another letter, which you had writt afore your being sicke, and in it you sent me a copy of your verses made to Mr Win-. They are much commended by all, as they deserve; and you have ganed the English ladyes' harts extreamely by them, to see you so constant a favorite of ther miritts. For my part, I must confesse, I am taken with nothinge but the praysess you give your Seraphina. I love her above my life, and vallew her infinitly; yet you conceale her from my thoughts, and tell me in your letter, that I must understand she is but an imaginarie one, Pigmalion like, carved to your fancy. Oh pardon me, if I complayne this is not kindly dun of you, to make me such a stranger to your hart; and I will lett you see,

* The poetical name of his mistress, Catherine Thimelby, whom he afterwards married. See the third part of these letters.

+ Pigmalion was a famous sculptor of antiquity, who made a marble statue of a woman, so beautiful that he fell desperately in love with it, and prayed to Venus to transform it into a real woman. The goddess yielded to his request, and Pigmalion had by his marble wife, a son called Paphus, from whom the famous island of Paphos took its name. The story is told by Ovid in his Metamorphoses, Lib. 10, 1. 247.

ere itt be long, I have deserved a greater freedowme with you: yet I call Heaven to wittness, I take nothing ill from you; for I cannot doe so, being I am contented with any thinge comes from you. I write now in very great hast, therfore I canot tele you many thinges I else would; but I will shortly write you a longe discourse, which, I am confident, cannot be unwellcom to you; but till then, I beg you will not emagin, nor be fearfull to know what it may be. For I asure you, ther is no cause of feare, but rather of joy, if all thinges fall out acording to the wish of your most faithfull lover, and affectionat sister,

Colton, December the 8.

CONSTANCE, F.

You desired me in your last letter, to excuse you for not writeing to my deare friend.* I have dun soe very lately; I am still blest with

Butler, giving an account of the capricious widow whom Hudibras courted, says, she

"Used him so like a base rascallion,

That old Pyg-(what d'you call him) malion,

That cut his mistress out of stone

Had not so hard a hearted one."

* Catherine Thimelby.

a constant afection from her. I will trye whether you love me as well shortly. I am sure I doe you.

You tell me, you beleeve veryly, you shall see me shortly. You have made me believe so this long time; and I am now fearfull of trusting you therefore I once more conjure you, as you love me, to lett me know, what likelyhoowdde ther is of his coming, and when you thinke it will be.

For godsake, thanke my lorde a thousand times for his care of preserveing you, the comfort of my life.

Oh that I shuld want time! my soule is infinitely full. My humble duety to my lord, with my obliged thankes for his care of you in your

sicknesse.

* My humble duety to my lord, and similar expressions which occur in these letters, seem extraordinary in a lady, when speaking of her own father.

LETTER XXI.

For your best selfe.*

MY DEAREST Brother,

I writt to you a few lines about a weeke sence, for I had time then to write no more.

But

now, that I have more time and leasure to expresse my selfe in, I canot hide from the you many, and great obligations, that I have receaved from Mrs Thimelby:+ truely, I never gained so much by the acquaintance of any, as of her; therefore, a thousand times have I blest, and allmost adored the time, that first I saw her. Truely, I never knew nor herd of any eaquelle to her in my life. Oh, it tis impossible for you to imagin, without you had the hap

*This direction and others of the same kind often occur on the backs of these letters. I have observed the same in Donne's, and other printed letters of that time.

+ Catherine Thimelby. Young unmarried ladies at this time were always stiled Mrs; and Miss does not seem to have been in use.

penes to receave such letters as I receave from her, halfe the infinity of her admireable sweetnes. I doe esteeme my selfe so truely hapy in that afection which she pleases to expresse to mee, that lett me tell you, to whome all my thoughts lyes open, I valew it more then the afection of any other in the world, besides your by me most loved selfe; and a thousand thankes doe I daely pey you, for being the auter of all this hapenes to mee. For it was your most fortunat perswadiance, that first maid me write to her; which was the first steape, and begining to my now confirmed hapenes: and certaynely, that which moved you to desire to have me thus hapy, was meare charity in you; knowing, in your absence, how far I should be from receaving any comfort in any thinge here; which maide you desirus to leave me a friend, in whose aquantance, you knew, I would take unspeakable content; and Heaven has rewarded your charity, in giveing me such a frind as you desired.

Wer it not for the comfort I receave by her letters, I shuld never be able to indure the missery I live in here: for methinkes, this place is the continuall putter in mind of your