Patronage upon the same Account. I must confess, my Lord, had not I already received great Instances of your Favour, I should have been afraid of fubmitting a Work of this Nature to your perusal. You are so thoroughly acquainted with the Characters of Men, and all the Parts of human Life, that it is impossible for the leaft Misrepresentation of them to escape your Notice. It is Your Lordship's particular Diftinction that you are Master of the whole Compass of Business, and have signalized Your Self in all the different Scenes of it. We admire some for the Dignity, others for the Popularity of their Behaviour; some for their Clearness of Judgment, others for their Happiness of Expression; some for the laying of

Schemes, and others for the putting

of

of them in Execution: It is Your Lordship only who enjoys these several Talents united, and that too in as great Perfection as others pofgreat Perfecti sess them singly. Your Enemies acknowledge this great Extent in Your Lordship's Character, at the same time that they use their utmost Industry and Invention to derogate from it. But it is for Your Honour that those who are now Your Enemies were always so. You have acted in so much Consistency with Your Self, and promoted the Interests of your Country in so uniform a Manner, that even those who would misrepresent your Generous Designs for the Publick Good, cannot but approve the Steadiness and Intrepidity with which You pursue them. It is a most sensible

Pleasure to me that I have this

Opportunity of profeffing my felf one of your great Admirers, and, in a very particular Manner,

My LORD,

Your Lordship's

most Obliged,

and most Obedient,

Humble Servant,

The SPECTATOR.

THE

SPECTATOR.

VOL. V.

No 322. Monday, March 10. 1712.

- Ad humum mærore gravi deducit & angit. Hor.

T is often said, after a Man has heard a Story with extraordinary Circumstances, It is a very good one if it be true : But as for the following Relation, I should be glad were I fure it were false. It is told with fuch Simplicity, and there are fo many artless Touches of Distress in it, that I fear it comes too much from the Heart.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

:S OME Years ago it happened that I lived in the fame House with a young Gentleman of Merit'; • with whose good Qualities I was so much taken, as to ⚫ make it my Endeavour to shew as many as I was able in my felf. Familiar Converse improved general Civilities ⚫ into an unfeigned Passion on both Sides. He watched an Opportunity to declare himself to me; and I, who ⚫ could not expect a Man of so great an Estate as his, re• ceived his Addresses in fuch Terms, as gave him no rea' fon

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• fon to believe I was displeased with them, tho' I did nothing to make him think me more easy than was decent. His Father was a very hard worldly Man, and proud; fo that there was no reason to believe he would eafily be brought to think there was any thing in any Woman's Perfon or Character that could balance the Disadvantage of an unequal Fortune. In the mean time • the Son continued his Application to me, and omitted no Occafion of demonftrating the most difinterested Paffion imaginable to me; and in plain direct Terms ' offer'd to marry me privately, and keep it so till he • should be so happy as to gain his Father's Approbation,

or become poffefsed of his Estate. I passionately loved ' him, and you will believe I did not deny such a one • what was my Interest also to grant. However I was

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not so young, as not to take the Precaution of carrying • with me a faithful Servant, who had been also my • Mother's Maid, to be present at the Ceremony. When ⚫ that was over I demanded a Certificate, figned by the • Minifter, my Husband, and the Servant I just now • spoke of. After our Nuptials, we converfed together very familiarly in the fame House; but the Restraints we were generally under, and the Interviews we had, • being stolen and interrupted, made our Behaviour to • each other have rather the impatient Fondness which • is visible in Lovers, than the regular and gratified Af• fection which is to be observed in Man and Wife. • This Observation made the Father very anxious for his Son, and press him to a Match he had in his Eye for him. To relieve my Husband from this Impor⚫ tunity, and conceal the Secret of our Marriage, which • I had reason to know would not be long in my • Power in Town, it was resolved that I should retire • into a remote Place in the Country, and converse under feigned Names by Letter. We long continued this Way of Commerce; and I with my Needle, a few Books, and reading over and over my Husband's Letters, passed my Time in a resigned Expectation of better Days. Be pleased to take notice, that within four Months after I left my Husband I was delivered of a Daughter, who died within few Hours after her Birth. This Accident, and the retired Manner of Life I led,

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