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amazing beauties of her face, and the fplendor of her eyes; as fhe raised them now and then from the paper fhe writ on, to look into a Hebrew Bible, that lay open upon a fmall desk before her. The whole scene was fo very uncommon, and so vastly amazing, that I thought my felf for a while on 1 fome fpot of magic ground, and almost doubted the reality of what my eyes beheld; till Mifs Noel, by accident, looked full at me, and then came forward to the open window, to know who I wanted.

Before I could answer, I found a venerable old gentleman ftanding by my fide, and he feemed much more furprized at the fight of me than his daughter was; for, as this young lady told me afterward, fhe guessed at once the whole affair; feeing me with my gun and dog, in a fhooting drefs; and knew it was a natural curiofity brought me into the garden, and ftoped me at the window, when I faw her in fuch an attitude, and in fuch a place. — This I affured them was the truth of my cafe, with this small addition however, that I was ready to perish for want of fomething to eat; having been from four in the morning at hard exercife, and had not yet broke my faft. If this be the cafe, fays the good old man, you are welcome, Sir, to Eden-Park, and you fhall foon have the best breakfast our house affords..

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Upon this Mr. Noel brought me into his house, and the lovely Harriot made tea for me, and had fuch plenty of fine cream, and extraordinary bread and butter fet before me, that I breakfafted with uncommon pleasure. The honour and happiness of her company rendered the repaft quite delightful. There was a civility fo very great in her manner, and a focial goodness fo charming in her talk and temper, that it was unfpeakable delight to fit at table with her. She asked me a number of questions relating to things and books, and people, and there was fo much good fenfe in every inquiry, fo much good humour in her reflections and replications, that I was intirely charmed with her mind. and loft in admiration, when I contemplated the wonders of her face, and the beauties of her perfon.

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When breakfast was over, it was time for me to depart, and I made half a dozen attempts to rife from my chair; but without her laying a rofy finger on me, this illuftrious maid had fo totally fubdued my foul, and deprived me of all motive power, that I fat like the renowned Prince of the Massagetes, who was ftiffened by inchantment in the apartment of the Princefs Phedima, as we read in Amadis de Gaul. This Mifs Noel faw very plain, and in compaffion to my misfortune, generously threw in a hint

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now and then, for a little farther converfation to colour my unreasonable delay. But this could not have been of fervice much longer, as the clock had ftruck twelve, if the old gentleman, her father, had not returned to us, and told me, he infifted on my staying to dine with him; for he loved to take a glafs after dinner with a facetious companion, and would be obliged to me for my company. At prefent (Mr. Noel continued) you will excufe me, Sir, as bufinefs engages me till we dine: but my daughter will chat the hours away with you, and fhew you the curiofities of her library and grott. Harriot will fupply my place.

This was a delightful invitation indeed, and after returning my hearty thanks to the old gentleman for the favour he did me, I addressed my self to Mifs Noel, when her father was gone, and we were walking back to the library in the garden, and told her ingenuously, that tho' I could not be positive as to the fituation of my foul, whether I was in love with her or not, as I never had experienced the paffion before, nor knew what it was to admire a woman; having lived till that morning in a state of indifference to her fex; yet, I found very strange emotions within me, and I was fure I could not leave her without the most lively and afficting inquietude. You will pardon, I hope,

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A Converfation with

Mifs Noel,

guage of

the Primæ.

Hebrew

Tongue.

hope, Madam, this effufion of my heart, and fuffer me to demonftrate by a thousand and a thousand actions, that I honour you in a manner unutterable, and from this time, can imagine no happiness but with you.

you

Sir, (this inimitable maid replied) you are an intire ftranger to me, and to declare a in relation paffion on a few hours acquaintance, must to the Lan- be either to try my weakness, or because Adam, and think a young woman is incapable of relishvity of the ing any thing but such stuff, when alone in converfation with a gentleman. I beg then I may hear no more of this, and as I am fure you can talk upon many more rational fubjects, request your favor, to give me your opinion on fome articles in this Hebrew Bible you fee lying open on the table in this room. My father, Sir, among other things he has taken great pains to inftruct me in, for several years that I have lived with him in a kind of folitary state, fince the death of my mother, whom I loft when I was very young, has taught me to read and underftand this infpired Hebrew book; and says we must afcribe primavity and facred prerogatives to this language. For my part, I have fome doubts as to this matter, which I dare not mention to my father. Tell me, if you pleafe, what you think of the thing.

Mifs Noel, (I answered) fince it is your command, that I fhould be filent as to that flame your glorious eyes and understanding have lighted up in my foul, like fome fuperior nature, before whom I am nothing, filent I will be, and tell you what I fancy on a fubject I am certain you understand much better than I do. My knowledge of the - Hebrew is but small, tho' I have learned to read and understand the Old-Teftament in the Ante-Babel language.

My opinion on your question is, that the Biblical Hebrew was the language of Paradife, and continued to be fpoken by all men. down to, and at the time of Mofes writing the pentateuch, and long after. Abraham, tho' bred in Chaldea, could converse freely with the Egyptians, the Sodomites, and the King of Gerar; nor do we find, that any variety of fpeech interrupted the commerce of his fon Ifaac with the feveral nations around, or that it ever ftopt Jacob in his travels. Nay, the Ifraelites, in their journey through the defarts of Arabia, (after they had been some hundred years in Egypt) tho' joined by a mixt multitude, and meeting with divers kinds of people, had not corrupted their language, and were easily understood, because it was then the univerfal one. The fimplicity and diftinctness of the Hebrew tongue preferved its purity so long

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