To Captain Fitzgerald.
Temple-house, Thursday morning, 11 o'clock.
Our masquerade last night was really charming; I never saw any thing
equal to it out of London.
Temple has taste, and had spared no expence to make it agreable; the
decorations of the grand saloon were magnificent.
Emily was the loveliest _paisanne_ that ever was beheld; her
dress, without losing sight of the character, was infinitely becoming:
her beauty never appeared to such advantage.
There was a noble simplicity in her air, which it is impossible to
describe.
The easy turn of her shape, the lovely roundness of her arm, the
natural elegance of her whole form, the waving ringlets of her
beautiful dark hair, carelessly fastened with a ribbon, the unaffected
grace of her every motion, all together conveyed more strongly than
imagination can paint, the pleasing idea of a wood nymph, deigning to
visit some favored mortal.
Colonel Willmott gazed on her with rapture; and asked me, if the
rural deities had left their verdant abodes to visit Temple-house.
I introduced him to her, and left her to improve the impression:
'tis well I was married in time; a nabob is a dangerous rival.
Lucy looked lovely, but in another style; she was a sultana in all
the pride of imperial beauty: her charms awed, but Emily's invited; her
look spoke resistless command, Emily's soft persuasion.
There were many fine women; but I will own to you, I had, as to
beauty, no eyes but for Emily.
We are going this morning to see Burleigh: when we return, I shall
announce Colonel Willmott to Emily, and introduce them properly to each
other; they are to go in the same chaise; she at present only knows him
as a friend of mine, and he her as his _belle paisanne_.
Adieu! I am summoned.
Your faithful
Ed. Rivers.
I should have told you, I acquainted Colonel Willmott with my
sister's marriage before I took him to Temple-house, and found an
opportunity of introducing him to Temple unobserved.
Emily is the only one here to whom he is a stranger: I will caution
him not to mention to her his past generous design in my favor. Adieu!