rement, and without the vanity which every one now will take to be thought

Your, &c.

T

LETTER X.

HE more I examine my own mind, the more romantic I find myself. Methinks it is a noble fpirit of contradiction to Fate and Fortune, not to give up those that are fnatched from us; but to follow them the more, the farther they are remov'd from the fenfe of it. Sure, Flattery never travelled fo far as three thousand miles; it is now only for Truth, which overtakes all things, to reach you at this distance. 'Tis a generous piece of Popery, that pursues even those who are to be eternally abfent, into another world; whether you think it right or wrong, you'll own the very extravagance a sort of piety. I can't be fatisfied with ftrowing flowers over you, and barely honouring you as a thing loft: but must confider you as a glorious tho' reinote being, and be fending addreffes after you. You have carried away fo much of me, that what remains is daily languifhing and dying over my acquaintance here, and I believe, in three or four months more I fhall think Aurat Bazar (a) as good a place as Covent Garden. You may imagine this is raillery, but I am really fo far gone as to take pleasure in reveries of this kind. Let them fay I am romantic, fo is every one faid to be, that either admires a fine thing or does

() At Conftantinople.

one. On my confcience, as the world goes, 'tis hardly worth any body's while to do one for the honour of it Glory, the only pay of generous actions, is now as ill paid as other juft debts; and neither Mrs. Macfarland for immolating her lover, not you, for constancy to your lord, muft ever hope to be compared to Lucretia or Portia.

I write this in fome anger; for having, since you went, frequented thofe people moft, who feemed most in your favour, I heard nothing that concerned you talked of fo often, as that you went away in a black full-bottom'd wig; which I did but affert to be a bob, and was answered, Love is blind. I am perfuaded your wig had never fuffered this criticism, but on the fçore of your head, and the two eyes that are in it.

Pray when you write to me, talk of yourfelf; there is nothing I fo much defire to hear of; talk a great deal of yourfelf; that she who I always thought talked beft, may speak upon the beft fubject. The fhrines and reliques you tell me of, no way engage my curiofity; I had ten times rather go on pilgrimage to fee one fuch face as yours, than both St. John Baptift's heads. I wifh (fince you are grown fo covetous of golden things) you had not only all the fine ftatues you talk of, but even the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar fet up, provided you were to travel no farther than you could carry it.

The court of Vienna is very edifying. The ladies, with respect to their husbands, feem to understand that text literally, that commands to bear one another's burthens: but, I fancy, many a man there is like Iffachar, an afs between two burthens. I shall look upon you

no more as a Christian, when you pass from that charitable court to the land of jealousy. I expect to hear an exact account how, and at what places, you leave one of the thirty-nine articles after another, as you approach to the lands of infidelity. Pray how far are you got already? amidst the pomp of a high mafs, and the ravishing trills of a Sunday opera, what did you think of the doctrine and difcipline of the church of England? had you from your heart a reverence for Sternhold and Hopkins? How did your Christian virtues hold out in so long a voyage? you have, it seems (without paffing the bounds of Christendom) out-travelled the fin of fornication: in a little time you'll look upon foine others with more patience, than the ladies here are capable of.. I reckon, you'll time it fo well as to make your religion last to the verge of Chriftendom, that you may discharge your Chaplain (as humanity requires) in a place where he may find some bufinefs.

I doubt not but I fhall be told (when I come to follow you through those countries) in how pretty a manner you accommodated yourself to the customs of the true Muflemen. They will tell me at what town you practised to fit on the Sopha, at what village you learned to fold a Turbant, where you was bathed and anointed, and where you parted with your black fullbottom. How happy muft it be for a gay young woman, to live in a country where it is a part of religious worship to be giddy-headed? I fhall hear at Belgrade how the good Bashaw received you with tears of joy, how he was charmed with your agreeable manner of pronouncing the words Allah and Muhamed; and

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how earnestly you joined with him in exhorting your friend to embrace that religion. But I think his objection was a just one, that it was attended with some circumstances under which he could not properly represent his Britannic Majesty.

Laftly, I fhall hear how, the firft night you lay at Pera, you had a vision of Mahomet's Paradife; and hap pily awaked without a foul, from which bleffed moment the beautiful body was left at full liberty to perform all the agreeable functions it was made for.

'I fee I have done in this letter as I often have done in your company, talk'd myself into a good humour, when I begun in an ill one; the pleasure of addreffing to you makes me run on, and 'tis in your own power to fhorten this letter as much as you please, by giving over when you pleafe; fo I'll make it no longer \by apologies.

Y

LETTER XI.

OU have afked me news a hundred times at the first word you, fpoke to me, which some would interpret as if you expected nothing better from my lips and truly 'tis not a fign two lovers are together, when they can be fo impertinent as to enquire what the world does? All I mean by this is, that either you or I are not in love with the other: I leave you to guefs which of the two is that stupid and infenfible creature, fo blind to the other's excellencies and charms 2

This then shall be a letter of News; and fure, if you did not think me the humblest creature in the world, you could never imagine a Poet could dwindle to a brother of Dawks and Dyer, from a rival of Tate and Brady.

The Earl of Oxford has behaved fo bravely, that in this act at least he might feem above man, if he had not just now voided a stone to prove him subject to human infirmities. The utmost weight of affliction from minifterial power and popular hatred, were almoft worth bearing, for the glory of fuch a dauntless conduct as he has fhewn under it.

You may foon have your wifh, to enjoy the gallant fights of armies, incampments, ftandards waving over your brother's corn- fields, and the pretty windings of the Thames ftained with the blood of men. Your barbarity, which I have heard fo long exclaim'd against in town and country, may have its fill of deftruction. I would not add one circumstance usual in all defcriptions of calamity, that of the many rapes committed, or to be committed upon those unfortunate women that delight int way. But God forgive me - in this martial age, if I could, I would buy a regiment for your fake and Mrs. P's and fome others, whom, I have caufe to fear, no fair means will prevail upon.

Those eyes, that care not how much mischief is done, or how great flaughter committed, fo they have but a fine fhow; thofe very female eyes, will be infinitely delighted with the camp which is fpeedily to be formed in Hyde-park. The tents are carried thither this morning, new regiments with new cloaths and furniture (far exceeding the late cloth and linen defigned by his Vol. VII. K