r to refuse, and from the generous Advice she in so
many Places gives Miss _Howe_, in relation to her Treatment of Mr.
_Hickman_: And pray, Sir, continued Miss _Gibson_, pardon my asking you
one Question more, namely; whether you are not now satisfied with the
Conduct of the Author in the Management of his whole Story?

_Bellario_ answered, That he was not only satisfied with it, but highly
applauded all the material Parts of it; that the various distressful
Situations in which you had placed your Heroine, were noble beyond
Expression; that these three last Volumes contained many Scenes, each
singly arising to as high a Tragedy as can possibly be wrote; that the
Tears you had drawn from his Eyes were such Tears as flow'd from a Heart
at once filled with Admiration and Compassion, and labouring under
Sensations too strong for any Utterance in Words; and that for the Sake
of _Clarissa_, he would never form any Judgment of a Work again till the
whole was lain before him. This was noble! this was candid! this was
like _Bellario_! and Miss _Gibson_ could not forbear saying, that she
rejoyced in the Tears _he_ had shed for _Clarissa_. And, Sir, (continued
she) 'I am convinced, that those whose Eyes melt not at Scenes of
well-wrought Distress, cannot properly be said to laugh, from a liberal
and chearful Spirit, at the true Scenes of comic Humour.'

'The Beginning of this Season I went with a Lady, whose Acquaintance I
accidentally fell into, to _Drury-Lane_ Play-house, where Mr. _Garrick_
performed the Part of King _Lear_. I should have thought (tho' altered
and defaced as it is by Mr. _Tate_) that even Butchers must have wept;
but to my great Astonishment, my Companion sat unmoved: Silent indeed
she was, only now and then said, _she did not love Tragedy_; that, for
her part, _she had rather laugh than cry_, and liked a Comedy best. I
had a Curiosity to see in what manner comic Scenes would affect her; and
therefore proposed going to _Covent-Garden_ Play-house the next Night,
when Mr. _Quin_ was to play the Part of Sir _John Falstaff_, in _Harry_
the Fourth. Accordingly we went. The Lady did, indeed, now and then
catch the Laugh of those around her, enough to move about her Features a
little; but upon the whole, was pretty near as unmov'd as she had been
the Night before; and at last she confessed, that the Humours of Sir
_John Falstaff_ was not the Sort of Comedy that pleased her Fancy; but
that the merry Dialogues between _