Patronage upon the fame Account. I must confefs, my Lord, had not I already received great Inftances of your Favour, I fhould have been afraid of fubmitting a Work of this Nature to your perusal. You are fo thoroughly acquainted with the Characters of Men, and all the Parts of human Life, that it is impoffible for the least Misrepresentation of them to escape your Notice. It is Your Lordship's particular Distinction that you are Master of the whole Compass of Business, and have fignalized Your Self in all the different Scenes of it. We admire fome for the Dignity, others for the Popularity of their Behaviour; fome for their Clearness of Judgment, others for their Happiness of Expreffion; fome for the laying of Schemes, and others for the putting

of

of them in Execution: It is Your Lordship only who enjoys these feveral Talents united, and that too in as great Perfection as others poffefs them fingly. Your Enemies acknowledge this great Extent in Your Lordship's Character, at the fame 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 fo. You have acted in fo much Confiftency with Your Self, and promoted the Interests of your Country in fo uniform a Manner, that even those who would mifrepresent your Generous Defigns for the Publick Good, cannot but approve the Steadiness and Intrepidity with which You pursue them. It is a moft fenfible Pleasure to me that I have this A 3 Oppor

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

My LORD,

Your Lordship's

moft Obliged,

and most Obedient,

Humble Servant,

The SPECTATOR.

THE

SPECTATOR.

V.O L. V.

N° 322. Monday, March 10. 1712.

Ad humum mærore gravi deducit & angit.

T is often faid, 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 fhould be glad were I fure it were falfe. It is told with fuch Simplicity, and there are fo many artless Touches of Diftrefs in it, that I fear it comes too much from the Heart.

Hor.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

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of Merit ; OME Years ago it happened that I lived in the with whofe good Qualities I was fo much taken, as to make it my Endeavour to fhew as many as I was able in my felf. Familiar Converfe improved general Civilities ⚫ into an unfeigned Paffion on both Sides. He watched

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an Opportunity to declare himself to me; and I, who • could not expect a Man of fo great an Estate as his, received his Addreffes in fuch Terms, as gave him no reaA 4

'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 Difadvantage 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 fo till he 'fhould be fo happy as to gain his Father's Approbation, or become poffeffed of his Eftate. I paffionately loved him, and you will believe I did not deny fuch a one what was my Intereft alfo to grant. However I was not fo young, as not to take the Precaution of carrying with me a faithful Servant, who had been alfo 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 fpoke 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 vifible in Lovers, than the regular and gratified Af⚫fection which is to be obferved in Man and Wife. • This Obfervation made the Father very anxious for

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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

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I had reafon to know would not be long in my Power in Town, it was refolved that I fhould 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, paffed my Time in a refigned 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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