LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP and Other Early Works
also spelled
LOVE AND FREINDSHIP
LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP and Other Early Works
also spelled
LOVE AND FREINDSHIP
A collection of juvenile writings
[ A few very small changes have been made to this version:
Italics have been converted to capitals. The British ‘pound’
symbol has been converted to ‘L’; but in general the author’s
erratic spelling, punctuation and capitalisations have been
retained.]
*
CONTENTS.
Love and Freindship
Lesley Castle
The History of England
Collection of Letters
Scraps
*
LOVE AND FREINDSHIP
TO MADAME LA COMTESSE DE FEUILLIDE THIS NOVEL IS INSCRIBED BY HER
OBLIGED HUMBLE SERVANT
THE AUTHOR.
“Deceived in Freindship and Betrayed in Love.”
LETTER the FIRST
From ISABEL to LAURA
How often, in answer to my repeated intreaties that you would
give my Daughter a regular detail of the Misfortunes and
Adventures of your Life, have you said “No, my freind never will
I comply with your request till I may be no longer in Danger of
again experiencing such dreadful ones.”
Surely that time is now at hand. You are this day 55. If a
woman may ever be said to be in safety from the determined
Perseverance of disagreeable Lovers and the cruel Persecutions of
obstinate Fathers, surely it must be at such a time of Life.
Isabel
LETTER 2nd
LAURA to ISABEL
Altho’ I cannot agree with you in supposing that I shall never
again be exposed to Misfortunes as unmerited as those I have
already experienced, yet to avoid the imputation of Obstinacy or
ill-nature, I will gratify the curiosity of your daughter; and
may the fortitude with which I have suffered the many afflictions
of my past Life, prove to her a useful lesson for the support of
those which may befall her in her own.
Laura
LETTER 3rd
LAURA to MARIANNE
As the Daughter of my most intimate freind I think you entitled
to that knowledge of my unhappy story, which your Mother has so
often solicited me to give you.
My Father was a native of Ireland and an inhabitant of Wales; my
Mother was the natural Daughter of a Scotch Peer by an italian
Opera-girl–I was born in Spain and received my Education at a
Convent in France.
When I had reached my eighteenth Year I was recalled by my
Parents to my paternal roof in Wales. Our mansion was situated
in one of the most romantic parts of the Vale of Uske. Tho’ my
Charms are now considerably softened and somewhat impaired by the
Misfortunes I have undergone, I was once beautiful. But lovely
as I was the Graces of my Person were the least of my
Perfections. Of every accomplishment accustomary to my sex, I was
Mistress. When in the Convent, my progress had always exceeded my
instructions, my Acquirements had been wonderfull for my age, and
I had shortly surpassed my Masters.
In my Mind, every Virtue that could adorn it was centered; it was
the Rendez-vous of every good Quality and of every noble
sentiment.
A sensibility too tremblingly alive to every affliction of my
Freinds, my Acquaintance and particularly to every affliction of
my own, was my only fault, if a fault it could be called. Alas!
how altered now! Tho’ indeed my own Misfortunes do not make less
impression on me than they ever did, yet now I never feel for
those of an other. My accomplishments too, begin to fade–I can
neither sing so well nor Dance so gracefully as I once did–and I
have entirely forgot the MINUET DELA COUR.
Adeiu.
Laura.
LETTER 4th
Laura to MARIANNE
Our neighbourhood was small, for it consisted only of your
Mother. She may probably have already told you that being left
by her Parents in indigent Circumstances she had retired into
Wales on eoconomical motives. There it was our freindship first
commenced. Isobel was then one and twenty. Tho’ pleasing both
in her Person and Manners (between ourselves) she never possessed
the hundredth part of my Beauty or Accomplishments. Isabel had
seen the World. She had passed 2 Years at one of the first
Boarding-schools in London; had spent a fortnight in Bath and had
supped one night in Southampton.