to lay up in safety the deeds and evidences of their estates such records being undoubted titles to the love and reverence of after-ages." From his grace's political letters to lord Sunderland, and others, printed in 1710, Svo. none appeared sufficiently interesting to extract. The following friendly billet has therefore been transcribed from its original in Harl. MS. 7001. "To the Honourable Mrs. Frances Frescheville, att Staveley in Darbyshire. "Deare Cousin, "I must beg your pardon to give you this trouble to excuse my wife, who is not in condition to give you thanks her selfe for the kind favour of your letter to her. Shee desires mee to assure you, that could shee write to any body, itt could no where bee with more content then to yourselfe, and shee would make itt the cheife subiect of her letter to perswade you hither; and shee meanes not only to London, but her owne house, where wee would both conspire to keepe you. I wish I knew what argument I could use to my lord to prevaile with him for that happinesse. I am sure wee would then so importune your good nature, that you should scarse find a deniall strong enough to refuse us, and I am resolved to attempt my lord in itt. "The newes of this weeke has bin the death of my lord Salisbury and sir Michael Armine; and wee expect that Mr. H. Howard, of Norfolk, will goe embassador to Taffaletta, who takes upon him the titles of emperor of Africa, king of Morocco, and one of the race of Mahomett, and wee salute him by that character. A report is here also, that my lady Castlemaine intends to make a short journey into France; but I believe the resolution is not yett fixt, though, to invite her, my lord Hawley offers himselfe to attend her thither. "I beg you to accept mine with my wife's most humble service, and bee pleased to present both ours to my lord and lady, and if you will promote this designe of ours upon yourselfe, you will for ever oblige "Deare cousin, "Your most faithfull humble servant, "London, 5th December, 1668."] "T. OSBORNE." ANTHONY ASHLEY COOPER, THIRD EARL OF SHAFTESBURY, GRANDSON of the chancellor, and a man whose morals were as amiable as the life of the former was hateful. The first was an author only to serve the purposes of the factions in which he was engaged; the writings of the latter breathe the virtues of his mind, for which they are much more estimable than for their style and manner. He delivers his doctrines in ecstatic diction, like one of the Magi inculcating philosophic visions to an eastern auditory! His principal works are published in three volumes, well known by the title of "Characteristicks of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times." 2 We have besides a small collection of his "Letters to Robert Molesworth, Esq. (the first Lord Viscount of that Name), with a large Introduction"," [These were published in 1711, 1713, 1727, 1732, 1737, 1749, &c.; and Baskerville printed a beautiful edition at Birmingham in 1773.] 3 [By Toland the editor, who first surreptitiously put forth his lordship's Inquiry concerning Virtue. This volume was |