"Tafte, and was improving very faft upon her Plan, Example, and Inftruction, was overjoyed to think of changing her Situation, and removing from the unbred Conversation of Country 'Squires, who could talk for Hours together of the Beauties and Excellencies of a favourite Horfe or Dog, whilft they were 'utterly infenfible of thofe growing Charms which her faithful Glafs affured her would, in a lefs barbarous Country, quickly make her the Admiration of our Sex, and the Envy of her own; not to mention the lively Hope fhe entertained, that fome of thofe tender Things, which the amorous Count was throwing away upon her Mamma, might, in a little time, fall to her Share, who better deserved them, and had a much better Reafon to expect them.-Whilft the hopeful 'Squire Richard, the Heir Apparent to the Wisdom and Honours of the Family, came into the Scheme purely for Fun, in hopes of feeing the Lions, and the Monuments, and the fine Laffes, whom he had fo often heard the well-bred Count toaft with Rapture. Now pray, my Lord, what was there in this whole Conduct either criminal or ridiculous? He had as much Zeal and as much Merit as fome, whom your Lordship remembers to have made no small Figure in the World; and if he could have been fo happy as to do the fame, who could blame him? But if neither the Diftreffes of his Family, his clamorous Debts, the Importunity of his affectionate Spouse, nor the better Education of his two lovely hopeful Infants, could be thought a sufficient Justification of his Conduct, what shall be faid for those, who with Fortunes intirely easy and fufficient to anfwer all the rational Purposes of Life, have quitted

their paternal Seats and Estates, where they might live with Dignity and Ease, to dangle for Years together after a Court, doing the Drudgery, and licking the, Spittle of every Man in Power, in hopes of procuring they knew not what they knew not when?. Now, if fuch Conduct as this must be ridiculed by an impertinent Play-Writer, as the diftinguishing Folly of our Family, he will find, to his Confufion, that we are a more numerous Corps than he imagined; and if we should all agree to defert the Houfe every time his Nonfenfe is acted, I can affure him he would have but a thin Audience, and scarce receive enough to pay for his Candles. We are (as I faid before) not only a numerous Family, but wellallied, and well-supported, and particularly remarkable for our inviolable Regard for the Family Interest, and infeparable Attachment to each other; and whoever was fool-hardy enough to provoke us, was feldom known to get much by the Bargain. Whoever attempted to be arch and witty upon any one of the Family, might as well have thruft his Head into a Hornet's Neft; he was fure to have us all about his Ears, and to be worried out of his Fame and Patience, if not out of Life. The Cry we were sure to raise upon him, was as loud and extenfive as our united Intereft could make it; and our Oppofition to all his Schemes for Promotion and Advancement in the World was feldom known to be unsuccessful. Whereever we had any Degree of Interest or Power, especially the Direction of any Society Ecclefiaftical or Civil, we are fure to improve it, by admitting none but Friends and Relations. Let a Man's Merit be ever

fo great, his Character ever fo fhining in other Refpects, his Services, his Labours, his Zeal, his Hardfhips, ever fo extraordinary, if he cannot produce proper Credentials from fome of our Friends, we are determined never to admit him, left he fhould take it in his Head to interrupt the Peace and Harmony of the Society, and create Schifms and Diffentions among us, under the fpecious Pretence of regulating Disorders, and reforming Abuses; by which Means, I think, we fhall effectually exclude Interlopers and Innovators of every Sort or Kind. However low our Intereft may seem at prefent, yet some we have, and perhaps more than can easily be imagined; which, by Unanimity and Patience, we hope to improve daily. There was a Time, when we had the Power intirely in our own Hands, if we could but have kept it; But what has been, may be. And as low as we feem to be, we may again have it in our Power to turn the Tables and the Laugh upon them, who at present raise it upon us; and if ever we should fee that happy Day, we fhall be fure to take effectual Care to restrain the Infolence, by stopping the Mouths and Pens of all Oppofers. This alone will give us ample Satiffaction for all the Indignities, we have fuffered, as it will effectually prevent your Lordship from speaking and publishing, and our Enemies from hearing or reading, what they call The finest Speeches in the English Tongue.

I hope your Lordship will make a proper Use of the Hint I have given you, and treat us for the

future

future with fo much Indulgence at least, as may give you a Title to our Favour, if you should live to want it: With this Hope I beg leave to fubfcribe myself,

!

MY LORD,

Your LORDSHIP'S

Moft Obedient Servant.