which he says might be the means to free your blood from it a long time.

I hope by this time the pink-coloured ribband in your hat is pulled off, and the pink-coloured gown put on. I will not joke upon that, though Ï did upon the, ribband, because, when people begin to sin, there may be hopes of amendment; but when the whole woman is become red as scarlet, there's no good to be done.

Lady Suffolk has a strange power over me. She would not stir a day's journey either east or west for me, though she had dying or languishing friends on each quarter, who wanted and wished to see her. But I am following her chariot-wheels three days through rocks and waters, and shall be at her feet on Sunday night. I suppose she'll be at cards, and receive me as coldly as if I were archdeacon of the place. I hope I shall be better with you, who will doubtless have been at mass (whither Mr. Nash at my request shall carry you constantly when I come), and in a meek and christian-like way.

I have no

more to say to either of you, but that which we are all obliged to say, even to our enemies: The Lord have mercy on you! and have you in his keeping. Adieu.

I intended you this by the last post, but it was too late; so that you'll hardly receive it sooner than we

shall come. I was willing just to have told Lady Suffolk before, that one of my chief motives was to see her in a place of liberty and health, and to advertise you, Madam, not to be discouraged if the waters did heat you, but to lose no time in them.

LETTER IX.

TO M. AND T. BLOUNT.

DEAR LADIES, Sept. 17. I AM in the case which many a man is in with your

sex, not knowing where to have you: so I direct this with great respect to the most discreet of servitors, whom I dare hardly call Georges, even within the folds of this letter. I hope, if you are in London, that you find company; if you are in the country, that you don't want it. I heartily wish you luck at cards; not only as it is said to be a token of luck in better things, but as it doth really and effectually save money, and sometimes get it. I also wish you good husbands, and think Mr. Caryll, who has the interest of our Catholic religion at heart, ought, if possible to strengthen it, by allying to some of the supports thereof two such lovely branches as yourselves. Pray tell him so from me, and let me advise you in your ear. 'Tis full as well to marry in the country as in the town, provided you can bring your husbands up with you afterwards, and make them stay as long as you will. These two considerations every wise virgin should have in her head, not forgetting the third, which is, a separate allowance. O pinmoney! dear, desirable pin-money! in these are included all the blessings of woman! in thee are comprised fine clothes, fine lodgings, fine operas, fine masquerades, fine fellows. Foh! says Mrs. Teresa, at this last article and so I hold my tongue.

Are you really of opinion you are an inconvenient part at present of my friend's family? Do ye fancy the best man in England is so very good, as not to be fond of ye? Why, St. Austin himself would have

Perhaps George Arbuthnot, the Solicitor, who was much in the confidence of Pope and M. Blount.

kissed ye--St. Jerome would have shaved against your coming-St. Peter would have dried his eyes at the sight of you-and St. Thomas would have been for touching and trying you. If you fancy yourselves troublesome at Grinstead, you are too humble indeed; you need not talk of wanting to be humbled. Every place will be proud of you; except Gotham, and the wise men of Gotham. May the devil take every one that thinks you should be humbled. For me, I sincerely wish to see you exalted, when it shall please heaven, above the cherubims; but first, upon earth, above six horses in a handsome coach.

After all, if it be wholesome for you both to be humbled, ladies, let me try to do it. I'll freely tell you two or three of your faults.

First, if you are handsome you know it. This people have unluckily given you to understand, by praising you every day of your lives. The world has abundance of those indiscreet persons who admire you; and the mischief of it is, you can go no where but you meet with them.

Secondly, you are the greatest self-lovers alive. For ever since you were children, it was preached to you, that you should know yourselves. You have complied with this idle advice, and, upon examining, find a great many qualities, which those who possess cannot but like themselves the better for: and 'tis your misfortune to have them all!

Thirdly, it is insupportable impudence and lying in you, to pretend, as you do, to have no passion or tendency to love and good-nature. For can any thing be so preposterous, as to say you care for nobody, at the same time that you oblige and please every body? For these, and all other your grievous offences, the Lord afford you his mercy, as I do heartily absolve you. In nomine, etc.

h West Grinstead in Sussex: Mr. Caryl's residence was here..

Mr. Gay was your servant yesterday; I believe today he may be Mrs. Lepell's,

LETTER X.

December 27.

1 AM sorry you are so engaged and dissipated, as you say. If your friends would but do as most other people's, invite you once to dinner, and then not care if you were hanged, it would be better. But to be all day, first dressing one's body, then dragging it abroad, then stuffing the guts, then washing them with tea, then wagging one's tongue, and so to bed; it is the life of an animal, that may, for all that I know, have reason in it (as the country girl said a fiddle had a tune in it), but wanted somebody to fetch it out and ladies indeed so seldom learn to play this way, or shew what's in them at all, till they meet with some clever fellow, to wind them well up, and fret their fiddlestrings. But as next to action is contemplation, so women unmarried betake themselves wisely to thinking; as I doubt not you do sometimes, when, after the fatigues of the day, you get to bed, and then how must every considerate woman be struck, when she hears the watchman every hour telling how time is past! If you think I write a little extravagantly, you are mistaken; for this is philosophy: I am just come from hearing Dr. Cheyne; and besides I have the head-ach, which heats my brain, and he assures me I might be inspired, if it had but one turn more, I must just say a word or two in the usual form, to let you know I have been once at Bath, and dined with Mrs. Arbuthnot, who sends you many services. I will not fail to speak of what you desire to Lady Peterborow. Mrs. Arbuthnot tells me she is very great with Mrs. Nugent, and so am I (to be) with Mrs. P. but I have not seen her, and she has no

coach, and can't get at me. I thank God for all his benefits. Pray tell me of any thing that pleases you, or any thing that vexes you: and give Lady Gerard my humble service; and take care of your health, and finish the picture when you go into the city, or to Judge Fortescue's, and don't mind Mr. Price i.

You tell me very few of my friends in town remember to ask about me. You shall see how I remember them, and how I ask about them. Pray tell my Lady Suffolk, in the first place, that I think of her every night constantly, as the greatest comforter I have, under her edder-down quilt: I wish Mr. Berkley lay as easy, who, I hear (and am sorry for it), has had the gout. Pray ask the Duchess of Queensbury, (if you can contrive to ask her without seeing her,) what she means by forgetting you are as good a dancer as some she invites? and ask my Lady Marchmont to carry you to see how well her Lord performs. Pray tell Mr. Lyttelton to tell a friend of his, that of all the princes in Europe, I admire the King of Prussia, because he never tells any body any thing he intends to do. Pray tell Mrs. Price how kindly I take her remembrance of me, and desire her to tell my Lord Cornbury k so. And those who love writing letters, and those who can write a-bed, should write, for the same reason that those who hate writing letters, and those that can't lye or sit still, should not write: and tell Mr. Nugent that I will sit for my picture for him, as I once did for his lady; and that I believe it will be a very excellent picture, because I am very much altered for the better. Pray assure Mr. Cleland that I am reading Don Quixote; and assure Lady Fanny that I have writ no verses this year at Bath. I wish

i Grandfather of the present Uvedale Price, Esq.

* Lord Cornbury was grandson of the great Lord Clarendon, and of course nearly related to Mary, consort of William III. and sister to Queen Anne.