ession of your own, that Mr.
_Milton_ coulde not make you happy. But now I have beene led to the
Conclusion that you cannot make _him_ soe, which increases the
Difficultie."

After a Pause, I sayd, "What makes you think soe?"

"You and he have made me think soe," he replyed. "First for yourself,
dear _Moll_, putting aside for a Time the Consideration of your Youth,
Beauty, Franknesse, Mirthfullenesse, and a certayn girlish Drollerie
and Mischiefe that are all very well in fitting Time and Place,--what
remains in you for a Mind like _John Milton's_ to repose upon? what
Stabilitie? what Sympathie? what steadfast Principle? You take noe
Pains to apprehend and relish his favourite Pursuits; you care not for
his wounded Feelings, you consult not his Interests, anie more than
your owne Duty. Now, is such the Character to make _Milton_ happy?"

"No one can answer that but himself," I replyed, deeplie mortyfide.

"Well, he _has_ answered it," sayd Mr. _Agnew_, taking up the Letter he
and _Rose_ had beene reading when I interrupted them. . . . "You must
know, _Cousin_, that his and my close Friendship hath beene a good deal
interrupted by this Matter. 'Twas under my Roof you met. _Rose_ had
imparted to me much of her earlie Interest in you. I fancied you had
good Dispositions which, under masterlie Trayning, would ripen into
noble Principles; and therefore promoted your Marriage as far as my
Interest with your Father had Weight. I own I was surprised at his
easilie obtayned Consent . . . but, that _you_, once domesticated with
such a Man as _John Milton_, shoulde find your Home uninteresting, your
Affections free to stray back to your owne Family, was what I had never
contemplated."

Here I made a Show of taking the Letter, but he held it back.

"No, _Moll_, you disappointed us everie Way. And, for a Time, _Rose_
and I were ashamed, _for_ you rather than of you, that we left noe
Means neglected of trying to preserve your Place in your Husband's
Regard. But you did not bear us out; and then he beganne to take it
amisse that we upheld you. Soe then, after some warm and cool Words,
our Correspondence languished; and hath but now beene renewed."

"He hath written us a most kind Condolence," interrupted _Rose_, "on
the Death of our Baby."

"Yes, most kindlie, most nobly exprest," sayd Mr. _Agnew_; "but what a
Conclusion!"

And then, after this long Preamble, he offered me the Letter, the
Beginning of which, tho