performing Horfe in every way in which that Animal can be serviceable. There is fuch a Prize for him that trots beft, fuch for the best Walker, fuch for the best Galloper, fuch for the beft Pacer; then for him who draws moft in fuch a Time to fuch a Place, then to him that carries beft fuch a Load on his Back. He delights in this, and has an admirable Fancy in the Dress of the Riders: Some admired Country Girl is to hold the Prize, her Lovers to trot, and not to mend their Pace into a Gallop, when they are out-trotted by a Rival; fome known Country Wit to come upon the best Pacer; these and the like little joyful Arts, gain him the Love of all who do not know his Worth, and the Efteem of all who do. Sir Harry is no Friend to the Race-Horfe, he is of Opinion it is inhumane, that Animals should be put upon their utmost Strength and Metal. for our Diverfion only. However, not to be particular, he puts in for the Queen's Plate every Year, with Orders to his Rider never to win or be distanced; and, like a Good Country Gentleman, fays, It is a Fault in all Ministries that they encourage no kind of Horses but those which are swift.

AS I write Lives, I dwell upon fmall Matters, being of Opinion, with Plutarch, that little Circumftances fhow the real Men better than things of greater Moment. But good Oeconomy is the Characteristick of the Lizards. I remember a Circumftance about fix VOL. I. Years

D

50

Years ago, that gives me hopes he would one time or other make a figure in Parliament; for he is a Landed Man, and confiders his Intereft, though he is fuch, to be impaired or promoted according to the State of Trade. When he was but Twenty Years old, I took an Opportunity in his Prefence to ask an Intelligent Woollen-Draper, what he gave for his Shop, the Corner of Change-Alley? The Shop is, I believe, 14 Foot long, and 8 broad. I was anfwer'd, Ninety Pound a Year. I took no Notice, but the Thought defcended into the Breaft of Sir Harry, and I faw on his Table the next Morning a Computation of the value of Land in an Ifland, confifting of fo many Miles, with fo many good Ports; the Value of each part of the faid Illand, as it lay to fuch Ports, and produced fuch Commodities. The whole of his working was to know why fo few Yards, near the Change, was fo much better than fo many Acres in Northamptonshire, and what thofe Acres in Northamptonshire would be worth, were there no Trade at all in this Ifland.

IT makes my Heart ake, when I think of this young Man, and confider upon what plain Maxims, and in what ordinary Methods Men of Eftate may do good where-ever they are feated, that so many should be what they are! It is certain, that the Arts which purchase Wealth or Fame, will maintain them; and I attribute the Splendor and long Continuance of

this Family, to the Felicity of having the Genius of the Founder of it run through all his Male Line. Old Sir Harry, the Great Grandfather of this Gentleman, has written in his own Hand upon all the Deeds, which he ever figned, in the Humour of that fententious Age, this Sentence, There are four good Mothers, of whom are often born four unhappy Daughters; Truth begets Hatred, Happiness Pride, Security Danger, and Familiarity Contempt.

N° 7

I

Thursday, March 19.

Properat curfu

Vita citato

With Speedy Step Life pofts away.

Senec. Trag.

THIS Morning did myself the Honour to vifit Lady Lizard, and took my Chair at the Tea-Table, at the upper End of which that graceful Woman, with her Daughters about her, appeared to me with greater Dignity than ever any Figure, either of Venus attended by the Graces, Diana with her Nymphs, or any other Celestial who owes her Being to Poetry.

THE Difcourfe we had there, none being present but our own Family, confifted of pri

D 2

vate

vate Matters, which tended to the Establishment of these young Ladies in the World. My Lady, I observed, had a mind to make mention of the Propofal to Mrs. Jane, of which she is very fond, and I as much avoided, as being equally against it; but it is by no means proper the young Ladies fhould obferve we ever diffent; therefore I turned the Difcourfe, by faying, It was time enough to think of marrying a young Lady, who was but Three and Twenty, ten Years hence. The whole Table was alarm'd at the Affertion, and the Sparkler scalded her Fingers by leaning fuddenly forwards to look in my Face: But my Business, at prefent, was to make my Court to the Mother; therefore, without regarding the Resentment in the Looks of the Children, Madam, faid I, there is a petulant and hafty manner practifed in this Age, in hurrying away the Life of Woman, and confining the Grace and principal Action of it to thofe Years wherein Reafon and Difcretion are moft feeble, Humour and Paffion most powerful. From the time a young Woman of Quality has first appear'd in the Drawing-Room, raised a Whisper and Curiofity of the Men about her, had her Health drank in gay Companies, and diftinguished at publick Affemblies: I fay, Madam, if within three or four Years of her first Appearance in Town, the is not difpofed of, her Beauty is grown familiar, her Eyes are difarmed, and we seldom after

hear

hear her mentioned but with Indifference. What doubles my Grief on this Occafion is, that the more difcreetly the Lady behaves herself, the fooner is her Glory extinguished. Now, Madam, if Merit had a greater weight in our Thoughts, when we form to ourselves agreeable Characters of Women, Men would think, in making their Choices, of fuch as would take Care of, as well as fupply Children for, the Nurfery. It was not thus in the illuftrious Days of Good Queen Elizabeth. I was this Morning turning over a Folio, called The Compleat Ambassador, confifting chiefly of Letters from Lord Burleigh, Earl of Leicester, and Sir Thomas Smith. Sir Thomas writes a Letter to Sir Francis Walfingham, full of Learned Gallantry, wherein you may observe he promises himself the French King's Brother (who it seems was but a cold Lover) would be quickened by feeing the Queen in Perfon, who was then in the Thirty-ninth Year of her Age. A certain Sobriety in Thoughts, Words and Action, which was the Praise of that Age, kept the Fire of Love alive; and it burnt fo equally, that it warmed and preferved, without tormenting and confuming our Beings. The Letter I mention is as follows.