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leaves, I think, are very pretty.) I am growing fit, I hope, for a better world, of which the light of the fun is but a fhadow: for I doubt not but God's works here, are what come nearest to his works there; and that a true relifh of the beauties of nature is the most eafy preparation and gentleft tranfition to an enjoyment of those of heaven: as on the contrary, a true town life of hurry, confufion, noise, flander, and diffenfion, is a fort of apprenticeship to hell and its furies. I'm endeavouring to put my mind into as quiet a situation as I can, to be ready to receive that ftroke, which, I believe, is coming upon me, and have fully refign'd myself to yield to it. The feparation of my foul and body is what I could think of with lefs pain; for I am very fure he that made it will take care of it, and in whatever ftate he pleases it shall be, that ftate must be right: But I cannot think without tears of being feparated from my friends, when their condition is fo doubtful, that they may want even fuch affiftance as mine. Sure, it is more merciful to take from us after death all memory of what we lov'd or purfued here for elfe what a torment would it be to a spirit, ftill to love thofe creatures it is quite divided from? Unless we fuppose, that in a more exalted life, all that we esteemed in this imperfect ftate will affect us no more, than what we lov'd in our infancy concerns

us now.

This is an odd way of writing to a lady, and, I'm fenfible, would throw me under a great deal of ridi.

cule, were you to fhow this letter among your acquaintance. But perhaps you may not yourself be quite a ftranger to this way of thinking. I heartily with your life may be fo long and fo happy, as never to let you think quite fo far as I am now led to do; but, to think a little towards it, is what will make you the happier, and the easier at all times.

There are no pleasures or amusements that I don't wish you, and therefore 'tis no small grief to me that I fhall for the future be less able to partake with you in them. But let fortune do her worst, whatever fhe makes us lofe, as long as she never makes us lofe our honefty and our independance; I defpife from my heart whoever parts with the first, and I pity from my foul whoever quits the latter.

I am griev'd at Mr. G's condition in this last refpect of dependance. He has Merit, Good-nature, and Integrity, three qualities, that I fear are too often loft upon great men; or at least are not all three a match for that one which is oppos'd to them, Flattery. I wish it may not foon or late displace him from the favour he now poffeffes, and feems to like. I'm fure his late action deferves eternal favour and efteem: I ord Bathurft was charm'd with it, who came hither to see me before his journey. He afk'd and fpoke very particularly of you. To morrow Mr. Fortefcue comes to me from London about B's fuit in forma pauperis. That poor man looks starved: he tells me you have been charitable

to him. Indeed 'tis wanted; the poor creature can scarce ftir or speak; and I apprehend he will die, juft as he gets fomething to live upon. Adieu.

T

LETTER XIII.

HIS is a day of wishes for you, and I hope you have long known, there is not one good one which I do not form in your behalf. Every year that paffes, I with fome things more for my friends, and fome things lefs for myself. Yet were I to tell you what I wish for you in particular, it would be only to repeat in profe, what I told you last year in rhyme (fo fincere is my poetry :) I can only add, that as I then wifh'd you a friend *, I now wish that friend were Mrs.

Abfence is a fhort kind of death; and in either, one can only wish, that the friends we are separated from, may be happy with those that are left them. I am therefore very folicitous that you may pass much agreeable time together: I am sorry to say I envy you no other companion; tho' I hope you have others that you like; and I am always pleas'd in that hope, when it is not attended with any fears on your own account.

*To Mrs. -on her Birth-day.

"O be thou bleft with all that heav'n can fend,

Long health, long life, long pleasure, and a friend.”

I was troubled to leave you both, juft as I fancy'd we should begin to live together in the country. 'Twas a little like dying the moment one had got all one defir'd in this world. Yet I go away with one generous fort of fatisfaction, that what I part with, you are to inherit.

I know you would both be pleas'd to hear some certain news of a friend departed; to have the adventures of his paffage, and the new regions thro' which he travell'd, defcribed; and, upon the whole,. to know, that he is as happy where he now is, as while he liv'd among you. But indeed I (like many a poor unprepar'd foul) have feen nothing I like fo well as what I left: No fcenes of Paradife, no happy bowers equal to thofe on the banks of the Thames. Where-ever I wander, one reflection ftrikes me I wish you were as free as I; or at least had a tye as tender, and as reasonable as mine, to a relation that as well deferved your conftant thought, and to whom you would be always pull'd back (in fuch a manner as I am) by the heart-ftring. I have never been well fince I fet out: but don't tell my mother fo; it will trouble her too much: And as probably the fame reafon may prevent her fending a true account of her health to me, I muft defire you to acquaint me. I would gladly hear the country air improves your own; but don't flatter me when you are ill, that I may be the better fatisfy'd. when you fay you are well; for thefe are things in

which one may be fincerer to a reasonable friend, than to a fond and partial parent. Adieu.

YOU

LETTER XIV.

U can't be furpriz'd to find him a dull correfpondent whom you have known fo long for a dull companion. And tho' I am pretty fenfible, that, if I have any wit, I may as well write to fhow it, as not; yet I'll content myself with giving you as plain a history of my pilgrimage, as Purchas himfelf, or as John Bunyan could do of his walking through the wilderness of this world, &c.

First then I went up by water to Hampton Court, unattended by all but my own virtues; which were not of fo modeft a nature as to keep themselves, or me, conceal'd: For I met the Prince with all his ladies on horfeback, coming from hunting. Mrs. B* and Mrs. L took me into protection (contrary to the laws against harbouring Papifts) and gave me a dinner, with fomething I liked better, an opportunity of conversation with Mrs. H*. We all agreed that the life of a Maid of honour was of all things the most miserable: and wifh'd that every woman who envy'd it, had a specimen of it. To eat Weftphalia-ham in a morning, ride over hedges and ditches on borrowed hacks, come home in the heat of the day with a fever, and (what is worse a hundred times) with a red mark in the forehead from

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