May we presume to say that, at thy birth,

New joy was sprung in Heaven as well as here on Earth?

For sure the milder planets did combine

On thy auspicious horoscope to shine,

And e'en the most malicious were in trine.

Thy brother-angels at thy birth

Strung each his lyre, and tuned it high,

That all the people of the sky

Might know a poetess was born on Earth;

And then, if ever, mortal ears

Had heard the music of the spheres.

And if no clustering swarm of bees

On thy sweet mouth distill'd their golden dew, 'Twas that such vulgar miracles

Heaven had not leisure to renew ;

For all the blest fraternity of love

Solemnized there thy birth, and kept thy holiday above.

Art she had none, yet wanted none,
For Nature did that want supply:
So rich in treasures of her own,

She might our boasted stores defy:

Such noble vigour did her verse adorn

That it seem'd borrow'd, where 'twas only born.

Her morals too were in her bosom bred,

By great examples, daily fed,

What in the best of books, her father's life, she read.

And to be read herself she need not fear;

Each test and every light her Muse will bear,

Though Epictetus with his lamp were there.

E'en love (for love sometimes her Muse exprest),

Was but a lambent flame which play'd about her breast;

Light as the vapours of a morning dream,

So cold herself, whilst she such warmth exprest, 'Twas Cupid bathing in Diana's stream.

Born to the spacious Empire of the Nine,

One would have thought she should have been content
To manage well that mighty Government,
But what can young ambitious souls confine?
To the next realm she stretch'd her sway,
For Painture near adjoining lay,

A plenteous province and alluring prey.
A chamber of Dependences was framed,
(As conquerors will never want pretence,
When armed, to justify the offence),

And the whole fief, in right of Poetry, she claim'd.
The country open lay without defence,

For poets frequent inroads there had made,

And perfectly could represent

The shape, the face, with every lineament,

And all the large domains which the Dumb Sister sway'd;

All bowed beneath her government,

Received in triumph wheresoe'er she went.

Her pencil drew whate'er her soul design'd,

And oft the happy draught surpass'd the image in her mind.

Now all those charms, that blooming grace,

The well-proportion'd shape and beauteous face,
Shall never more be seen by mortal eyes;
In earth the much-lamented Virgin lies.

Meantime, her warlike brother on the seas
His waving streamers to the winds displays,
And vows for his return, with vain devotion, pays.

Ah, generous youth! that wish forbear,

The winds too soon will waft thee here!

Slack all thy sails, and fear to come;

Alas! thou know'st not, thou art wreck'd at home.

No more shalt thou behold thy sister's face,
Thou hast already had her last embrace.
But look aloft, and if thou ken'st from far,
Among the Pleiads, a new-kindled star,
If any sparkles than the rest more bright,
'Tis she that shines in that propitious light.

Rachel, Lady Russell

I

John Dryden

AT

T ten o'clock my lady left him. He kissed her four or five times; and she kept her sorrow so within herself that she gave him no disturbance by their parting. After she was gone, he said, "Now the bitterness of death is past," and ran out a long discourse concerning her- how great a blessing she had been to him; and said what a misery it would have been to him, if she had not had that magnanimity of spirit, joined to her tenderness, as never to have desired him to do a base thing for the saving of his life.

II

Bishop Burnet

MY

Y friendships have made all the joys and troubles of my life; and yet who would live and not love? Those who have tried the insipidness of it would, I believe, never choose it. Mr. Waller says 'tis (with singing) all we know they do above! for if there is so charming a delight in the love and suitableness in humours to creatures, what must it be to the clarified spirits to love in the presence of God.

Rachel, Lady Russell

Mrs. Godolphin

WERE

it never soe dark, wett, or uncomfortable weather, dureing the severity of winter, she would rarely omit being att the chappell att 7 a'clock prayers, and if a Communion day, how late soever her attendance were on the Queen, and her owne exterordinary preparation kept her up, she would be dressed and att her private Devotions some hours before the publick office began.

This brings to remembrance what I could not then but smile att, that finding one day a long pack thread passing through the keyhole of her chamber doore, and reaching to her bed's head (opposite to that of your sisters, if I be not mistaken,) and inquireing what it singnifyed, I att last understood, itt had been to awaken her early in the morning, the Centinell, whose station was of course near the entrance, being desired to pull it very hard att such an hour, whilst the other extream was tyed fast about her wrist, fearing her maid might over sleep her selfe, or call her later than she had appointed.

But besides the monthly Communions, she rarely missed a Sunday throughout the whole year, wherein she did not receive the holy Sacrament if she were in towne and tollerable health; and I well know she had those who gave her constant advertisement where it was celebrated upon some more solemn festivals, besides not seldome on the weeke days assisting at one poore Creature's or other; and when sometymes, being in the Country, or on a Journey, she had not these oppertunityes she made use of a devout meditation upon the sacred Mistery, by way of mentall Communion, soe as she was in a continuall state of preparation: and O, with what unspeakable care and niceness did she use to dress and

trim her soul against this Heavenly Banquett; with what flagrant devotion at the altar. I doe assure your Ladyshipp, I have seen her receive the holy symbolls, with such an humble and melting joy in her countenance, as seem'd to be something of transport, not to say angelic - something I cannot describe: and she has herselfe confessed to me to have felt in her soule such influxes of heavenly joy as has almost carryed her into another world: I doe not call them Rapts and Illapses, because she would not have endured to be esteemed above other humble Christians; butt that she was sometymes visitted with exterordinary favours I have many reasons to believe: see what upon another occasion she writes to me. . .

Noe sooner was she descended from her bed, but she fell on her knees in profound adoration; and all the tyme of her dressing, — which for the most part she finish'd of herselfe without other help, - her mayd was reading some part of Scripture to her, and when her assistance was necessary, she would take the booke herselfe, and read to her maid; thus continually imploy'd she meditations, till she was fully dress'd; which she would be in a very little tyme, even to all the agreeable circumstances becomeing her, because indeed she became everything, and this early riseing and little indulgence to her ease, made her look like a flower, lovely, and fresh, and full of health; being in this posture, she withdrew to private devotion in her closett, till her servant advertised her it was tyme to goe to the Chappell, where she was ever with the first of the devout sex, were it never soe wett, cold, and darke, even before day breake, in midst of winter. . . .

She was sometymes engaged to pass the after dynner att Cards, especially when she came to Berkley House, (where was great resort,) more to comply with others,