ed, your fufpicion and confcience fatisfied, the ignominy and flander of the world ftopped, or my guilt openly declared. So that whatsoever God or you may determine of me, your grace may be freed from an open cenfure, and mine offences being fo lawfully proved, your grace is at liberty, both before God and man, not only to execute worthy punish ment on me as an unlawful wife, but to follow your affection, already fettled on that party, for whofe fake I am now as I am; whofe name I could, fome good while fince, have pointed unto, your grace not being ignorant of my fufpicion therein. But if you have already determined of me, and that not only my death, but an infamous flander muft bring you the enjoying of your defired happiness; then I defire of God, that he will pardon your great fin therein, and likewife mine enemies, the inftruments thereof; and that he will not call you to a ftrict account for your unprincely and cruel ufage of me, at his general judgment-feat, where both you and myfelf muft fhortly appear, and in whofe judgment I doubt not (whatfoever the world may think of me) mine innocence fhall be openly known, and fufficiently cleared. My laft and only request fhall be, that myfelf may only bear the burden of your grace's difpleafure, and that it may not touch the innocent fouls of those poor gentlemen, who (as I understand) are likewife in ftrait imprisonment for my fake. If ever I have found favour in your fight, if ever the name of Ann Boleyn hath been pleafing in your ears, then let me obtain this request; and I will fo leave to trouble your grace any farther, with mine earnest prayers to the Trinity to have your grace in his good keeping, and to direct you in all your actions. From my doleful prifon in the Tower, this 6th of May. Your loyal and ever faithful wife, § 112. Sir WALTER RALEIGH to Prince his liberty, and a very small fortune in a remote part of this island, under the prefent conftitution, above all the riches and honours that he could any where enjoy under any other establishment. You fee, Sir, the doctrines that are lately come into the world, and how far the phrafe has obtained, of calling your royal father God's vicegerent; which ill men have turned both to the dishonour of God, and the impeachment of his majefty's goodness. They adjoin vicegerency to the idea of being all-powerful, and not to that of being all-good. His majefty's wisdom, it is to be hoped, will fave him from the fnare that may lie under grofs adulations; but your youth, and the thirst of praise which I have obferved in you, may poffibly mislead you to hearken to thefe charmers, who would conduct your noble nature into tyranny. Be careful, O my prince! hear them not; fly from their deceits. You are in the fucceffion to a throne, from whence no evil can be imputed to you, but all good must be conveyed from you. Your father is called the vicegerent of Heaven; while he is good, he is the vicegerent of Heaven. Shall men have authority from the Fountain of good to do evil? No, my prince; let mean and degenerate fpirits, which want benevolence, fuppofe your power impaired by a difability of doing injuries. If want of power to do ill be an incapacity in a prince, with reverence be it spoken, it is an incapacity he has in common with the Deity. Let me not doubt but all pleas, which do not carry in them the mutual happiness of prince and people, will appear as abfurd to your great underftanding, as difagreeable to your noble nature. Exert yourfelf, O generous prince, again ft fuch fycophants, in the glorious caufe of liberty; and affume fuch an ambition worthy of you, to secure your fellow-creatures from flavery; from a condition as much below that of brutes, as to act without reason is lefs miferable than to act against it. Preferve to your future fubjects the divine right of being free agents; and to your own royal house, the divine right of be ing their benefactors. Believe me, my prince, there is no other right can flow from God. While your highness is form ing yourself for a throne, confider the Your highness's moft faithful fervant, § 113. CHARLES I. to the Earl of STRAFFORD, STRAFFORD, The misfortune that has fallen upon you by the ftrange miftaking and conjuncture of thefe times being fuch, that I must lay by the thought of employing you hereafter in my affairs; yet I cannot fatisfy myself in honour or confcience, without affuring you (now in the midst of your troubles) that, upon the word of a king, you fhall not fuffer in life, honour, or fortune. This is but juftice, and therefore a very mean reward from a master to fo faithful and able a fervant, as you have fhowed your felf to be; yet it is as much, as I conceive the prefent times will permit, though none fhall hinder me from being, Your conftant faithful friend, Charles R. $114. Earl of STRAFFORD to his Son. My dearest WILL, Thefe are the laft lines that you are to receive from a father that tenderly loves you. I wish there were a greater leisure to impart my mind unto you; but our merciful God will fupply all things by his grace, and guide and protect you in all your ways; to whofe infinite goodnefs I bequeath you; and therefore be not difcouraged, but ferve him, and truft in him, and he will preferve and profper you in all things. Be fure you give all refpects to my wife, that hath ever had a great love unto you, and therefore will be well becoming you. Never be wanting in your love and care to your fifters, but let them ever be most dear unto you: for that will give others cause to esteem and refpect you for it, and is a duty that you owe them in the memory of your excellent mother and myself: therefore your care and affection to them must be the very fame that you are to have of yourself; and the like regard must you have to your youngest fifter; for indeed you owe it her alfo, both for her father and mother's fake. Sweet Will, be careful to take the advice of those friends, which are by me defired to advise you for your education. Serve God diligently morning and evening, and recommend yourfelf unto him, and have him before. your eyes in all your ways. With patience hear the inftructions of those friends I leave with you, and diligently follow their counfel. For, till you come by time to have experience in the world, it will be far more fafe to trust to their judgments than your own. Lose not the time of your youth, but gather thofe feeds of virtue and knowledge which may be of use to yourself, and comfort to your friends, for the rest of your life, And that this may be the better effected, attend thereto with patience, and be fure to correct and refrain yourself from anger. Suffer not forrow to caft you down; but with chearfulness and good courage go on the race you have to run in all fobriety and truth. Be fure with an hallowed care to have refpect to all the commandments of God, and give not yourself to neglect them in the leaft things, left by degrees you come to for get you get them in the greatest; for the heart of man is deceitful above all things. And in all your duties and devotions towards God, rather perform them joyfully than penfively, for God loves a chearful giver. For your religion, let it be directed according to that which fhall be taught by thofe which are in God's church, the proper teachers thereof, rather than that you ever either fancy one to yourself, or be led by men that are fingular in their own opinion, and delight to go ways of their own finding out for you will certainly find fobernefs and truth in the one, and much unfteadiness and vanity in the other. The king, I truft, will deal graciously with you; restore thofe honours and that fortune, which a distempered time hath deprived you of, together with the life of your father; which I rather advife might be a new gift and creation from himself, than by any other means, to the end you may pay the thanks to him without having obligations to any other. Be fure to avoid, as much as you can, to enquire after thofe that have been fharp in their judgments towards me, and I charge you never to fuffer thought of revenge to enter into your heart; but be careful to be informed who were my friends in this profecution, and to them apply yourself to make them your friends alfo; and on fuch you may rely, and bestow much of your converfation amongst them. And God Almighty, of his infinite goodness, blefs you and your children's children; and his fame goodness blefs your fifters in like manner, perfect you in every good work, and give you right understandings in all things. Amen. Your most loving father, T. Wentworth. $115. King CHARLES the Second's Letter that I expect this compliance from you, and I defire it may be as foon as conveniently you can. You may easily believe with what trouble I write this to you, there being nothing I am more fenfible of than the conftant kindness you have ever had for me; and I hope you are fo juft to me, as to be affured that no abfence, or any thing else, can ever change me from ever being truly and kindly yours, Charles Rex. $116. Queen ANNE to the Duke of MARLBOROUGH after the Victory of Oudenarde. I want words to exprefs the joy I have that you are well after your glorious fuccefs, for which, next to Almighty God, my thanks are due to you: and indeed I can never fay enough for all the great and faithful fervices you have ever done me. But be fo juft as to believe I am as truly fenfible of them as a grateful heart can be, and fhall be ready to shew it doubt of my esteem and friendship for upon all occafions. I hope you cannot you, nor think, becaufe I differ with you No; I do affure you, if you were here, I in fome things, it is for want of either. much in the wrong in fome things, as I am fure you would not think me fo should come too late to London, and fear you do now. I am afraid my letter therefore dare fay no more, but that I pray God Almighty to continue his protection over you, and send you safe home again: and be affured I fhall ever be fincerely, &c. $117. Duke of MARLBOROUGH to Queen Madam, ANNE. your Majesty is pleafed to think, that By what I hear from London, I find when I have reflected, I must be of opinion, that you are in the right in giving Mr. Hill the Earl of Effex's regiment. I beg your Majefty will be fo just to me, as not to think I can be fo unreasonable as to be mortified to the degree that I am, if it proceeded only from this one thing; for I fhall always be ready and glad to do every thing that is agreeable to you, after I have reprefented what may be a prejudice prejudice to your fervice. But this is only one of a great many mortifications that I have met with. And as I may not have many opportunities of writing to you, let me beg of your Majefty to reflect what your own people and the reft of the world muft think, who have been witnefes of the love, zeal, and duty, with which I have ferved you, when they shall fee, that after all I have done, it has not been able to protect me against the malice of a bed-chamber woman. Your Majefty will allow me, on this occafion, to remind you of what I writ to you the laft campaign, of the certain knowledge I had of Mrs. Mafham's having affured Mr. Harley, that I fhould receive fuch constant mortifications, as fhould make it impoffible for me to continue in your fervice. God Almighty and the whole world are my witneffes, with what care and pains I have ferved you, more than twenty years; and I was refolved, if poffible, to have ftruggled with difficulties to the end of this war. But the many inftances I have had of your Majefty's great change to me, has fo broke my fpirits, that I muft beg, as the greatest and laft favour, that you would approve of my retiring, fo that I may employ the little time I have to live, in making my just acknowledgments to God, for the protection he has been pleased to give me and your Majefty may be affured, that my zeal for you and my country is fo great, that in my retirement I shall daily pray for your profperity, and that thofe who fhall ferve you as faithfully as I have done, may never feel the hard return that I have met with. $118. From the celebrated Mrs Rowe, to the Right Hon. the Countess of HERTFORD. Written the day before her death. Madam, This is the laft letter you will ever receive from me, the last affurance I fhall give you on earth, of a fincere and fteadfast friendship; but when we meet again, I hope it will be in the heights of immortal love and extafy. Mine perhaps may be the glad fpirit to congratu late your fafe arrival to the happy fhores. Heaven can witnefs how fincere my concern for your happiness is: thither I have fent my ardent wishes, that you may be fecured from the flattering delufions of the world; and, after your pious example has been long a bleffing to mankind, may calmly refign your breath, and enter the confines of unmolefted joy.-I am now taking my farewell of you here, but it is a fhort adieu, with full perfuafion that we fhall foon meet again. But oh! in what elevation of happinefs!-In what enlargement of mind, and what perfection of every faculty!-What tranfporting reflections. fhall we make on the advantages of which we shall be eternally poffeffed !To him that loved us in his blood fhall we afcribe immortal glory, dominion, and praife for ever: this is all my falvation, all my hope. That name in whom the Gentiles truft, in whom all the families of the earth are bleffed, is now my glorious, my unfailing confidence. In his worth alone I expect to ftand justified before infinite purity and juftice.-How poor are my hopes, if I depended on thofe works, which my vanity, or the partiality of men, have called good; and which, if examined by divine purity, would prove, perhaps, but fpecious fins! The best actions of my life would be found defective, if brought to the test of that unblemished holiness, in whofe fight the heavens are not clean. Where were my hopes, but for a redeemer's merit and atonement? How defperate, how undone my condition !-With the utmolt advantages I could boaft, I fhould ftep back and tremble at the thoughts of appearing before the unblemished majefty! Oh Jefus! What harmony dwells in thy name! Celestial joy and immortal life are in the found:-Let angels fet thee to their golden harps, let the ranfomed nations for ever magnify thee.What a dream is mortal life! What fhadows are all the objects of mortal fenfe! All the glories of mortality (my much beloved friend) will be nothing in your view at the awful hour of death, when you must be feparated from this lower creation, and enter on the borders of the immortal world. Something Something perfuades me this will be § 120. From Mr. WYCHERLEY to Mr. the laft farewell in this world; Heaven forbid it should be an everlasting parting! May that divine protection, whose care I implore, keep you steadfast in the faith of christianity, and guide your fteps in the ftricteft paths of virtue! Adieu, my moft dear friend, until we meet in the paradife of God. E. Rowe. § 119. The following Letter was wrote by Mr. ADDISON, probably at ROME, to -MONTAGUE, Esq. Dear Sir, I hope this will find you fafe at Geneva; and that the adventure of the rivulet, which you have fo well celebrated in your last, has been the worst you have met with in your journey thither. I can't but envy your being among the Alps, where you may fee froft and fnow in the dog-days. We are here quite burnt up, and are at least ten degrees nearer the fun than when you left us. I am very well fatisfied 'twas in Auguft that Virgil wrote his O quis me gelidis fub montibus Hami, &c. Our days at prefent, like thofe in the firft chapter of Genefis, confift only of the evening and the morning; for the Roman noons are as filent as the midnights of other countries. But among all thefe inconveniencies, the greatest I fuffer is from your departure, which is more afflicting to me than the canicule. I am forced, for want of better company, to converse moftly with pictures, ftatues, and medals: for you must know, I deal very much in ancient coins; and can count out a fum in festerces, with as much eafe Aug. 7. POPE. I should believe myself happy in your good opinion, but that you treat me fo much in a ftyle of compliment. It hath been obferved of women, that they are more fubject in their youth to be touched with vanity than men, on account of their being generally treated this way; but the weakest women are not more weak than that clafs of men, who are thought to pique themfelves upon their wit. The world is never wanting, when a coxcomb is accomplishing himself, to help to give him the finishing ftroke. Every man is apt to think his neighbour overstocked with vanity, yet I cannot but fancy there are certain times, when most people are in a difpofition of being informed; and 'tis incredible what a vaft good a little truth might do, spoken in fuch feafons. A fmall alms will do neceffity. I could name an acquainta great kindness to people in extreme think himself more obliged to you for ance of yours, who would at this time the information of his faults, than the confirmation of his follies. If you would make those the subject of a letter, it might be as long as I could wish your letters always were. I do not wonder you have hitherto found fome diffi. culty (as you are pleased to fay) in chofen the talk of commending me: writing to me, fince you have always take but the other way, and, I dare engage, you will find none at all. much, I may truly fay they have never As for my verfes, which you praise fo been the caufe of any vanity in me, exoccafioned my acquaintance with you. cept what they gave me when they first But I have feveral times fince been in 'Tis danger of this vice; as often, I mean, as you |