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A Familiar LETTER from CHRISTIANUS, a Country Gentleman, to his Friend TIMOTHEUS.

I

Ut Clavis Portam, fic pandit Epiftola Pectus.

29th April 1753.

From my own Apartment in the Country.

Dear TIMOTHEUS,

SHALL not now answer your moft agreeable Epiftle on the Subject of Retirement, which was duly received, from an Inclination I have to acquaint you, that I have endeavoured in this my Neighbourhood, as much as in me lay, according to your Defire, to inquire into the Truth of the Complaints made by the Lady Dominica, of a very ancient and reputable Fa

mily

* Lady Dominica's Story reminds me of the City described Ecclef. ix. 15, 16. wherein was found 2 L 2

poor

mily, now almoft extinct. I find she has once before made an Application to Mr. R-r, who not being successful in his Attempts for her, fhe applied to me, and, by what I find, has vifited thefe Parts as often as any other, and that upon the Whole, by her own Report, every one has flighted her, and she seems to think her offering herself even as an upper Servant, in any of the great Families here, will be a very fruitless Attempt.

Dame Sanctimonia, fhe tells me, advises her against this Utopian Scheme, and fays fhe is fure Every-body would think her but a Sort of Supernumerary, or a Burden on their Hands.

Being still unfatisfied, and thinking her Defence a proper Work; in order thereto, I allotted Part of Paffion Week to make fome neighbouring friendly Vifits, and indeed, if poffible, to know the Truth as to Particulars; for I have long known her Complaints of a general ill Treatment to be just enough, and the Sufpicions of Sanctimonia ftill more fo; in confequence whereof, it is impoffible she should be approved of by any of these Gentry.

I expected even for Fashion Sake, if nothing elfe, I fhould have met with Somebody at Home this Week; but when I called at Lady Roley Poleys, I found she was just going in her Coach and Four, with as many Loobies behind, to

make

poor wife Man, who by his Wifdom faved the City; yet no one regarded the poor wife Man; and fo it is with her, with whom none can be intimate without Improvement.

make up a Party with Lady Commerce in her new Rout Room: From thence I attempted to drink a Dish of Tea with the young Dutchess Dowager D'Ombre, but was told by the Servant, who has juft quitted her Service on Account of her not being now able to play at Cards more than Five Days in the Week (omitting Wednesdays and Fridays, on Account of a fevere Penance laid on her, for fome Misdemeanor, by her ghoftly Father, who knew he could not punish her more); that her Grace had juft had a Fit of Hyfterics, and to cure it was gone to amufe herfelf with a fnug Party of only Five Tables, at the Countefs of Quadrille's, where I heard afterward there was an Appointment of a large Party made, to go the very next Day to Signor Quaverino's, to hear fome of his favourite Airs; and, that the only Lamentation on this Head was, left there fhould be less than Six Tables at Cards, or Supper fhould be ready before Eleven: Should the firft of thefe dire Misfortunes happen (or rather to prevent its Poffibility) Mrs. Schemewell propofed as a Succedaneum, to take up by the Way a few of the best Cits they could find, that were tolerably converfable; but for the laft declared there was no Remedy.

The Five next Ladies I went to vifit were all at Home, but politely denied; and, as I found afterwards, Three of them went with Mr. Deift or Atheist (I knew not which they told me) to the Orator's Chapel, and the other Two were bound with Jack Puppet for the Mafquerade, where by-the-bye they met with another terrible Disappointment, through Mafter's having forgot

L 3

forgot there were none exhibited in Lent, and fo were forced, at laft (to get rid of Time) to take up with what little Diverfion Signor Timbertoe could give them, at the Old Wn's Oty.

After thefe Attempts, I went home very tired indeed, where I met our poor Friend Dominica, juft come in before me: So, after having entered a little upon the Business fhe came about, I affured her I could answer for one Friend befides myself (meaning you) whom the might depend on, and be affured we would not fee her abfolutely want, but help her to the utmoft of our Power (which was but little) and, as much as in us lay, recommend her to our best Friends. Upon this fhe returned pretty well fatisfied to her own Chamber (for the lodged at my House that Night) where I fhall let her reft, if Morpheus will, for a whole Week, and fay no more about her, but go on to tell you what I did when he was gone.

;

I then took up for an Amusement (according to her Defire and Advice, in confequence of our joint Opinion, and in order alfo to ease myfelf of the Pain the fympathizing with her Afflictions gave me) that antiquated, obfolete, and now much-difufed Book called the Bible and, as I generally read in most Books (but especially that where all is facred and divine) whereever I first open (like those who believe the Notion of the Sortes Sanctorum) it happened to turn out the 20th Chapter of Ezekiel's Prophecy, by the 25th Verfe of which I was unavoidably led into the following Reflections, which I have

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-Then,

committed to Writing, together with the above Account, in order to communicate to you. The whole Verse runs thus: Wherefore I gave them Statutes which were not good, and Judgments whereby they fhould not live. On reading which I could not help obferving, that when the People of Ifrael had, by many repeated Provocations, offended the Almighty, and, by their multiplied Tranfgreffions, had wearied out his Goodness; then, and not till then, it was, that He gave them Statutes which were not good, and Judgments whereby they should not live:and not till then, it was, that He gave them up to their own Hearts Lufts, and let them follow their own Imaginations, Pfal. lxxxi. 12; and unhappy must every People be, when this is the Determination of God against them; whenever this happens to be their melancholy Situation, that He by whom Kings reign, and who teaches Senators Wifdom, fhall, either mediately or immediately, fuffer a ftrong Delufion, and the Belief of a Lie, to poifon the Morals, debauch the Minds, and fubvert the Judgments, of either Prince or People; when their Teachers fhall be removed into Corners, fo that their Eyes shall not see them, Isa.

XXX. 20.

The Mind of Man uninftructed is like a Field without Culture, and will infallibly bring forth nothing but Weeds; and yet, fo capable is it of Tillage, that, under proper Tutors and Directors, it will very readily imbibe the best Principles, as being most natural to the well-tempered Soul.

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