ard ferves like a watch in my pocket, to measure the time, though I fee no fun. The very name of time puts me in mind, that yours is not to be fpent idly, and that you are more pleafed to oblige your friends than to receive their thanks; and therefore I will only fay, that mine are very fenfible and very hearty, and that no man is with more reafon and with more fincerenefs than I am, Sir, your affectionate humble fer

vant.

I

Bruffels, March 12, N. S. 1666.

LETTER XCIV. Sir William Temple to Lord Life. My Lord,

RECEIVED lately the honour of one from your Lordship, which after all complaints of flownefs and dulnefs, had enough to bear it out, though it had been much better addreffed, but needed nothing, where it was, befides yours. In my prefent ftation, I want no letters of bufinefs or news, which makes thofe that bring me marks of my friends remembrance, or touches at their prefent thoughts and entertainments, taile much better, than any thing can do that is common fare.

I agree very much with your Lordfhip, in being little fatisfied, by the wits excufe, of employing none upon relations, as they do in France; and doubt much, it is the fame temper and courfe of thoughts among us, that makes us neither act things worth relating, nor relate things worth the reading. Whilst making fome of the company laugh, and others ridiculous, is the game in vogue, I fear we fhall hardly fucceed at any other, and am forry our courtiers fhould

content themselves with fuch victories as

thofe. I would have been glad to have feen Mr. Cowley, before he died, celebrate Captain Douglas's death, who ftood and burnt in one of our fhips at Chatham when his foldiers left him, because it should never be faid, a Douglas quitted his poft without order; whether it be wife in men to do fuch actions or no, I am fure it is fo in ftates to honour them; and if they can, to turn the vein of wits, to raife up the eflcem of fome qualities above their real value, rather than bring every thing to burlefque, which if it be

allowed at all, fhould be fo only to wife
men in their clofets, and not to wits, in
their common mirth and company. But
I leave them to be reformed by great
men's examples and humours, and know
very well, it is folly for a private man
to touch them, which does but bring
them like wafps about one's ears. How-
ever, I cannot but bewail the tranfitori-
nefs of their fame, as well as other men's,
when I hear Mr. Waller is turned to bur-
lefque among them while he is alive,
which never happened to old poets till
many ages after their death; and though
I never knew him enough to adore him,
as many have done, and eafily believe he
may be, as your Lordfhip fays, encugh
out of fashion, yet I am apt to think
fome of the old cut-work bands were of
as fine thread, and as well wrought, as
any of our new points; and at least, that
all the wit he and his company spent in
heightening love and friendship, was bet
ter employed, than what is laid out fo
prodigally, by the modern wits, in the
mockery of all forts of religion and go-

vernment.

I know not how your Lordship's letter has engaged me in this kind of difcourfes; but I know very well you will advife me after it, to keep my refidency here as long as I can; foretelling me what fuccefs I am like to have among our courtiers if I come over. The beft on't is, my heart is fet fo much upon my little corner at Sheen, that while I keep that, no other difappointments will be very fenfible to me; and because my wife tells me the is fo bold, as to enter into talk of enlarging our dominions there, I am contriving here this fummer, how a fucceffion of cherries may be compaffed from May to Michaelmas, and how the riches of Sheen vines may be improved, by half a dozen forts which are not yet known there, and which I think much beyond any that are. I fhould be very glad to feafon, but know not yet how those come and plant them myfelf this next thoughts will hit: though I defign to stay but a month in England, yet they are here very unwilling 1 fhould flir, as all people in adverfity are jealous of being forfaken; and his Majeity is not willing to give them any difcouragement, whether he gives them any affiftance or no. But if they end the campaign with any good fortune, they will be better humoured

in that as well as all other points; and it feems not a very unlikely thing, the French having done nothing in fix months paft but harafs their army, and being before Lifle engaged in a fiege, which may very well break the courfe of their fuccefs: they have not yet made the leaft advance upon any of their out-works, but been beaten off with much lofs in all their affaults; and if that King's defign be to bring his nobility as low as he has done his people, he is in a good way, and may very well leave most of the brave among them in their trenches there.

I had not need write often at this length, nor make your Lordship any new profeffions of my being, my Lord, your,

&c.

Bruffels, Auguft-, 1667.

LETTER XCV.

Lord Lifle to Sir William Temple.
Sir,
SINCE I had your last letter, I have

made you no acknowledgment of it: a retirement is in feveral respects like the night of one's life, in the obfcurity and darkness, and in the fleepiness and dosednefs; which I mention to put you in mind that I am only by my posture of life apt to be failing towards you.

All perfons of note hereabouts are going to their winter-quarters at London. The burning of the city begins to be talked of as a ftory like that of the burn ing of Troy. At Sheen we are like to be bare: Lady Luddal feems uncertain in her ftay; and we hear that when Sir James Sheen and his lady were ready to come from Ireland, great cramps took my Lady in her limbs: and Sir James's fervants doubt whether we fhall fee him this winter.

What is of court or affemblies near us is at my Lord Crofts's. Sir Thomas Ingram this fummer hath made no noife at all. Old Lady Devonshire keeps up her feafts ftill; and that hath been of late Mr. Waller's chief theatre: the affembly of wits at Mr. Comptroller's will fcarce let him in; and poor Sir John Denham is fallen to the ladies alfo: he is at many of the meetings at dinners, talks more than ever he did, and is extremely pleafed with thofe that feem willing to hear him; and from that obligation exceedingly praises the Dutchefs of Monmouth and my Lady Cavendish: if he had not the name of being mad, I believe in moft companies he would be thought wittier than ever he was: he feems to have few extravagancies, besides that of telling ftories of himself, which he is always inclined to: fome of his acquaintance fay, that extreme vanity was a caufe of his madness, as well as it is an effect.

I defire, Sir, your leave to kiss my Lady Temple's hands, and my Lady My Giffard's hands, by your letter. daughter and I were in difpute, which of us two fhould write this time to Bruffels; and because I was judged to have more leifure, it fell to me, and my Lady Temple is to have the next from her.

I wish you, Sir, all good fucceffes in your bufineffes, and am your very affec tionate fervant.

September 26, 1667.

LETTER XCVI.

Sir William Temple to Charles II.
May it please your Majesty,
IN my last paffage hither, I had the

honour of trying your Majefty's yacht
in fuch a storm as I never felt before,
and a greater no man in her pretended
ever to have feen. The fortune of your
Majefty's affairs helped us to the difco-
very of a pilot boat at a distance from the
coafts, that brought us happily in, with-
out which we had paffed fuch another
night at fea as I fhould not care to do
for any thing your Majefty could give
me, befides your favour, and the occa-
fions of ferving you: if we had mifcar-
ried, your Majefty had loft an honest di-
ligent captain, and fixteen poor feamen,
fo beaten out with wet and toil, that the
compaffion I had then for them, I have
fill about me, and affare your Majefty,
that five or fix more will be neceifary
for your yacht, if you ufe her to fuch paí-
faces as this: but for the reit, I believe
there is not fuch a boat in the world.
She returns with a long, but final and
happy account of my bufineis, to my
Lord Arlington, and with the Court de
Dona, who will be better company than
a long ill letter, and deferves your Ma-

i

I AM forry his Majefty fhould meet with any thing he did not look for at the opening of this feffion of parliament; but confefs I do not fee why his Majefty fhould not only confent, but encourage any inquiries or difquifitions they defire to make into the miscarriages of the late war, as well as he has done already in the matter of accounts: for, if it be not neceflary, it is a King's cafe and happiness to content his people, I doubt, as men will never part willingly with their monies, unless they be well perfuaded it

will be employed directly to thofe ends Sir William Temple to Sir Orlando Bridg⋅ for which they gave it; fo they will never be fatisfied with a government, unlefs they fee men are chofen into offices and employments by being fit for them; continued, for difcharging them well; ewarded, for extraordinary merit; and punished for remarkable faults. Besides, in thefe cafes, his Majesty difcharges the hardship and feverity of all punishments upon the Parliament, and commits no

Earl of Clarendon to the Duke of York, on wishing that the Roman Catholics should the Dutchess's turning Catholic.