It grieves me to be forced to deny you any thing you ask. Yet it must be
so; for unless you can bring your mind to oblige us in this one point,
in which our promises and honour were engaged before we believed there
could be so sturdy an opposition, you must never expect to be what you
have been to us all.
In short, Niece, we are in an embattled phalanx. Your reading makes you
a stranger to nothing but what you should be most acquainted with. So
you will see by that expression, that we are not to be pierced by your
persuasions, and invincible persistence. We have agreed all to be
moved, or none; and not to comply without one another. So you know your
destiny; and have nothing to do but to yield to it.
Let me tell you, the virtue of obedience lies not in obliging when you
can be obliged again. But give up an inclination, and there is some
merit in that.
As to your expedient; you shall not come to my house, Miss Clary; though
this is a prayer I little thought I ever should have denied you: for
were you to keep your word as to seeing nobody but whom we please, yet
can you write to somebody else, and receive letters from him. This we
too well know you can, and have done--more is the shame and the pity!
You offer to live single, Miss--we wished you married: but because you
may not have the man your heart is set upon, why, truly, you will have
nobody we shall recommend: and as we know, that somehow or other you
correspond with him, or at least did as long as you could; and as he
defies us all, and would not dare to do so, if he were not sure of you
in spite of us all, (which is not a little vexatious to us, you must
think,) we are resolved to frustrate him, and triumph over him, rather
than that he should triumph over us: that's one word for all. So expect
not any advocateship from me: I will not plead for you; and that's
enough. From
Your displeased uncle, JOHN HARLOWE.
P.S. For the rest I refer to my brother Antony.
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