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( Painted for Uivison and (77

18. Latemoster Row:

LENOX LIBRARY

NEW YORK

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

THOMAS EARL OF WHARTON.

MY LORD,.

TH

HE Author of the Spectator having prefixed before each of his volumes the name of fome great perfon to whom he has particular obligations, lays his claim to your Lordship's 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 perufal. You are fo thoroughly acquainted with the characters of men, and all the parts of human life, that it is impoffible for the leaft mifreprefentation of them to escape your notice. It is your Lordship's particular diftinction that you are mafter of the whole compafs of business, and have fignalized yourself in all the different fcenes 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 fchemes, and others for the putting 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 ufe 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 yourfelf, and promoted the interefts of your country in fo uniform a manrer, that even those who would mifreprefent your generous defigns for the public good, cannot but approve the fleadinefs and intrepidity with which you purfue them. It is a mott fenfible pleasure to me that I have this opportunity of profeffing myself 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

SPECTATO R.

VOLUME THE FIFTH.

N° @CCXXII. MONDAY, MARCH 10, 1712.

AD HUMUM MOERORE GRAVI DEDUCIT ET ANGIT.

HOR. ARS POET. v. 1ic.

GRIEF DEJECTS, AND WRINGS THE TORTURED SOUL.

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SOME years ago it happened that I lived in the fame houfe with a young gentleman of merit; with whofe good qualities I was fo much taken, as to inake it my endeavour to fhew as many as I was able in myfelf. Familiar converfe improved general civilities into an unfeigned paffion on both fides. He watched an opportunity to declare himfelf 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 reason to believe I was difpleafed with them, though I did nothing to make him think me more eafy than was decent. His father was a very hard worldly man, and proud; fo that there

RoscoMMON.

was no reason to believe he would easily 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 fon continued his application to ine, and omitted no occafion of demonftrating the moft difinterested paffion imaginable to me; and in plain direct terms offered to marry me privately, and keep it fo till he fhould be fo happy as to gain his father's approbation or become poffefied 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 fervant, who had een alfo my mother's maid, to be prefent at the ceremony: when that was over, I demanded a certificate, figned by the minifter, my husband, and the fervant [ just now spoke of. After our nuptials, we converted together very familiarly in the fame houfe; but the reftraints we were generally under, the interviews we had being stolen and interrupted, made ou behaviour to each other have 4 N 2 rather

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