r Advantages have exceeded those of many young
Women; and among them I reckon, first and foremost, continuall
Intercourse with a superior Mind.

If a Piece of mere Leather, by frequent Contact with Silver, acquires a
certain Portion of the pure and bright Metal; sure, the Children of a
gifted Parent must, by the Collision of their Minds, insensibly, as
'twere, imbibe somewhat of his finer Parts. _Ned Phillips_, indeed,
sayth we are like People living so close under a big Mountain, as not to
know how high it is; but I think we . . . at least, I do. And, whatever
be our scant Learnings, Father, despite his limited Means, hath never
grutched us the Supply of a reall Want; and is, at this Time, paying
_Joan Elliott_ at a good Rate for perfecting _Anne_ in her pretty Work.
I am sorry _Mary_ should thus have sneaped him; and I am sorry I ever
either hurt him--by uncivil Speech, or wronged him by unkind Thought.
Poor _Nan_, with all her Infirmities, is, perhaps, his best Child. Not
that I am a bad one, neither.

My Night-tasks have recommenced of late; because, as he says--

"I suoi Pensieri in lui Dormir non ponno:"

which, being interpreted, means, "His Thoughts would let him and his
Daughter take no rest."

_12th_.

I know not that any one but Father hath ever concerned themselves to
imagine the Anxieties of the blessed Virgin during her Son's forty Days'
mysterious Absence. No wonder that

"Within her Breast, tho' calm, her Breast, tho' pure,
Motherly Fears got Head."

Father hath touched her with a very tender and reverent Hand, dwelling
less on her than he did on _Eve_, whom he with perfect Beauty adorned,
onlie to make her Sin appear more Sad. Well, we know not ourselves; but
methinks I should not have transgrest as she did, neither, for an Apple.

_15th_.

And now I have transgrest about a Pin! O me! what weak, wicked Wretches
we are! "Behold, how great a Matter a little Fire kindleth!" And the
Tongue is a Fire, an unruly Member. Sure, when I was writing, at
Father's Dictation, such heavy Charges against _Eve_, I privily thought I
was better than she; and, sifting the Doings of _Mary_ and _Anne_ through
a somewhat censorious Judgment, maybe I thought I was better than they.
Alas! we know not our own selves. And so, dropping a Stitch in my
Knitting, I must needs cry out--"Here, any of you . . . oh, Mother! do
bring me a Pin." My Sisters, as Ill-luck would have it, not being by,
crie