striven to do justice to her character in brilliant periods, and there
would be no need at this day for her to claim her place among the
celebrated women of England.


SIR,--There is nothing moves my charity like gratitude; and when a
beggar is thankful for a small relief, I always repent it was not more.
But seriously, this place will not afford much towards the enlarging of
a letter, and I am grown so dull with living in't (for I am not willing
to confess yet I was always so) as to need all helps. Yet you shall see
I will endeavour to satisfy you, upon condition you will tell me why you
quarrelled so at your last letter. I cannot guess at it, unless it were
that you repented you told me so much of your story, which I am not apt
to believe neither, because it would not become our friendship, a great
part of it consisting (as I have been taught) in a mutual confidence.
And to let you see that I believe it so, I will give you an account of
myself, and begin my story, as you did yours, from our parting at Goring
House.

I came down hither not half so well pleased as I went up, with an
engagement upon me that I had little hope of shaking off, for I had made
use of all the liberty my friends would allow me to preserve my own, and
'twould not do; he was so weary of his, that he would part with it upon
any terms. As my last refuge I got my brother to go down with him to see
his house, who, when he came back, made the relation I wished. He said
the seat was as ill as so good a country would permit, and the house so
ruined for want of living in't, as it would ask a good proportion of
time and money to make it fit for a woman to confine herself to. This
(though it were not much) I was willing to take hold of, and made it
considerable enough to break the engagement. I had no quarrel to his