TO MR. CHARLES DEIGHTON.
New-Haven.

I go on finely with my amour. I
have every encouragement that I could wi&longs;h.
Indeed my fair one does not verbally declare in
my favor; but then, according to the vulgar
proverb, that actions &longs;peak louder than words, I
have no rea&longs;on to complain; &longs;ince &longs;he evidently
approves my gallantry, is plea&longs;ed with my
company, and li&longs;tens to my flattery. Her sagatious
friends have undoubtedly given her a
detail of my vices. If, therefore, my pa&longs;t conduct
has been repugnant to her notions of propriety,
why does &longs;he not act con&longs;i&longs;tently, and refuse
at once to a&longs;&longs;ociate with a man who&longs;e character
&longs;he cannot e&longs;teem? But no; that, Charles, is
no part of the female plan: our entrapping a few
of their &longs;ex, only di&longs;covers the gaiety of our dispositions,
the in&longs;inuating graces of our manners,
and the irre&longs;i&longs;tible charms of our per&longs;ons and
addre&longs;s. The&longs;e qualifications are very alluring
to the &longs;prightly fancy of the fair. They
think to enjoy the plea&longs;ures which re&longs;ult from
this &longs;ource; while their vanity and ignorance

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prompt each one to imagine her&longs;elf &longs;uperior to
delu&longs;ion; and to anticipate the honor of reclaiming
the libertine, and reforming the rake!
I dont know, however, but this girl will
really have that merit with me; for I am
&longs;o much attached to her, that I begin to suspect
I &longs;hould &longs;ooner become a convert to sobriety
than lo&longs;e her. I cannot find that I have
made much impre&longs;&longs;ion on her heart as yet.
Want of &longs;ucce&longs;s in this point mortifies me extremely,
as it is the fir&longs;t time I ever failed. Besides,
I am apprehen&longs;ive that &longs;he is prepo&longs;&longs;e&longs;&longs;ed
in favor of the other &longs;wain, the clerical lover,
whom I have mentioned to you before. The
chord, therefore, upon which I play the mo&longs;t,
is the di&longs;&longs;imilarity of their di&longs;po&longs;itions and
plea&longs;ures. I endeavor to detach her from him,
and di&longs;affect her towards him; knowing, that
if I can &longs;eparate them entirely, I &longs;hall be
more likely to &longs;ucceed in my plan. Not that I
have any thoughts of marrying her my&longs;elf;
that will not do at pre&longs;ent. But I love her too
well to &longs;ee her connected with another for life.
I mu&longs;t own my&longs;elf a little revengeful too in this
affair. I wi&longs;h to puni&longs;h her friends, as &longs;he calls
them, for their malice towards me; for their
cold and negligent treatment of me whenever
I go to the hou&longs;e. I know that to fru&longs;trate their
de&longs;igns of a connection between Mr. Boyer and
Eliza would be a grievous di&longs;appointment. I
have not yet determined to &longs;educe her, though,
with all her preten&longs;ions to virtue, I do not think

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it impo&longs;&longs;ible. And if I &longs;hould, &longs;he can blame
none but her&longs;elf, &longs;ince &longs;he knows my character,
and has no rea&longs;on to wonder if I act con&longs;i&longs;tently
with it. If &longs;he will play with a lion, let her beware
of his paw, I &longs;ay. At pre&longs;ent, I wi&longs;h innocently
to enjoy her &longs;ociety; it is a luxury which
I never ta&longs;ted before. She is the very &longs;oul
of plea&longs;ure. The gaye&longs;t circle is irradiated by
her pre&longs;ence, and the highe&longs;t entertainment receives
its greate&longs;t charm from her &longs;miles. Besides,
I have purcha&longs;ed the &longs;eat of Capt. Pribble,
about a mile from her mother's; and can
I think of &longs;uffering her to leave the neighborhood,
ju&longs;t as I enter it? I &longs;hall exert every
nerve to prevent that, and hope to meet with
the u&longs;ual &longs;ucce&longs;s of