DEDICATION.

took Care of your Fortune. Elegance was so blended with Oeconomy in her Management, it shew'd Us the Difference betwixt Plenty and Oftentation.

I have presumed, Your Lordship will observe, to draw but the Outlines of the Picture; to sketch out that Symmetry, which diftinguish'd her equally to every Beholder. To finish up the Colouring of the Whole, is above my Strength or Vanity. The peculiar Duties She paid either to Heaven, or your Lordship, are too sacred to be touch'd here. They stand forbid to a vulgar Approach; and I choose, as in the Jewish Temples, to draw a Curtain across that Altar. It might be a childish Superftition, perhaps, to imagine her too good for this World; but we feel to our Concern, that what made her revered on Earth, qualified her too early for a Saint in Heaven.

Oftendunt terris hanc tantum Fata, nec ultra Effe finunt.rdi 4w Juris

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I should fear, my Lord, to awake your Sorrows even with this faint Recapitulation of her Virtues, did I not know, the Image of them is engraven on your Heart; and I am paying but the Rites of a pious and sympathetick Respect. As I am proud to be thought a Client and Servant of your Family, and claim Your Lordship's Patronage as it were by Descent from your Noble Father, I would profess a becoming Interest in whatever affects my Patron.

If my Duty, My Lord, be too bold, I have it to plead in Excuse, that it is in some Measure warranted by your own Conduct and Behaviour. That Easiness of Address with which I have been receiv'd by You, and that Indulgence which you are pleas'd to shew me on every Occasion, ground a fort of habitual Freedom. In Conversations with Your Lordship, tho' we cannot but remember the Distance due to your Quality, yet we find something so engaging on your part, that we imperceptibly lide

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on the very Confines of Friendship. Your Sweetness and Affability always put me in mind of Ovid's APOLLO; he restrain'd the Luftre of his Godhead, when he was to converse with a mortal Son;

circum Caput omne micantes Deposuit radios, propriúsque accedere juffit. So, You, my Lord, will not suffer your Quality to glare upon your Inferiors: You abate of the Splendour of a Patrician, and descend to Us in the Light of the easy agreeable Gentleman.

If You ever shew any Reserve, it is with Regard to your own Modefty. You there labour to retire within Your self; and would fain shut Us out from the Discovery of Talents, which you cannot restrain from starting to Obfervation. Your Behaviour resembles That of Pyramus and Thisbe's Parents, in a Paffage which has employ'd the Criticks; Sed vetuêre patres quod non potuere vetare,

For I have always understood it thus, that they endeavour'd to forbid what they could not prevent. The Confeffion I am going to make, my Lord, is in part an Evidence of this Truth. I had design'd to obtrude upon You what I had to fay critically of Shakespeare: but your Modesty absolutely denied my Appeal. You would not look upon your felf converfant enough in my Author to be appointed Judge of the various parts of his Character; tho' I have borrow'd many Hints from hearing You converse upon him. I have foften'd the Theft, Sir, in Expreffion, you fee, in Regard to my self; and Your Lordship may reafonably deny the Loss of the Jewels, which I have disparag'd in the unartful Setting. I may very truly apply to You the Character, which a much greater Dedicator apply'd to a Patron not so great: Ingenium tale est, ut etiam fine literis videatur cultum effe potuisse; tantum autem Literarum confecutus es, ut vel fatis ad fummam gloriam efssse poffit.

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But I am aware, that in these Declarations I am trespassing on Your Lordship's Patience. That Light of Veneration, in which I view You, makes me think I could never say too much on the Subject: and that nice Distrust, with which You view Your self, makes You think that I cannot fay too little. I can only know that I am forgiven, in being continued to share the Honour of Your Esteem; and indulg'd in the Opportunities of approving myself,