LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP and Other Early Works

also spelled
LOVE AND FREINDSHIP

A collection of juvenile writings
CONTENTS

Love and Freindship
Lesley Castle

The History of England
Collection of Letters

Scraps
*

LOVE AND FREINDSHIP
TO MADAME LA COMTESSE DE FEUILLIDE THIS NOVEL IS INSCRIBED BY HER

OBLIGED HUMBLE SERVANT
THE AUTHOR.

"Deceived in Freindship and Betrayed in Love."
LETTER the FIRST

From ISABEL to LAURA
How often, in answer to my repeated intreaties that you would

give my Daughter a regular detail of the Misfortunes and
Adventures of your Life, have you said "No, my freind never will

I comply with your request till I may be no longer in Danger of
again experiencing such dreadful ones."

Surely that time is now at hand. You are this day 55. If a
woman may ever be said to be in safety from the determined

Perseverance of disagreeable Lovers and the cruel Persecutions of
obstinate Fathers, surely it must be at such a time of Life.

Isabel
LETTER 2nd

LAURA to ISABEL
Altho' I cannot agree with you in supposing that I shall never

again be exposed to Misfortunes as unmerited as those I have
already experienced, yet to avoid the imputation of Obstinacy or

ill-nature, I will gratify the curiosity of your daughter; and
may the fortitude with which I have suffered the many afflictions

of my past Life, prove to her a useful lesson for the support of
those which may befall her in her own.

Laura
LETTER 3rd

LAURA to MARIANNE
As the Daughter of my most intimate freind I think you entitled

to that knowledge of my unhappy story, which your Mother has so
often solicited me to give you.

My Father was a native of Ireland and an inhabitant of Wales; my
Mother was the natural Daughter of a Scotch Peer by an italian

Opera-girl--I was born in Spain and received my Education at a
Convent in France.

When I had reached my eighteenth Year I was recalled by my
Parents to my paternal roof in Wales. Our mansion was situated

in one of the most romantic parts of the Vale of Uske. Tho' my
Charms are now considerably softened and somewhat impaired by the

Misfortunes I have undergone, I was once beautiful. But lovely
as I was the Graces of my Person were the least of my

Perfections. Of every accomplishment accustomary to my sex, I was
Mistress. When in the Convent, my progress had always exceeded my

instructions, my Acquirements had been wonderfull for my age, and
I had shortly surpassed my Masters.

In my Mind, every Virtue that could adorn it was centered; it was
the Rendez-vous of every good Quality and of every noble

sentiment.
A sensibility too tremblingly alive to every affliction of my

Freinds, my Acquaintance and particularly to every affliction of
my own, was my only fault, if a fault it could be called. Alas!

how altered now! Tho' indeed my own Misfortunes do not make less
impression on me than they ever did, yet now I never feel for

those of an other. My accomplishments too, begin to fade--I can
neither sing so well nor Dance so gracefully as I once did--and I

have entirely forgot the MINUET DELA COUR.
Adeiu.

Laura.
LETTER 4th

Laura to MARIANNE
Our neighbourhood was small, for it consisted only of your

Mother. She may probably have already told you that being left
by her Parents in indigent Circumstances she had retired into

Wales on eoconomical motives. There it was our freindship first
commenced. Isobel was then one and twenty. Tho' pleasing both

in her Person and Manners (between ourselves) she never possessed
the hundredth part of my Beauty or Accomplishments. Isabel had

seen the World. She had passed 2 Years at one of the first
Boarding-schools in London; had spent a fortnight in Bath and had

supped one night in Southampton.
"Beware my Laura (she would often say) Beware of the insipid

Vanities and idle Dissipations of the Metropolis of England;
Beware of the unmeaning Luxuries of Bath and of the stinking fish

of Southampton."
"Alas! (exclaimed I) how am I to avoid those evils I shall never

be exposed to? What probability is there of my ever tasting the
Dissipations of London, the Luxuries of Bath, or the stinking

Fish of Southampton? I who am doomed to waste my Days of Youth
and Beauty in an humble Cottage in the Vale of Uske."

Ah! little did I then think I was ordained so soon to quit that
humble Cottage for the Deceitfull Pleasures of the World.

Adeiu
Laura.

LETTER 5th
LAURA to MARIANNE

One Evening in December as my Father, my Mother and myself, were
arranged in social converse round our Fireside, we were on a

sudden greatly astonished, by hearing a violent knocking on the
outward door of our rustic Cot.

My Father started--"What noise is that," (said he.) "It sounds
like a loud rapping at the door"--(replied my Mother.) "it does

indeed." (cried I.) "I am of your opinion; (said my Father) it
certainly does appear to proceed from some uncommon violence

exerted against our unoffending door." "Yes (exclaimed I) I
cannot help thinking it must be somebody who knocks for

admittance."
"That is another point (replied he;) We must not pretend to

determine on what motive the person may knock--tho' that someone
DOES rap at the door, I am partly convinced."

Here, a 2d tremendous rap interrupted my Father in his speech,
and somewhat alarmed my Mother and me.

"Had we better not go and see who it is? (said she) the servants
are out." "I think we had." (replied I.) "Certainly, (added my

Father) by all means." "Shall we go now?" (said my Mother,) "The
sooner the better." (answered he.) "Oh! let no time be lost"

(cried I.)
A third more violent Rap than ever again assaulted our ears. "I

am certain there is somebody knocking at the Door." (said my
Mother.) "I think there must," (replied my Father) "I fancy the

servants are returned; (said I) I think I hear Mary going to the
Door." "I'm glad of it (cried my Father) for I long to know who

it is."
I was right in my conjecture; for Mary instantly" target="_blank" title="ad.立即，立刻">instantly entering the

Room, informed us that a young Gentleman and his Servant were at
the door, who had lossed their way, were very cold and begged

leave to warm themselves by our fire.
"Won't you admit them?" (said I.) "You have no objection, my

Dear?" (said my Father.) "None in the World." (replied my