indeed, a free hearted open fort of Gentlemen that compose the Diet, without Reserve, Affe&tation, and Artifice; but they are fuch unmerciful Plyers of the Bottle, fo wholly given up to what our Sots call Good-fellowship, that 'tis as great a Constraint upon my Nature to fit out a Night's Entertainment with them, as it would be to hear half a score long-winded Presbyterian Divines Cant fucceffively one after another.

To unbofome my felf frankly and freely to your Grace, I always looked upon Drunkenness to be an unpardonable Crime in a young fellow, who without any of the foreign Helps, has Fire enough in his Veins to enable him to do Juftice to Calia whenever she demands a Tribute from him. In a middle aged Man, I confider the Bottle only as fubfervient to the nobler Pleasure of Love; and he that would fuffer himself to be so far infatuated by it, as to negle&t the Purfuit of a more agreeable Game, I think deferves no Quarter from the Ladies. In old Age, indeed, when 'tis convenient very often to forget and fteal from our felves, I am of Opinion, that a little Drunkennefs, difcreetly used, may as well contribute to our Health of Body as Tranquillity of Soul.

of

Thus I have given your Grace a fhort System

my Morals and Belief in these Affairs. But the Gentlemen of this Country go upon a quite different Scheme of Pleasure, the best Furniture of their Parlours (instead of innocent China) are tall overgrown Rummers, and they take more care to enlarge their Cellars than their pa

trimonial Estates: In fhort, Drinking is the He reditary Sin of this Country, and that Heroe of a Deputy here, that can demolish (at one Sitting) the reft of his Brother Envoys, is mention'd with as much Applaufe as the Duke of Lorain for his noble Exploits against the Turks, and may claim a Statue erected at the publick Expence in any Town in Germany.

Judge then, my Lord, whether a Perfon of my fober Principles, and one that only uses Wine (as the wifer fort of Roman Catholicks do Images,) to raise up my Imagination to fomething more exalted, and not to terminate my Worship upon it, muft not be reduced to very mortifying Circumstances in this place? where I cannot pretend to enjoy Conversation, without practifing that Vice that directly ruines it.

And as I have juft Reafon to complain of the Men for laying fo unreafonable a Tax upon Pleasure, fo I have no lefs Occafion to complain of the Women for wholly denying it.

Could a man find out the Secret to take as long a Leafe for his Life as Methuselah and the reft of the Anti-diluvian Gentlemen, who were three Hundred Years in growing up to the Perfection of Vigour, enjoy'd it the fame Number of Years, and were as long a decaying, fomething might be faid for the two crying Sins of both Sexes here; I mean Drunkenness in the Men, and Referved nefs in the Ladies.

What would it fignify to throw away aWeeks, nay, a Months Enjoyment upon one Nights Debauch, if a Man could promife himself the Age of a Patriarch?

Or

Or where wou'd be the mighty Penance in dancing a dozen Years Attendance after a coy Female, watching her most favourable Moments, and moft acceffible Intervals, at last to enjoy her, if infirmities and old Age were to come fo late upon us?

But fince Fate has given us fo fhort a Period to taste Pleasure with Satisfaction, three or four Days Sickness is too great a Rent-charge upon humane Nature, and Drunkenness cannot pretend (out of its own Fund) to acquit the Debt.

And, my Lord, fince our Gayety and Vigour leaves us fo foon in the lurch, fince Feebleness attacks us without giving us fair Warning,. and we no fooner pass the Meridian of Life but begin to decline, it's hardly worth a Lovers while to stay as long for compaffing a Mistress, as Jacob did for obtaining a Wife, and without this tedious Drudgery and Application, I can affure your Grace that an Amour is not to be managed here.

But, my Lord, I forget that while I take upon me to play the Moralift, and to enlarge fo Rhetorically upon the Precioufnefs of Time, I have already made bold with too much of your Grace's: For which Reason Ihere put a stop to my Difcourfe, and will endeavour the next Pacquet that goes from this Place, to entertain your Grace with fomething more agreeable. I am, my Lord,

Four Grace's most obedient Servant

G. Etherege.

A

192

A Letter from Sir George Etherege, to his Grace the Duke of Buckingham.

My Lord,

Ratisbone, October 2.

1 6 8 9.

Never enjoy my felf: fo much, as when I

can steal a few Moments, from the Hurry of publick Bufinefs, to write to my Friends in England; and as there is none there to whom I pay a profounder Refpect than to your Grace, wonder not if I afford my felf the Satisfaction. of converfing with you by way of Letters, (the only Relief I have left me to fupport your Abfence at this diftance) as often as I can find. an opportunity.

You may guefs by my laft, whether I don't pass my Time very comfortably here; forc'd as I am by my Character, to spend the better part of my time in Squabling and Deliberating with Perfons of Beard and Grayity, how to preferve the Balance of Christendom, which: would go well enough of it self, if the Divines and Minifters of Princes would let it alone: And when I come home spent and weary from the Diet, I have no Lord Dt's, or Sir Charles Sy's to fport away the Evening with, no Madam I, or my Lady A-'s; in fhort, none of those kind charming Creatures London affords, in whofe Embraces I might make my felf amends for fo many Hours Murdered in impertinent Debates; fo that not to magnifie my fufferings to your Grace, they really want a grea

ter

ter ftock of Chriftian Patience to support them, than I can pretend to be Mafter of.

I have been long enough in this Town (one would think) to have made Acquaintance enough with Perfons of both Sexes, fo as never to be at a lofs how to pass the few vacant Hours I can allow my felf: But the terrible Drinking that accompanies all our Vifits, hinders me from Converfing with the Men fo often as I would otherwise do; and the German Ladies are fo intolerably referv'd and virtuous, (with Tears in my eyes I fpeak it to your Grace) that 'tis next to an impoffibility to carry on an Intrigue with them: A man has fo many Scruples to conquer, and fo many Difficulties to furmount, before he can promife himself the least Succefs, that for my part I have given over all Purfaits of this Nature: Befides, there is fo univerfal à Spirit of Cenforiousness reigns in this Town, that a Man and a Woman cannot be feen at Ombre or Picquet together, but 'tis immediately concluded fome other Game has been played between them; and as this renders all manner of Access to the Ladies almost impracticable, for fear of expofing their Reputation to the Mercy of their ill-natur'd Neighbours, fo it makes an innocent Piece of Gallantry often pass for a criminal Correspondence.

So that to deal freely with your Grace, among fo many Noble and wealthy Families as we have in this Town, I can only pretend to be truly acquainted but with one: The Gentle

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