I open'd the parlour door, and well surpriz'd was I at
seeing, by the side of a fire half-our, a young gentleman in
the old lady's elbow chair, with his legs laid upon another,
fast asleep, and left there by his thoughtless companions,
who had drank him down, and then went off with every one his
mistress, whilst he stay'd behind by the courtesy of the old
matron, who would not disturb of turn him out in that con-
dition, at one in the morning; and beds, it is more than
probable, there were none to spare. On the table still re-
main'd the punch bowl and glasses, strew's about in their
usual disorder after a drunken revel.
But when I drew nearer, to view the sleeping one,
heavens! what a sight! No! no term of years, no turn of
fortune could ever erase the lightning-like impression
his form made on me . . . Yes! dearest object of my ear-
liest passion, I command for ever the remembrance of thy
first appearance to my ravish'd eyes . . . it calls thee
up, present; and I see thee now!
Figure to yourself, Madam, a fair stripling, between
eighteen and nineteen, with his head reclin'd on one of the
sides of the chair, his hair in disorder'd curls, irregular-
ly shading a face on which all the roseate bloom of youth
and all the manly graces conspired to fix my eyes and heart.
Even the languor and paleness of his face, in which the
momentary triumph of the lily over the rose was owing to the
excesses of the night, gave an inexpressible sweetness to
the finest features imaginable: his eyes, closed in sleep,
displayed the meeting edges of their lids beautifully bor-
dered with long eyelashes; over which no pencil could have
described two more regular arches than those that grac'd his
forehead, which was high, prefectly white and smooth.
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