inftances of my Life. In what manner did I behave the last hour I faw you? What degree of concern did I discover when I felt a misfortune which I hope you will never feel, that of parting from what one moft efteems? for if my parting look'd but like that of your common acquaintance, I am the greatest of all the hypocrites that ever Decency made.

I never fince pafs by your houfe but with the fame fort of melancholy that we feel upon feeing the Tomb of a friend, which only ferves to put us in mind of what we have loft. I reflect upon the circumftances of your departure which I was there a witnefs of (your behaviour in what I may call your last moments) and I indulge a gloomy kind of pleasure in thinking that thofe laft moments were given to me. I would fain imagine this was not accidental, but proceeded from a penetration which I know you have, in finding out the truth of people's fentiments; and that you were willing, the laft man that would have parted from you, fhould be that laft that did. I really look'd upon you just as the friends of Curtius might have done upon that Hero, at the inftant when he was devoting himself to Glory, and running to be loft out of generofity. I was oblig'd to admire your refolution,

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folution, in as great a degree as I deplored it; and had only to wifh, that heaven would reward fo much Virtue as was to be taken from us, with all the felicities it could enjoy elsewhere!

I am, &c.

Y

LETTER XVI.

OU will find me more troublesome than ever Brutus did his Evil Genius; 1 hall meet you in more places than one, and often refresh your memory before you arrive at your Philippi. These fhadows of me (my letters) will be haunting you from time to time, and putting you in mind of the man who has really fuffer'd very much from you, and whom you have robb'd of the most valuable of his enjoyments, your converfation. advantage of hearing your fentiments by difcovering mine, was what I always thought a great one, and even worth the rifque I generally run of manifefting my own indifcretion. You then rewarded my truft in you the moment it was given,

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for you pleas'd or inform'd me the minute you anfwer'd. I must now be contented with more flow returns. However tis fome pleasure, that your thoughts upon Paper will be a more lafting poffeffion to me, and that I fhall no longer have caufe to complain of a lofs I have fo often regretted, that of any thing you faid, which I happen'd to forget. In earnest, Madam, if I were to write to you as often as I think of you, it must be every day of my life. I attend you in fpirit thro' all your ways, I follow you thro' every stage in books of Travels, and fear for you thro' whole folio's; you make me fhrink at the paft dangers of dead travellers; and if I read of a delightful profpect, or agreeable place, I hope it yet fubfifts to please you. I enquire the roads, the amusements, the company, of every town and country thro' which you pafs, with as much diligence as if I were to fet out next week to overtake you.. In a word, no one can have you more conftantly in mind, not even your guardian Angel (if you have one) and I am willing to indulge fo much Popery, as to fancy fome Being takes care of you, who knows your value better than you do your felf: I am willing to think that heaven never gave fo much felf-neglect and resolution to a woman, to occafion her P 2 calamity,

calamity, but am pious enough to believe tho'e qualities must be intended to conduce to her benefit and her glory. ::

Your first short letter only ferves to fhow me you are alive it puts me in mind of the first Dove that return'd to Noah, and just made him know it had found no reft abroad.

There is nothing in it that pleafes me, but when you tell me you had no Seaficknefs. I beg your next may give me all the pleasure it can, that is, tell me any that you receive. You can make no difcoveries that will be half fo valuable to me as thofe of your own mind: Nothing that regards the States or Kingdoms you pass thro', will engage fo much of my curiofity or concern, as what relates to your felf: Your welfare, to fay truth, is more at my heart than that of Chriftendom.)

I am fure I may defend the truth, tho' perhaps not the virtue, of this declaration. One is ignorant, or doubtful at beft, of the Merits of differing religions and governments: but private virtues one can be fare of. I therefore know what particular perfon has defert enough to merit being happier than others, but not what Nation deferves to conquer or oppress another. You will fay, I am not Publickpirited; let it be fo, I may have too ma

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ny tenderneffes, particular regards, or narrow views; but at the fame time I am certain that whoever wants thefe, can never have a Publick-fpirit; for (as a friend of mine fays) how is it poffible for that man to love twenty thousand people, who never loved one?

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I communicated your letter to Mr.C he thinks of you and talks of you as he ought, I mean as I do, and one always thinks that to be juft as it ought. His health and mine are now fo good, that we wish with all our fouls you were a witnefs of it. We never meet but we lament over you: we pay a kind of weekly rites to your memory, where we ftrow flowers of rhetorick, and offer fuch libations to your name as it would be prophane to call Toafting. The Duke of Bm is fometimes the High Prieft of your praises; and upon the whole, I believe there are as few Men that are not forry at your departure, as Women that are; for you know most of your Sex want good fenfe, and therefore muft want generofity: You have fo much of both, that I am fure you pardon them; for one cannot but forgive whatever one defpifes. For my part I hate a great many women for your fake, and undervalue all the reft. 'Tis you are to blame, and may God re