The fourth Letter in the Alphabet is, of course, D; but either the Careleffnefs of her Ladyfhip's Typography, or my own ready Adaption of the Letter, has made me fix on O, which, from the Figure, being the most perfect in Geometry, feems to bear the nearest Analogy to the Perfon decyphered by it. O! may our Loves, our Joys, our Days, end, like the Circle, as they have begun! (for I keep no Record of Time before our firft Acquaintance) and may our Wishes, like that too, have but one common ' Center!

I am concerned at your Apprehenfions about Lady L's Face; but more for her as a Child, than as a Woman: For Beauty is defirable, when we can expect nothing better; but a Woman may be amiable, without a Symmetry of Features; which I cannot inftance in you, because I think you handfome; but Lady may fill the Example, as fhe was never reckoned a Beauty And may the Mother's Fortune attend the Child, to mifs a Fop, and gain a Man of Senfe!

I am forry for the Accident which happened. to your Eye: But, if it ends only in a Blemish, I am quite easy; for Mens fana in Corpore fano completes all my Wifhes, with Regard to you.

I am, my dear Omicron,

Your's, from Alpha, to Omega.

LETTER

You

CLXXXV.

U fpeak too humbly, my dear Fanny, about your Perfon: It is, to my Liking, amiable; and no Comparison can render it otherwise to me, but that of your Understanding: And, though Age, or Sickness, may forfeit your common Admirers,

"Best quitted with Disdain ;”

yet your Charms, to me, muft ftill remain: For, though the fetting Sun (to ufe a bold Expreffion) annihilates the Shadow, the Substance ftill remains the fame.

I am forry you had nothing more particular to tell me, in your last, about our Lady · which is a fond Expreffion among the Antients, fignifying a particular Regard, or Friendship, to any Perfon.

I have got home the fine Edition of the Spectators I promised to fend you. The Papers, I defign to make Part of a Collection, (hinted to you in a former Letter,) which I mean to intitle, "The Solamen Miferis, or Cordial of Adverfity," are, Numbers 210, 213, the latter Part of 225, 257, 289, 312, 381, 387, 408, 447, 459, 465, 471, 487, 494, 495, 513, 519, 520, 531, 537, 543, 571, 600, 601, 615, 621, 624, 626, 628, 633, 634, and 635. There are but four Papers in the Tatlers to be added to them: Number 89, the firft Part of Number

170, Number 135, and 211. I have not looked into the Guardians lately, but shall foon do it, with a View to this humane and useful Work. Writings of this Kind have admirable Effects upon a Mind rightly turned: They have quelled all Ambition in me: They have reconciled me to Poverty, rendered me luke-warm to Fame, have comforted me in Affliction, have. even alleviated Pain, and taken away the Terrors of Death: At the fame Time, they have enlivened my Hope, enlarged my Views, and opened fuch a glorious Prospect into Eternity, that the Mind's Eye but carelessly glances over every Object, which lies intermediate to it; yet not with such an intemperate Enthusiasm, as to hinder a thorough Refignation to the Difpenfations of Providence; for I contemplate the Joys of Eternity, without any Impatience for the Poffeffion of them; which is owing to the admirable Contrivance of the Almighty, who has given us fuch a Self-Conviction of the Pleasures of Hereafter, as may make us reft in Hope; but reftrained us from fuch a Senfe of them, as might render us impatient in our Wishes.

Farewell, my Love! my Friend! my Oracle!

Henry.

LETTER

LETTER CLXXXVI.

FRANCES to HENRY.

HAT a Scene of tranquil Happiness

W does my dear practic Philofopher's

Letter prefent me with! How earneftly, how paffionately do I wish to fhare those rational Delights, which he can, at once, partake and infpire! How" altogether preferable" should I think it, to be feated by him on an Hillock of Hay, contemplating the Works of Nature, while he deduced each obvious Effect from it's first great Principle; and made me lofe all Wonder, in Praise and Gratitude to that Almighty Being, who firft created, and then made him mine!

I fay, how much should I prefer that happy Situation to a Throne, without thee, thou dearest and most charming of thy Sex! Nor will I doubt, that my fharing would enhance the Pleafures of Retirement; for Solitude's the Nutfe of Love, as well as Contemplation; and I am very fure, were we to live but a few Months in a calm fettled Way together, you would be infinitely fonder of me than you are, or can be, at prefent; as I make no doubt but we should then experience the charming Theory you have somewhere laid down: "Chearfulness "without Mirth, Gravity without Spleen, and

"the

the warmest Love with the highest Esteem."

You will, perhaps, be furprized, when I tell you, that I now rejoice at what I have sometimes looked on as the greatest Misfortune of my Life; that we have not lived together. We fhould have been miferable, if that had happened two Years ago. It is but a very short Time, fince I became thoroughly acquainted with you: That Knowledge has increased my Love and Efteem for you. You have introduced me to myfelf: Need I fay, that, by knowing myself, I have triumphed over my greateft Foible? And fure I cannot err greatly, after your pointing out my Faults, when I declare, in the Sincerity of my Heart, that I have no Will of my own, nor Wifh, but that of rendering my little Self agreeable to you.-If it were not a Work of Supererogation, I could even wish that I had greater Failings to furmount, as they would be a still ftronger Proof of your Love and

mine.

Though I remember the Subject of each particular Letter you mention in Pliny, I will not pretend to fpeak my Sentiments, as I have not the Books by me; if I had, I should certainly ftart Objections, for the Pleasure of being refuted by you.

I have not been at the Rock these ten Days: I have lain in Bond-Street fince I came to Town, and am almost killed with Raking. I fhall not