“I am two letters in your debt, but it has not been so much from idleness, as a wish first to see how your comical love affair would turn out. You know I make a pretence not to interfere; but like all old maids I feel a mighty solicitude about the event of love stories. I learn from the lover that he has not been so remiss in his duty as you supposed. His effusion, and your complaints of his inconstancy, crossed each other on the road. He tells me his was a very strange letter, and that probably it has affronted you. That it was a strange letter I can readily believe, but that you were affronted by a strange letter is not so easy for me to conceive, that not being your way of taking things; but however it be, let some answer come, either to him or else to me, showing cause why you do not answer him—and pray by all means preserve the said letter, that I may one day have the pleasure of seeing how Mr. Hazlitt treats of love. . . . . .
“Yesterday evening we were at Rickman’s, and who should we find there but Hazlitt; though if you do not know it was his first invitation there, it will not surprise you as much as it did us. We were very much pleased, because we dearly love our friends to be respected by our friends.
“The most remarkable events of the evening were, that we had a very fine pine-apple; that Mr. Phillips, Mr. Lamb, and Mr. Hazlitt played at cribbage in the most polite and gentlemanly manner possible; and that I won two rubbers at whist. . . . .
| LITERARY LAURELS. | 149 |
“Farewell! Determine as wisely as you can in regard to Hazlitt; and if your determination is to have him, heaven send you many happy years together. If I am not mistaken, I have concluded letters on the Corydon courtship with this same wish. I hope it is not ominous of change; for if I were sure you would not be quite starved to death, nor beaten to a mummy, I should like to see Hazlitt and you come together, if (as Charles observes) it were only for the joke sake.
“Write instantly to me.
