ning of my Epiftle, and which manifeftly appears to be but too melancholy a Truth. And now I heartily with the Relation I have given of my Misfortunes may be of Use and Benefit to the Publick. By the Example I have fet before them, the truly virtuous Wives may learn to avoid thofe Errors which have fo unhappily • mif-led mine, and which are visibly these three. First, in mistaking the proper Objects of her Efteem, and fixing her Affections upon fuch things as are only the Trappings, and Decorations of her Sex. Secondly, In • not diftinguishing what becomes the different Stages of Life. And, Laftly, The Abuse and Corruption of some ⚫ excellent Qualities, which, if circumfcrib'd within juft • Bounds, would have been the Bleffing and Profperity of ⚫her Family, but by a vicious Extreme are like to be the • Bane and Destruction of it.

N° 329. Tuesday, March 18.

Ire tamen reftat Numa qua devenit & Ancus. Hor.

M

WY Friend Sir ROGER DE COVERLEY told me t'other Night, that he had been reading my Paper upon Westminster-Abbey, in which, fays he, there are a great many ingenious Fancies. He told me at the fame time, that he obferved I had promised another Paper upon the Tombs, and that he should be glad to go and fee them with me, not having visited them fince he had read Hiftory. I could not at first imagine how this came into the Knight's Head, till I recollected that he had been very bufy all laft Summer upon Baker's Chronicle, which he has quoted feveral times in his Difpute with Sir ANDREW FREEPORT fince his laft coming to Town. Accordingly I promised to call upon him the next Morning, that we might go together to the Abbey.

I found the Knight under his Butler's hands, who always fhaves him. He was no fooner dreffed, than he called for a Glafs of the Widow Trueby's Water, (which he told me he always drank before he went abroad. He recommended to me a Dram of it at the same time, with fo much Heartiness, that I could not forbear drinking it. As foon as I had got it down, I found it very unpalatable; upon which the Knight obferving that I had made feveral wry Faces, told me that he knew I fhould not like it at firft, but that it was the best thing in the World against the Stone or Gravel.

I could have wifhed indeed that he had acquainted me with the Virtues of it fooner; but it was too late to complain, and I knew what he had done was out of Goodwill. Sir ROGER told me further, that he looked upon it to be very good for a Man whilst he ftaid in Town, to keep off Infection, and that he got together a Quantity

Quantity of it upon the firft News of the Sickness being at Dantzick: When of a fudden turning fhort to one of his Servants, who stood behind him, he bid hiın call a Hackney-Coach, and take care it was an elderly Man that drove it.

HE then refumed his Difcourfe upon Mrs. Trueby's Water, telling me that the Widow Trueby was one who did more Good than all the Doctors and Apothecaries in the County: That the diftilled every Poppy that grew within five Miles of her; that fhe diftributed her Water gratis among all Sorts of People; to which the Knight added, that he had a very great Jointure, and that the whole Country would fain have it a Match between him and her; and truly, fays Sir ROGER, if I had not been engaged, perhaps I could not have done better.

HIS Difcourfe was broken off by his Man's telling him he had called a Coach. Upon our going to it, after having caft his Eye upon the Wheels, he asked the Coachman if his Axletree was good; upon the Fellow's telling him he would warrant it, the Knight turned to me, told me he looked like an honest Man," and went in without further Ceremony.

WE had not gone far, when Sir ROGER popping out his Head, called the Coachman down from his Box, and upon his presenting himfelf at the Window, asked him if he fmoaked; as I was confidering what this would end in, he bid him ftop by the way at any good Tobacco nift's, and take in a Roll of their beft Virginia. Nothing material happen'd in the remaining part of our Journey, till we were fet down at the Weft end of the Abby.

AS we went up the Body of the Church, the Knight pointed at the Trophies upon one of the new Monuments, and cry'd out, A brave Man I warrant him! Paffing afterwards by Sir Cloudfly Shovel, he flung his Hand that way, and cry'd Sir Cloudfly Shovel! a very gallant Man! As we stood before Busby's Tomb, the Knight utter'd himfelf again after the fame manner, Dr. Eusby, a great Man!" he whipp'd my Grandfather; a very great Man! I fhould have gone to him myself, if I had not been a Blockhead ;. a very great Man!

WE were immediately conducted into the little Chappel on the right hand. Sir ROGER planting himself at our Hiftorian's Elbow, was very attentive to every thing he said, particularly to the Account he gave us of the Lord who had cut off the King of Morocco's Head. Among feveral other Figures, he was very well pleased to fee the Statefman Cecil upon his Knees; and, concluding them all to be great Men, was conducted to the Figure which reprefents that Martyr to good Housewifry, who died by the Prick of a Needle. Upon our Interpreter's telling us, that he was a Maid of Honour to Queen Elizabeth, the Knight was very inquifitive into her Name and Family; and after having regarded her Finger for fome time, I wonder, fays he, that Sir Richard Baker has faid nothing of her in his Chronicle.

WE were then convey'd to the two Coronation-Chairs, where my old Friend, after having heard that the Stone underneath the most antient of them, which was brought from Scotland, was called Jacob's Pillar, fat himself down in the Chair; and looking like the Figure of an old Gothick King, asked our Interpreter, What Authority they had to fay, that Jacob had ever been in Scotland? The Fellow, inftead of returning him an Answer, told him, that he hoped his Honour would pay his Forfeit. I could obferve Sir ROGER a little ruffled upon being thus trepanned; but our Guide not infifting upon his Demand, the Knight foon recovered his Good-Humour, and whispered in my Ear, that if WILL WIMBLE were with us, and faw thofe two Chairs, it would go hard but he would get a Tobacco-Stopper out of one or t'other of them.

SIR ROGER, in the next Place, laid his Hand upon Edward the Third's Sword, and leaning upon the Pummel of it, gave us the whole Hiftory of the Black Prince; concluding, that in Sir Richard Baker's Opinion, Edward the Third was one of the greatest Princes that ever fate upon the English Throne.

WE were then fhewn Edward the Confeffor's Tomb; upon which Sir ROGER acquainted us, that he was the first who touched for the Evil; and afterwards Henry

the

the Fourth's, upon which he shook his Head, and told us. there was fine Reading of the Cafualties of that Reign.

OUR Conductor then pointed to that Monument where there is the Figure of one of our English Kings without an Head; and upon giving us to know, that the Head, which was of beaten Silver, had been stolen away feveral Years fince: Some Whig, I'll warrant you, fays Sir ROGER; you ought to lock up your Kings better; they will carry off the Body too, if you don't take

care.

THE glorious Names of Henry the Fifth and Queen Elizabeth gave the Knight great Opportunities of fhining, and of doing Juftice to Sir Richard Baker, who, as our Knight obferved with fome Surprize, had a great many Kings in him, whofe Monuments he had not feen in the Abby.

FOR my own part, I could not but be pleafed to fee the Knight fhew fuch an honeft Paffion for the Glory of his Country, and fuch a refpectful Gratitude to the Memory of its Princes.

I must not omit, that the Benevolence of my good old Friend, which flows out towards every one he converfes with, made him very kind to our Interpreter, whom he looked upon as an extraordinary Man; for which reafon he shook him by the Hand at parting, telling him, that he should be very glad to fee him at his Lodgings in Norfolk-Buildings, and talk over thefe Matters with him more at leifure.

L

No 330. Wednesday, March 19.

Maxima debetur pueris reverentia

TH

Juv.

HE following Letters, written by two very confi derate Correfpondents, both under twenty Years of Age, are very good Arguments of the Neceffity of taking