engaged him in many religious Controverſies; on which Occaſions ſhe conſtantly expreſſed great Satisfaction in the Doctor’s Knowledge, and not much leſs in the Compliments which he frequently beſtowed on her own. To ſay the Truth, ſhe had read much Engliſh Divinity, and had puzzled more than one of the neighbouring Curates. Indeed her Converſation was ſo pure, her Looks ſo ſage, and her whole Deportment ſo grave and ſolemn, that ſhe ſeemed to deſerve the Name of Saint equally with her Name-ſake, or with any other Female in the Roman Kalendar.
As Sympathies of all Kinds are apt to beget Love, ſo Experience teaches us that none of have a more direct Tendency this Way than thoſe of a religious Kind between Perſons of different Sexes. The Doctor found himſelf ſo agreeable to Miſs Bridget, that he now began to lament an unfortunate Accident which had happened to him about ten Years before; namely, his Marriage with another Woman, who was not only ſtill alive, but what was worſe, known to be ſo by Mr. Allworthy. This was a fatal Bar to that Happineſs which he otherwiſe ſaw ſufficient Probability of obtaining with this young Lady; for as to criminal Indulgencies, hecertainly
