"This gentlewoman, that was left in the house. with Mr. Hutchinson was a very child; her elder sister being at that time scarce past it; but a child of such pleasantness and vivacity of spirit, and ingenuity in the quality she practised, that Mr. Hutchinson took pleasure in hearing her practise, and would fall in discourse with her. She, having the keys of her mother's house, some half a mile distant, would sometimes ask Mr. Hutchinson, when she went over, to walk along with her. One day, when he was there, looking upon an odd by-shelf, in her sister's closet, he found a few Latin books. Asking whose they were, he was told. they were her elder sister's; whereupon, enquiring more after her, he began first to be sorry she was gone, before he had seen her; and gone upon such an ac-. count, that he was not likely to see her. Then he grew to love to hear mention of her; and the other gentlewomen, who had been her companions, used to talk much to him, of her, telling him, how reserved and studious she was; and other things, which they esteemed no advantage; but it so inflamed Mr. Hutchinson's desire of seeing her, that he began to wonder at himself, that his heart, which had ever had such an indifferency for the most excellent of womankind, should have so strong impulses towards a stranger, he never saw; and certainly it was of the Lord, (though he perceived it not) who had ordained him, through so many various providencies, to be yoked with her in whom he found so much satisfaction. "There scarcely past any day, but some accident or some discourse still kept alive his desire of seeing this gentlewoman, although the mention of her, for the most most part, was enquiries whether she had yet accomplished the marriage that was in treaty. One day there was a great deal of company met at Mr. Coleman's, the gentleman's house, where he tabled, to hear the musick, and a certain song was sung, which had been lately set, and gave occasion to some of the company to mention an answer to it, which was in the house, and upon some of their desires read: a gentleman saying it was believed that a woman in the neighbourhood had made it, it was presently enquired who? whereupon a gentleman, then present, who had made the first song, said, there were but two women that could be guilty of it, whereof one was a lady then among them, the other Mrs. Apsley. “Mr. Hutchinson, fancying something of rationality in the sonnet, beyond the customary reach of a shewit, although, to speak truth, it signified very little, addrest himself to the gentleman, and told him, he could scarcely believe it was a woman's, whereupon this gentleman, who was a man of good understanding and expression, and inspired with some passion for her himself, which made him regard all her perfections through a multiplying glass, told Mr. Hutchinson, that though for civility to the rest, he entitled another lady to the song, yet he was confident it was Mrs. Apsley's only, for she had sense above all the rest, and fell into such high praises of her, as might well have begotten those vehement desires of her acquaintance, which a strange sympathy in nature had before produced another gentleman, that sat by, seconded this commendation, with such additions of praise, as he would not have given if he had known her. "Mr. "Mr. Hutchinson hearing all this, said to the first gentleman, I cannot be at rest till this lady's return, that I may be acquainted with her; the gentleman replied, 'Sir, you must not expect that, for she is of an humour she will not be acquainted with any of mankind, and however this song is stolen forth, she is the nicest creature in the world of suffering her perfections to be known, she shuns the converse of men as the plague, she only lives in the enjoyment of herself, and has nɔt the humanity to communicate that happiness to any of our sex.' Well,' said Mr. Hutchinson, but I will be acquainted with her ;' and indeed the information of this reserved humour, pleased him, more than all else he had heard, and filled him now with thoughts, how he should attain the sight and knowledge of her. "While he was exercised in this, many days passed not, but a footboy of my lady her mother's, came to young Mrs. Apsley, as they were at dinner, bringing news that her mother and sister would in few days return; and when they enquired of him, whether Mrs. Apsley was married, having before been instructed to make them believe it, he smiled and pulled out some bride laces, which were given at a wedding in the house where she was, and gave them to the young gentlewoman and the gentleman's daughter of the house, and told them Mrs. Apsley bade him tell no news, but give them those tokens, and carried the matter so, that all the company believed she had been married,” &c. **** "While she so ran in his thoughts, meeting the boy again, he found out upon a little stricter examination of him, that she was not married, and please himself himself in the hopes of her speedy return, when one day, having been invited by one of the ladies of that neighbourhood, to a noble treatment at Sion garden, which a courtier, that was her servant, had made for her, and whom she would bring, Mr. Hutchinson, Mrs. Apsley, and Mr. Coleman's daughter were of the party, and having spent the day in several pleasant divertisements, at evening they were at supper, when a messenger came to tell Mrs. Apsley, her mother was come. She would immediately have gone, but Mr. Hutchinson, pretending civility to conduct her home, made her stay till the supper was ended, of which he eat no more, now only longing for that sight, which he had with such perplexity expected. This at length he obtained; but his heart being prepossessed with his own fancy, was not free to discern how little there was in her to answer 30 great an expectation. "She was not ugly; in a careless riding-habit, she had a melancholy negligence both of herself and others, as if she neither affected to please others, nor took notice of any thing before her; yet spite of all her indifferency, she was surprised with some unusual liking in her soul, when she saw this gentleman, who had hair, eyes, shape, and countenance enough to beget love in any one at the first, and these set off with a graceful and generous mien, which promised an extraordinary person; he was at that time, and indeed always, very neatly habited, for he wore good and rich clothes, and had variety of them, and had them well suited and every way answerable, in that little thing, shewing both good judgment and great generosity, he equally becoming them and they him, which he wore with such unaffectedness unaffectedness and such neatness as do not often meet in one. 66 Although he had but an evening sight of her he had so long desired, and that at disadvantage enough for her, yet the prevailing sympathy of his soul, made him think all his pains well paid; and this first did whet his desire to a second sight, which he had by accident the next day, and to his joy found she was wholly disengaged from that treaty, which he so much feared had been accomplished; he found withal, that though she was modest, she was accostable and willing to entertain his acquaintance. "This soon past into a mutual friendship between them, and though she innocently thought nothing of love, yet she was glad to have acquired such a friend, who had wisdom and virtue enough to be trusted with her counsels, for she was then much perplext in mind; her mother and friends had a great desire she should marry, and were displeased that she refused many offers which they thought advantageous enough; she was obedient, loath to displease them, but more herself, in marrying such as she had no inclination to. The troublesome pretensions of some of the courtiers, had made her willing to try whether she could bring her heart to her mother's desire, but being by a secret working, which she then understood not, averted, she was troubled to return, lest some might believe it was a secret liking of them which had caused her dislike of others, and being a little disturbed with these things and melancholy, Mr. Hutchinson, appearing, as he was, a person of virtue and honour, who might be safely and advantageously converst with, she thought God had sent her a happy relief. "Mr. Hutchinson on the other side, having been |