ftruments thereof; and that he will not call you to a ftrict Account for your unprincely and cruel Ufage of me, at his general Judgment Sear, where both you and my felf muft fhortly appear, and in whole Judgment I doubt not (whatfoever the World make think of me) ⚫ mine Innocence fhall be openly known, and fufficiently < cleared.

MY laft and only Request fhall be, that my felf may only bear the Burthen of your Grace's Difpleafure, and that it may not touch the innocent Souls of those poor Gentlemen, who (as I understand) are likewise in strait Imprisonment for my fake. If ever I have found Favour in your Sight, if ever the Name of Ann Boleyn hath been pleafing in your Ears, then let me obtain this Requeft, and I will fo leave to trouble your Grace any further, with mine earnest Prayers to the Trinity to have your Grace in his good Keeping, and to direct you in all your Actions. From my doleful Prifon in the Tower, this fixth of May;

Your most Loyal

and ever Faithful Wife,

L

Ann Boleyn,

No 398. Friday, June 6.

Infanire pares certa ratione modoque.

C

Hor.

YNTHIO and Flavia are Perfons of Diftinction in this Town, who have been Lovers these ten Months laft paft, and writ to each other for Gallantry Sake, under thofe feigned Names; Mr. Such a one and Mrs. Such a one not being capable of raising the Soul out of the ordinary Tracts and Paffages of Life, up to that Elevation which makes the Life of the Enamoured fo much fuperior to that of the rest of the World. But

ever fince the beauteous Cecilia has made fuch a Figure as the now does in the Circle of Charming Women, Cynthis has been fecretly one of her Adorers. Latitia has been the finest Woman in Town these three Months, and fo long Cynthio has acted the Part of a Lover very aukwardly in the Prefence of Flavia. Flavia has been too blind towards him, and has too fincere an Heart of her own to obferve a thousand things which would have difcovered this Change of Mind to any one lefs engaged than fhe was. Cynthio was mufing Yefterday in the Piazza in Covent-Garden, and was faying to himself that he was a very ill Man to go on in vifiting and profeffing Love to Flavia, when his Heart was enthralled to another. It is an Infirmity that I am not conftant to Flavia; but it would be ftill a greater Crime, fince I cannot continue to love her, to profefs that I do To marry a Woman with the Coldnefs that ufually indeed comes on after Marriage, is ruining ones felf with ones Eyes open; befides it is really doing her an Injury. This laft Confideration, forfooth, of injuring her in perfifting, made him refolve to break off upon the firft favourable Opportunity of making her angry. When he was in his Thought, he saw Robin the Porter who waits at Will's Coffee-houfe, paffing by, Robin, you must know, is the best Man in Town for carrying a Billet; the Fellow has a thin Body, fwift Step, demure Looks, fufficient Senfe, and knows the Town. This Man carried Cinthio's firft Letter to Flavia, and by frequent Errands ever fince, is well known to her. The Fellow covers his Knowledge of the Nature of his Meffages with the most exquifite low Humour imaginable: The firft he obliged Flavia to take, was, by complaining to her that he had a Wife and three Children, and if she did not take that Letter, which,' he was fure, there was no Harm in, but rather Love, his Family must go fupperlefs to Bed, for the Gentleman would pay him according as he did his Business. Robin therefore Cynthio now thought fit to make use of, and gave him Orders to wait before Flavia's Door, and if she called him to her, and asked whether it was Cynthio who paffed by, he should at first be loth to own it was, but upon Importunity confefs it. There needed not much Search into that Part of the Town to find a well-dreffed

Huffey

Huffey fit for the Purpofe Cynthio defigned her. As foon as he believed Robin was pofted, he drove by Flavia's Lodgings in an Hackney-Coach and a Woman in it. Robin was at the Door talking with Flavia's Maid, and Cynthio pulled up the Glafs as furprized, and hid his Affociate. The Report of this Circumftance foon flew up Stairs, and Robin could not deny but the Gentleman favoured his Mafter; yet if it was he, he was fure the Lady was but his Coufin whom he had feen ask for him; adding that he believed fhe was a poor Relation, because they made her wait one Morning till he was awake. Flavia immediately writ the following Epistle, which Robin brought to Will's..

SIR,

June 4, 1712. IT is in vain to deny it, bafeft, falfest of Mankind, my Maid, as well as the Bearer, law you.

The injur'd Flavia.

AFTER Cynthio had read the Letter, he asked Robin how fhe looked, and what she said at the Delivery of it. Robin faid fhe fpoke fhort to him, and called him back again, and had nothing to fay to him, and bid him and all the Men in the World go out of her Sight; but the Maid followed, and bid him bring an Answer.. CYNTHIO returned as follows.

Madam,

June 4, Three Afternoon, 1712. HAT your Maid and the Bearer has feen me very often is very certain; but I defire to know, being engaged at Picket, what your Letter means by 'tis in vain to deny it. I fhall ftay here all the Evening.

Your amazed Cynthio.

AS foon as Robin arrived with this, Flavia answered:

Dear Cynthio.

I have walked a Turn or two in my Anti-Chamber fince I writ to you, and have recovered my felf from an impertinent fit which you ought to forgive me, and S defire

defire you would come to me immediately to laugh off. a Jealoufy that you and a Creature of the Town went by in an Hackney-Coach an Hour ago.

I am Your most humble Servant,

FLAVIA

• I will not open the Letter which my Cyathio writ, upon the Mifapprehenfion you must have been under when you writ, for want of hearing the whole Circumftance.

ROBIN came back in an Inftant, and Cynthio an fwered:

Madam,

Half an Hour, fix Minutes after Three,
June 4. Will's Coffee-house.

This certain I went by your Lodging with a Gen tlewoman to whom I have the Honour to be known, fhe is indeed my Relation, and a pretty fort of Woman. But your ftarting Manner of Writing, and owning you have not done me the Honour. fo much as to open my Letter, has in it fomething very unaccountable, and alarms one that has had Thoughts of paffing his Days with you. But I am born to admire you with all your little Imperfections,

CYNTHIO,

ROBIN run back, and brought for Answer; XACT Sir, that are at Will's Coffee-house fix Mi

⚫ and all my litle Imperfections. Sir, come to me imme diately, or I fhall determine what may perhaps not bevery pleasing to you.

FLAVIA

ROBIN gave an Account that fhe looked exceffive angry when he gave him the Letter; and that he told her, for fhe asked, that Cynthio only looked at the Clock, taking Snuff, and writ two or three Words on the Top of the Letter when he gave him his.

NOW

NOW the Plot thickened fo well, as that Cynthie faw he had not much more to do to accomplish being irreconcileably banished, he writ,

1

Madam,

Have that Prejudice in Favour of all you do, that it is not poffible for you to determine upon what will not be very pleafing to

Your Obedient Servant,

CYNTHIO.

THIS was delivered, and the Anfwer returned, in a little more than two Seconds.

SIR,

S it come to this? You never loved me; and the Creature you were with is the propereft Perfon for your Affociate. I defpife you, and hope I fhall foon hate you as a Villain to

ROBIN ran back, with

Madam,

The Credulous Flavia.

YOUR Credulity when you are to gain your Point, and Sufpicion when you fear to lose it, make it a very hard Part to behave as becomes

Your humble Slave,

CYNTHIO

ROBIN whipt away, and returned with,

Mr. Wellford,

:FLA

LAVIA and Cynthie are no more. I relieve you from the hard Part of which you complain, and ba

⚫nish you from my Sight for ever.

Ann Heart,

ROBIN had a Crown for his Afternoon's Work; and this is publifhed to admonifh Celicia to avenge the Injury done to Flavia.

T

Saturday,