together, before I pretended to cross the country, and wait upon
her. As soon as I thought my retinue suitable to the character
of my fortune and youth, I set out from hence to make my
addresses. The particular skill of this lady has ever been to
inflame your wishes, and yet command respect. To make her
mistress of this art, she has a greater share of knowledge, wit,
and good sense, than is usual even among men of merit. Then she
is beautiful beyond the race of women. If you won't let her go
on with a certain artifice with her eyes, and the skill of
beauty, she will arm herself with her real charms, and strike you
with admiration instead of desire. It is certain that if you
were to behold the whole woman, there is that dignity in her
aspect, that composure in her motion, that complacency in her
manner, that if her form makes you hope, her merit makes you
fear. But then again, she is such a desperate scholar, that no
country-gentleman can approach her without being a jest. As I
was going to tell you, when I came to her house I was admitted to
her presence with great civility; at the same time she placed
herself to be first seen by me in such an attitude, as I think
you call the posture of a picture, that she discovered new
charms, and I at last came towards her with such an awe as made
me speechless. This she no sooner observed but she made her
advantage of it, and began a discourse to me concerning love and
honour, as they both are followed by pretenders and the real
votaries to them. When she discussed these points in a
discourse, which I verily believe was as learned as the best
philosopher in Europe could possibly make, she asked me whether
she was so happy as to fall in with my sentiments on these
important particulars. Her confident sat by her, and upon my
being in the last confusion and silence, this malicious aid of