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bant, where you was bathed and anointed, and where you parted with your black full bottom. How happy muft it be for a gay young woman, to live in a country where it is a part of religious worship to be giddy headed? I fhall hear at Belgrade how the good Bafhaw received you with tears of joy, how he was charmed with your agreeable manner of pronouncing the words Allah and Muhamed; and how carnestly you joined with him in exhorting your friend to embrace that religion. But I think his objection was a just one, that it was attended with fome circumstances under which he could not properly reprefent his Britannic Majefty.

Laftly, I fhall hear how, the first night you lay at Pera, you had a vifion of Mahomet's Paradise; and happily awaked without a foul, from which bleffed moment the beautiful body was left at full liberty to perform all the agreeable functions it was made for.

I fee I have done in this letter as I have often done in your company, talk'd myfelf into a good humour, when I begun in an ill one; the pleasure of addreffing to you makes me run on, and 'tis in your own power to shorten this letter as much as you please, by giving over when you please; fo I'll make it no longer by apologies.

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LETTER XI.

OU have afked me news a hundred times at the firft word you spoke to me, which fome would interpret as if you expected nothing better from my lips and truly tis not a fign two lovers are together, when they can be fo impertinent as to enquire what the world does? All I mean by this is, that either you or I are not in love with the other: I leave you to guess which of the two is that stupid and infenfible creature, fo blind to the other's excellencies and charms,

This then fhall be a letter of News; and fure, if you did not think me the humbleft creature in the world, you

could

could never imagine a Poet could dwindle to a brother of Dawks and Dyer, from a rival of Tate and Brady.

The Earl of Oxford has behaved fo bravely, that in this act at least he might seem above man, if he had not juft now voided a ftone to prove him subject to human infirmities. The utmost weight of affliction from miniterial power and popular hatred, were almoft worth bearing, for the glory of fuch a dauntless conduct as he has fhewn under it.

You may foon have your wifh, to enjoy the gallant fights of armies, incampments, ftandards waving over your brother's corn-fields, and the pretty windings of the Thames ftained with the blood of men. Your barbarity, which I have heard fo long exclaim'd against in town and country, may have its fill of deftruction. I would not add one circumftance ufual in all defcriptions of calamity, that of the many rapes committed, or to be committed upon thofe unfortunate women that delight in war. But God forgive me-in this martial age, if I could, I would buy a regiment for your fake and Mrs. P's and fome others, whom, I have caufe to fear, no fair means will prevail upon.

Thofe eyes, that care not how much mischief is done, or how great flaughter committed, fo they have but a fine fhow; thofe very female eyes will be infinitely delighted with the camp which is speedily to be formed in Hyde-park. The tents are carried thither this morning, new regiments with new cloaths and furniture (far exceeding the late cloth and linen defigned by his Grace for the foldiery.) The fight of fo many gallant fellows, with all the pomp and glare of war yet undeform'd by battles, thofe fcenes which England has for many years only beheld on ftages, may poffibly invite your curiofity to this place.

By our latest account from Duke-ftreet, Weftminster, the converfion of T. G. Efq; is reported in a manner fomewhat more particular. That upon the feizure of bis Flanders mares, he feemed more than ordinarily dif

turbed

turbed for fome hours, fent for his ghoftly father, and refolved to bear his lofs like a Chriftian; till about the hours of feven or eight, the coaches and horses of several of the Nobility paffing by his window towards Hydepark, he could no longer endure the difappointments but inftantly went out, took the oath of Abjuration, and recover'd his dear horfes, which carried him in triumph to the Ring. The poor diftreffed Roman Catholics, now unhors'd and uncharioted, cry out with the Pfalmift, Some in Chariots and fome on Horfes, but we will invoke the name of the Lord.

I am, etc.

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THE

HE weather is too fine for any one that loves the country to leave it at this feafon; when every fmile of the fun, like the fmile of a coy lady, is as dear as it is uncommon and I am so much in the tafte of rural Pleafures, I had rather see the fun than any thing he can fhew me, except yourself. I defpife every fine thing in town, not excepting your new gown, till I fee you drefs'd in it, (which by the way I don't like the better for the red, the 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 easy preparation and gentleft tranfition to an enjoyment of those of heaven: as, on the contrary, a true town life of hurry, confufion, noife, flander, and diffention, is a fort of apprenticeship to hell and its furies. I'm endeavouring to put my mind into as quiet a fituation as I can, to be ready to receive that roke, 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 state he pleafes it' fhall be,

that

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 else what a torment would it be to a fpirit, ftill to love those creatures it is quite divided from? Unlefs we fuppofe, that in a more exalted life, all that we efteemed 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 ridicule, were you to fhow this letter among your acquaintance. But perhaps you may not yourself be quite a stranger to this way of thinking. I heartily wish 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 fmall grief to me that I fhall for the future be less able to partake with you in them. But let Fortune do her worft, whatever she 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 laft respect of dependance. He has Merit, Good-nature, and Integrity, three qualities, that I fear are too often loft upon great men; or at leaft are not all three a match for that one which is oppos'd to them, Flattery. I wish it may not foon or late difplace him from the favour he now poffeffes, and feems to like. I'm fure his late action deferves eternal favour and efteem: Lord Bathurft was charm'd with it, who came hither to fee me before his journey. He afk'd and spoke very particularly of To-morrow Mr. Fortefcue comes to me from London

you.

VOL. III.

Fff

about

about B's fuit in forma pauperis. That poor man looks ftarved: he tells me you have been charitable to him. Indeed 'tis wanted: the poor creature can scarce ftir or fpeak; and I apprehend he will die, juft as he gets fomething to live upon. Adieu.

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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 wish fome things more for my friends, and fome things lefs for myfelf. 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 feparated from, may be happy with thofe that are left them. I am therefore very folicitous that you may pafs much agreeable time together: I am forry to fay 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.

I was troubled to leave you both, juft as I fancy'd we fhould 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 fome certain news of a friend departed; to have the adventures of his paffage, and the new region thro' which he travell'd, defcribed; and, upon the whole, to know, that he is

*To Mrs. -on ber Birth-day.

"O be thou left with all that Heav'n can fend,

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Long health, long you h, long pleafute, and a friend.

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