impossible to fix all the articles, for as men of dignity believe one
thing one day and another the next, so you must daily change your faith
and opinion; therefore the mood to please these wonderful and mighty men
is never to declare in the morning what you believe until your friend
has declared what he believes--for one mistake this way is utter
destruction.

"I hope these few reflections will convince you that I know something of
the art of pleasing great men. I have strictly examined most favourites
that I have known, and think I judge right, that almost all of them have
practised most of these rules on their way to preferment. I cannot
wonder that great men require all this from their creatures, since most
of them have practised it themselves, or else they had never arrived to
their dignities.

"As to your advice that you give me in relation to preaching and
marrying and ale, I like it extremely, for this lady [Mary Jennings]
must be born to be a parson's wife, and I never will think of marrying
her till I have preached my first sermon. She was last night at a
private ball--so private that not one man knew it till it was over, so
that Mrs. Carr was disturbed at her lodgings by only a dozen ladies, who
danced together without the least scandal.

"I fancy I shall not stay here much longer, though what will become of
me I know not, for I have not, and fear never shall have, a will of my
own."


THE HON. MRS. HOWARD TO JOHN GAY.