added, “I can assure you, Mr. Cranstoun, had my daughter L10,000 and in my disposal, I would give her to you with the greatest pleasure.  There is one thing, continued she, I think, Mr. Cranstoun, I ought to inform you of.  Notwithstanding the world reports Mr. Blandy to be able to give his daughter down a handsome fortune, I am sure he cannot do it; tho’ I was ever made a stranger to his circumstances.”  To which he replied, “If Mr. Blandy will give me his daughter, I shall not trouble him about that.”  This, as far as I can recollect, is the substance of what passed on Mr. Cranstoun’s first making his addresses to me.

After the last conference, my mamma and Mr. Cranstoun had several others to the same effect; the last of which was followed by Mr. Cranstoun’s journey to Bath.  He attended his uncle.  Lord Mark Kerr, thither; but before he left Henley, he obtained my father’s leave to correspond with me.  He went to Bath, if my memory fails me not, in the latter season of the year 1747; after I had been above a year acquainted with him.  He staid at Bath about five or six weeks; and, after his return to Henley, lived at our house, with my father’s and mother’s approbation, five or six months.  At the end of this term, he went up to town; and, within a few days after his arrival there, wrote to my father, to beg; the favour of him to comply with his request, that I might be permitted to stay for him till his unhappy affair with Miss Murray (for so was his supposed wife called) was finally determined.  This, he said, he was assured, by the best judges, must end in a little time with certain success:  which, as he added, would make him the happiest man living; and he doubted not but he should communicate the same degree of happiness to me, by the tender treatment I should meet with from him.  My father gave the letter to me with a smile, and told me, “that was a letter which he believed I should read with some pleasure.”  After I had read it, I said, “What will you answer it, sir?"’ To which he replied, “Not at all.”  Upon this, looking earnestly at him, said, “Not at all, papa?” “No,” replied he, “you shall answer it yourself.”  “In what manner, sir?” subjoined I.  “As,” returned he, “is most agreeable to you.”  To which, however, he thought fit to add, “Tho’ I give you leave in this manner, yet if you are prudent you will not think of having a man of quality without any fortune, when you may marry a man with a very ample one, of as good a gentleman’s family as any in England:  But, continued he, if you can be contented, I’ll do what I can to make you happy with him.  I believe he loves you, and mutual love must make the marriage-state happy.”  Mr. Blunt, the owner or proprietor of Paradise, the house inhabited by Lord Mark Kerr, was then at my father’s, and knew, if I am not mistaken, from whom the letter came.  Be that as it will, no more passed on this subject at that time.  The next post I informed Mr. Cranstoun, that “My papa had given me leave