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 THE GUARDIAN.

342

N® 57.

• 1. The father's clofe equivocal management, ſo as always to keep a reſervation to uſe upon occaſion, when he found himſelf preffed. • 2. The mother's affecting to appear extremely artful.

“ 3. A notion in the daughter (who is a lady of ſingular good ſenſe and virtue) that no man can

love her as he ought, who can deny any thing her parents demand.

• 4. Carrying on the affair by letters and con fidents, without fufficient interviews.

' I think you cannot fail obliging many in the

world, beſides my young neighbour and me, if you pleaſe to give your thoughts upon treaties of this nature, wherein all the nobility and gentry of this nation (in the unfortunate methods mar

riages are at preſent in) come at one time or other unavoidably to be engaged; eſpecially it is my humble requeſt, you will be particular in ſpeaking to the following points, to wit, ' 1. Whether honourable love ought to be

mentioned firſt to the young lady, or her pa rents ? 青8

• 2. Ifto the young lady firſt, whether a man

is obliged to comply with all the parents demand

afterwards, under pain of breaking off diſho nourably ? 63. If to the parents firſt, whether the lover may infift upon

what the father pretends to give,

and refuſe to make ſuch fettlement as muſt in

capacitate him for any thing afterwards; without juft imputation of being mercenary, or putting

a flight upon the lady, by entertaining views upon the contingency of her death ?