APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 
dear and worthy brother, he be- 
ing my senior three years, but it 
may be of essential service to his 
four worthy descendants, pre- 
venting, on the one hand, wrong 
expectations, and on the other 
jealousy and reserve. Two years 
after the death of my beloved and 
excellent partner, my acquaint- 
tance increased with Miss E. 
Price, whom I had known from 
her birth, ‘and whose father had 
been for 30 years the most inti- 
mate friend I ever had in the 
world. Nothing but a vow so- 
lemnly made when I was young, 
grounded on the many miseries I 
had seen in second marriages, 
prevented my making this young 
lady my wife, notwithstanding 
disparity of age. She had beena 
teacher in an eminent boarding- 
school, till a pain in her side and 
debility of nerves rendered it 
impossible to maintain any pub- 
lic situation. She then became 
governessat my friend Mr. Kent’s, 
who well knowing her excellent 
and cultivated understanding, and 
her superior abilities in needle- 
work, French, painting, &c. was 
exceeding loth to part with her, 
and would at this moment re- 
joice in her return, but her me- 
lancholy overthrow in the Worth- 
ing stage (which had like to have 
been fatal at the moment) has 
totally disqualified her for the 
exertion of even private tuition. 
In these affecting circumstances, 
the high union of regard, esteem, 
and honour left me but one al- 
ternative: I have adopted her as 
@ relation, placed her at the head 
of my house, when I could not 
have a relation of my own, my 
nieces being married, and can now 
look to the declining years of 
255 
life with singular satisfactions 
possessing in her the constant so= 
ciety of an intelligent companion, 
and the tender assiduity of an 
affectionate daughter. But while 
she devotes to my comfort her 
shattered health and ‘strength 
(made worse, not better, by the 
taunts and misrepresentations of 
an ill-natured world) it is my 
first duty to provide for her de- 
cent independence when I am no 
mote, and this I have done 
without any injustice to those 
who would not possibly have any 
claim upon what little I possess ; 
who would have had but a part, 
had I inserted in my will some 
public charities, which for a long 
time was my intention; who, in 
case of a second marriage, and a 
rising family, could never have fe : 
ceived any share of my property, 
but who now will obtam a por- 
tion of it, and eventually be heirs 
to the remainder at the decease 
of my amiable Eliza. These are 
the principles upon which I act— 
principles urged by conscience, 
and, I trust, supported by reli- 
gion; nor will any thing alter the 
balance I have laid down, except 
(what I cannot suppose) disre- 
spect, personal or oblique, from 
those who hitherto have ‘always 
treated me with the most ge- 
nerous attention. I commend 
all my relations, and all their 
growing families, to the bless- 
ing of God for time and eter- 
nity.” The passages in the other 
letters of a subsequent date, which 
seemed to bear most upon the ques- 
tion at issue, were the deceased’s 
“thanking his family for their 
attention to him upon all. oc- 
casions, but more particularly 
in answer to his communicas 
