he is commendinganother woman; and, while he is expressing ardour and generoussentiments for his mistress, they are considering what a charminglover this man would make to them, who can feel all this tendernessfor an inferior degree of merit. Of this, strange as it may seem, Ihave seen many instances besides Mrs Fitzpatrick, to whom all thisreally happened, and who now began to feel a somewhat for Mr Jones,the symptoms of which she much sooner understood than poor Sophia hadformerly done.To say the truth, perfect beauty in both sexes is a more irresistible