“That noble frankness of disposition, that sweet and unaffected openness and simplicity, which shines in all her actions and behaviour, commend her to the esteem and reverence of all mankind; as her humility and affability, and a temper uncensorious, and ever making the best of what she said of the absent person, of either sex, do to the love of every lady.  Her name, indeed, is not prostituted on windows, nor carved on the barks of trees in public places:  but it smells sweet to every nostril, dwells on every tongue, and is engraven on every heart.  She meets with no address but from men of honour and probity:  the fluttering coxcomb, the inveigling parasite, the insidious deceiver, the mercenary fortune-hunter, spread no snares for a heart guarded by discretion and prudence, as hers is.  They see, that all her amiable virtues are the happy result of an uniform judgment, and the effects of her own wisdom, founded in an education to which she does the highest credit.  And at last, after several worthy offers, enough to perplex a lady’s choice, she blesses some one happy gentleman, more distinguished than the rest, for learning, good sense, and true politeness, which is but another word for virtue and honour; and shines, to her last hour, in all the duties of domestic life, as an excellent wife, mother, mistress, friend, and Christian; and so confirms all the expectations of which her maiden life had given such strong and such edifying presages.”

Then folding my dear Miss in my arms, and kissing her, tears of pleasure standing in her pretty eyes, “Who would not,” said I, “shun the examples of the Coquetilla’s, the Prudiana’s, and the Profusiana’s of this world, and choose to’ imitate the character of Prudentia!-the happy, and the happy-making Prudentia.”

“O Madam!  Madam!” said the dear creature, smothering me with her rapturous kisses, “Prudentia is YOU!—­Is YOU indeed!—­It can be nobody else!—­O teach me, good God! to follow your example, and I shall be a Second Prudentia—­Indeed I shall!”

“God send you may, my beloved Miss!  And may he bless you more, if possible, than Prudentia was blessed!”

And so, my dear Lady G., you have some of my nursery tales; with which, relying on your kind allowances and friendship, I conclude myself your affectionate and faithful

P.B.

CONCLUSION

The Editor thinks proper to conclude in this place, that he may not be thought to deserve a suspicion, that the extent of the work was to be measured by the patience of its readers.  But he thinks it necessary, in order to elucidate the whole, to subjoin a note of the following facts.