It is

Patronage upon the fame Account. I must confefs, my Lord, had not I already receiv'd great Instances of your Favour, I fhould have been afraid of submitting a Work of this Nature to your Perufal. You are fo throughly acquainted with the Characters of Men, and all the Parts of human Life, that it is impoffible for the leaft Mifrepresentation of them to escape your Notice. Your Lordship's particular Diftinction that you are Mafter of the whole Compass of Business, and have signalized Your Self in all the different Scenes of it. We admire fome for the Dignity, others for the Popularity of their Behaviour; fome for their Clearness of Judgment, others for their Happiness of Expreffion; fome for the laying of Schemes, and others for the putting

of

of them in Execution: It is Your Lordship only who enjoys these fe veral Talents united, and that too in as great Perfection as others poffefs them fingly. Your Enemies acknowledge this great Extent in your Lordship's Character, at the fame time that they use their utmoft Industry and Invention to derogate

from it.

But it is for Your Honour

that those who are now Your Enemies were always fo. You have acted in fo much Confiftency with Your Self, and promoted the Interefts of your Country in fo uniform a Manner, that even thofe who would mifrepresent your Generous Designs for the Publick Good, cannot but approve the Steadiness and Intrepidity with which You pursue them. It is a moft fenfible Pleasure to me that I have this

Opportunity of profeffing my felf one of your great Admirers, and, in a very particular Manner,

My LORD,

Your Lordship's

moft Obliged,

and most Obedient,

Humble Servant,

The SPECTATOR

Ad bumum marore gravi deducit angit. Hor.

T is often faid, after a Man has heard a Story with extraordinary Circumftances, It is a very good one if it be true: But as for the following Relation, I fhould bet glad were I fure it were falfe. It is told with fuch Simplicity, and there are fo many artlefs Touches of Diftrefs in it, that I fear it comes: too much from the Heart.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

Same Yours with a young Gentleman of Merit, OME Years ago it happened that I lived in the with whofe good Qualities I was fo much taken, as to make it my Endeavour to fhew as many as I was able in my felf. Familiar Converfe improved general Civilities into an unfeigned Paffion on both Sides. He watched an Opportunity to declare himself to me; and I, who could not expect a Man of fo great an Estate as his, re⚫ceived his Addreffes in fuch Terms, as gave him no rea

A 4

• fon

fon to believe I was difpleafed with them, tho' I did nothing to make him think me mere eafy than was decent. His Father was a very hard worldly Man, and proud; fo that there was no reason to believe he would eafily be brought to think there was any thing in any Woman's Perfon or Character that could ballance the Difadvantage of an unequal Fortune, In the mean time the Son continued his Application to me, and omitted no Occafion of demonftrating the most difinterested Paffion imaginable to me; and in plain direct Terms offer'd to marry me privately, and keep it fo till he fhould be fo happy as to gain his Father's Approbation, or become poffeffed of his Eftate. I paffionately loved him, and you will believe I did not deny fuch a one what was my Intereft alfo to grant. However I was not fo young, as not to take the Precaution of carrying with me a faithful Servant, who had been alfo my Mother's Maid, to be prefent at the Ceremony. When that was over I demanded a Certificate, figned by the Minifter, my Husband, and the Servant I juft now fpoke of. After our Nuptials, we converfed together very familiarly in the fame Houfe; but the Restraints we were generally under, and the Interviews we had, ⚫ being stolen and interrupted, made our Behaviour to each other have rather the impatient Fondnefs which is vifible in Lovers, than the regular and gratified Affection which is to be obferved in Man and Wife. This Obfervation made the Father very anxious for his Son, and press him to a Match he had in his Eye for him. To relieve my Husband from this Impor tunity, and conceal the Secret of our Marriage, which I had reafon to know would not be long in my power in Town, it was refolved that I fhould retire into a remote Place in the Country, and converfe under feigned Names by Letter. We long continued this • Way of Commerce; and I with my Needle, a few • Books, and reading over and over my Husband's Letters, paffed my Time in a refigned Expectation of better Days. Be pleafed to take notice, that within fourt • Months after I left my Husband I was delivered of a Daughter, who died within few Hours after her Birth. This Accident, and the retired Manner of Life I led,