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⚫ is made immortal, by giving her Name to an EyeWater and two forts of Puddings. I cannot undertake to recite all her medicinal Preparations, as Salves, Cerecloths, Powders, Confects, Cordials, Ratafia, Perfico, Orange-flower, and Cherry-brandy, together with innumerable forts of Simple Waters. But there is nothing I lay fo much to heart, as that deteftable Catalogue of counterfeit Wines, which derive their Names from the Fruits, Herbs, or Trees of whofe Juices they are chiefly compounded: They are loathfom to the Tafte, and pernicious to the Health; and as they feldom furvive the Year, and then are thrown away, under a false Pretence of Frugality, I may affirm they ftand me in more than if I entertain'd all our Visitors " with the best Burgundy and Champaign. Coffee, Cho'colate, Green, Imperial, Peco, and Bohea-Tea seem to be Trifles; but when the proper Appurtenances of the Tea-table are added, they fwell the Account higher ⚫ than one would imagine. I cannot conclude without doing her Juftice in one Article; where her Frugality is fo remarkable, I must not deny her the Merit of it, and that is in relation to her Children, who are all con'fin'd, both Boys and Girls, to one large Room in the ⚫ remotest Part of the House, with Bolts on the Doors

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and Bars to the Windows, under the Care and Tuition " of an old Woman, who had been dry Nurse to her Grandmother. This is their Refidence all the Year round; and as they are never allowed to appear, fhe prudently thinks it needlefs to be at any Expence in Apparel or Learning. Her eldest Daughter to this day ' would have neither read nor writ, if it had not been for the Butler, who being the Son of a Country Attorney, has taught her fuch a Hand as is generally used for engroffing Bills in Chancery. By this time I have fufficiently tired your Patience with my domeftick Grievances; which I hope you will agree could not well be contained in a narrower Compafs, when you confider "what a Paradox I undertook to maintain in the Beginning of my Epiftle, and which manifeftly appears to be but too melancholy a Truth. And now I heartily with the Relation I have given of my Misfortunes may be of Use and Benefit to the Publick. By the Example I

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have set before them, the truly virtuous Wives may ⚫ learn to avoid thofe Errors which have fo unhappily • misled mine, and which are vifibly these three. First, In mistaking the proper Objects of her Efteem, and fixing her Affections upon fuch things as are only the Trappings and Decorations of her Sex. Secondly, In not diftinguishing what becomes the different Stages of Life. And, Laftly, the Abuse and Corruption of fome ⚫ excellent Qualities, which, if circumfcrib'd within just Bounds, would have been the Bleffing and Profperity of her Family, but by a vicious Extreme are like to be the Bane and Deftruction of it.

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329. Tuesday, March 18.

Ire tamen reftat, Numa quò devenit, & Ancus. Hor.

M

Y Friend Sir ROGER DE COVERLEY told me t'other Night, that he had been reading my Paper upon Westminster-Abby, in which, fays he, there are a great many ingenious Fancies. He told me at the fame time, that he obferved I had promised another Paper upon the Tombs, and that he should be glad to go and fee them with me, not having visited them fince he had read Hiftory. I could not at firft imagine how this came into the Knight's Head, till I recollected that he had been very bufy all laft Summer upon Baker's Chronicle, which he has quoted feveral times in his Difputes with Sir ANDREW FREEPORT fince his laft coming to Town. Accordingly I promised to call upon him the next Morning, that we might go together to the Abby.

I found the Knight under his Butler's Hands, who always fhaves him. He was no fooner Dreffed, than he called for a Glafs of the Widow Trueby's Water, which he told me he always drank before he went abroad. He recommended to me a Dram of it at the fame time, with fo much Heartinefs, that I could not forbear drinking it. As foon as I had got it down, I found it very unpalatable

upon

upon which the Knight obferving that I had made feve ral wry Faces, told me that he knew I fhould not like it at first, but that it was the best thing in the World against the Stone or Gravel.

I could have wifhed indeed that he had acquainted me with the Virtues of it fooner; but it was too late to complain, and I knew what he had done was out of Goodwill. Sir ROGER told me further, that he looked upon it to be very good for a Man whilft he ftaid in Town, to keep off Infection, and that he got together a Quantity of it upon the firft News of the Sickness being at Dantzick: When of a fudden turning fhort to one of his Servants, who stood behind him, he bid him call a Hackney-Coach, and take care it was an elderly Man that drove it.

HE then refumed his Difcourfe upon Mrs. Trueby's Water, telling me that the Widow Trueby was one who did more good than all the Doctors and Apothecaries in the County: That fhe diftilled every Poppy that grew within five Miles of her; that she distributed her Water gratis among all forts of People; to which the Knight added, that he had a very great Jointure, and that the whole Country would fain have it a Match between him and her; and truly, fays Sir ROGER, if I had not been engaged, perhaps I could not have done better.

HIS Difcourfe was broken off by his Man's telling him he had called a Coach. Upon our going to it, after having caft his Eye upon the Wheels, he asked the Coach→ man if his Axletree was good; upon the Fellow's telling him he would warrant it, the Knight turned to me, told me he looked like an honest Man, and went in without further Ceremony.

WE had not gone far, when Sir ROGER popping out his Head, called the Coachman down from his Box, and upon his prefenting himself at the Window, asked him if he smoked; as I was confidering what this would end in, he bid him ftop by the way at any good Tobacconift's, and take in a Roll of their beft Virginia. Nothing material happen'd in the remaining part of our Journey, till we were fet down at the Weft-end of the Abby.

AS we went up the Body of the Church, the Knight pointed at the Trophies upon one of the new Monuments,

and

and cry'd out, A brave Man I warrant him! Paffing af terwards by Sir Cloudfly Shovel! he flung his Hand that way, and cry'd Sir Cloudfly Shovel! a very gallant Man! As we ftood before Busby's Tomb, the Knight utter'd himfelf again after the fame Manner, Dr. Busby, a great Man! he whipp'd my Grandfather; a very great Man! I should have gone to him myself, if I had not been a Blockhead.; a very great Man!

WE were immediately conducted into the little Chapel on the right hand. Sir ROGER planting himself at our Hiftorian's Elbow, was very attentive to every thing he faid, particularly to the Account he gave us of the Lord who had cut off the King of Morocco's Head. Among feveral other Figures, he was very well pleafed to fee the Statesman Cecil upon his Knees; and concluding them all to be great Men, was conducted to the Figure which reprefents that Martyr to good Housewifry, who died by the prick of a Needle. Upon our Interpreter's telling us, that he was a. Maid of Honour to Queen Elizabeth, the Knight was very inquifitive into her Name and Family; and after having regarded her Finger for fome time, I wonder, fays he, that Sir Richard Baker has faid nothing of her in his Chronicle.

WE were then convey'd to the two Coronation-Chairs, where my old Friend, after having heard that the Stone underneath the most ancient of them, which was brought from Scotland, was called Jacob's. Pillar, fat himielf down in the Chair; and looking like the Figure of an old Gothick King, asked our Interpreter, what Authority they had to fay, that Jacob had ever been in Scotland? The Fellow, inftead of returning him an Answer, told him, that he hoped his Honour would pay his Forfeit. I could obferve Sir ROGER a little ruffled upon being thus trapanned; but our Guide not infifting upon his Demand, the Knight foon recovered his Good-humour and whispered in my Ear, that if WILLWIMBLE were with us, and faw thofe two Chairs it would go. hard but he would get a Tobacco-Stopper out of one or

t'other of them.

SIR ROGER, in the next Place, laid his Hand upon Edward the Third's Sword, and leaning upon the Pommel of it, gave us the whole Hiftory of the Black Prince ;

con

concluding, that in Sir Richard Baker's Opinion, Edward the Third was one of the greatest Princes that ever fat upon the English Throne.

WE were then fhewn Edward the Confeffor's Tomb; upon which Sir ROGER acquainted us, that he was the firft who touched for the Evil; and afterwards Henry the Fourth's, upon which he shook his Head, and told us there was fine Reading in the Casualties of that Reign.

OUR Conductor then pointed to that Monument where there is the Figure of one of our English Kings without an Head; and upon giving us to know, that the Head which was of beaten Silver, had been stolen away feveral Years fince: Some Whig, I'll warrant you, fays Sir ROGER; you ought to lock up your Kings better; they will carry off the Body too, if you don't take care.

THE glorious Names of Henry the Fifth and Queen Elizabeth gave the Knight great Opportunities of thining, and of doing Juftice to Sir Richard Baker, who, as our Knight obferved with fome Surprize, had a great many Kings in him, whofe Monuments he had not feen in the Abby.

FOR my own part, I could not but be pleased to fee the Knight fhew fuch an honeft Paffion for the Glory of his Country, and fuch a respectful Gratitude to the Memory of its Princes.

I must not omit, that the Benevolence of my good old Friend, which flows out towards every one he converfes with, made him very kind to our Interpreter, whom he looked upon as an extraordinary Man; for which reafon he fhook him by the Hand at parting, telling him, that he fhould be very glad to fee him at his Lodgings in Norfolk-Buildings, and talk over these Matters with him more at leisure.

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Wednesday,

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