ficulties to furmount, before he can promife himfelf the leaft Succefs, that, for my Part, I have given over all Purfuits of this Nature. Befides, there is fo univerfal a Spirit of Cenforiousness reigns in Town, that a Man and Woman cannot be feen at Ombre or Picquet together, but 'tis immediately concluded fome other Game has been played between them. And as this renders all manner of Accefs to the Ladies almoft impracticable, for fear of expofing their Reputation to the Mercy of their lll-natured Neighbours, so it makes an innocent Piece of Gallantry often pafs for a criminal Correspondence.

So that, to deal freely with your Grace, among fo many noble and wealthy Families as we have in this Town, I can only pretend to be truly acquainted but with one; the Gentleman's Name was Monfieur Hoffman, a frank, hearty, jolly Companion. His Father, one of the most eminent Wine Merchants of the City, left him a confiderable Fortune, which he improved by marrying a French Jeweller's Daughter of Lions. To give you his Character in fhort, he was a fenfible, ingenious Man, and had none of his Country's Vices, which I impute to his having travelled abroad, and feen Italy, France, and England. His Lady is a moft accomplished, ingenious Perfon; and notwithstanding he is come into a Place where fo much Formality and Stiffnefs is practifed, keeps up all the Vivacity, Air, and Good-humour of France.

I had been happy in my Acquaintance with this Family fome Months, when an ill-favoured Action robbed me of the greatest Happiness I had hitherto enjoyed in Germany, the Lofs of which I can never fufficiently regret. Monfieur Hoff

man,

1

man, about three Weeks ago, going to make merry with fome Friends, at a Village some three Leagues from this Place, upon the Danube, by the Unfkilfulness or Negligence of the Water men, the Boat wherein he was, unfortunately chanced to overfet, and of fome twenty Perfons, not one escaped to bring home the News, but a Boy that miraculously faved himself by holding faft to the Rudder, and fo by the Rapidity of the Currrent was caft upon the other Shore.

I was fenfibly afflicted at the Destiny of my worthy Friend, and fo indeed were all that had the Honour of knowing him; but his Wife took on fo extravagantly, that fhe, in a short time, was the only Talk of City and Country: fhe refufed to admit any Vifits from her nearest Relations; her Chamber, her Antichamber and ProAntichamber were hung with black; nay, the very Candles, her Fans, and Tea-table wore the Livery of Grief; the refused all manner of Suftenance, and was fo averfe to the Thoughts of living, that fhe talked of nothing but Death; in fhort, you may tell your ingenious Friend Monfieur de St. Evremont, that Petronius's Ephefian Matron, to whofe Story he has done so much Juftice in his noble Tranflation, was only a Type of our more obftinate, as well as unhappy Ger man Widow.

About a Fortnight after this cruel Lofs (for I thought it would be Labour loft to attack her Grief in its firft Vehemence) I thought myself obliged in point of Honour and Gratitude, to the Memory of my deceafed Friend, to make her a fmall Vifit, and condole her Ladyfhip upon this unhappy Occafion; and tho' I had been told that the refufed to fee feveral Perfons who

had

had gone to wait on her with the fame Errand, yet I prefumed fo much upon the Friendship her late Hufband had always expreffed for me (not to mention the particular Civilities I had received from her) as to think I fhould be admitted to have a fight of her: accordingly, I came to her House, fent up my Name, and Word was immediately brought me, that if I pleased I might go up to her.

When I came into the Room, I fanfied myself in the Territories of Death, every thing looked fo gloomy, fo difmal, and fo melancholy. There was a grave Lutheran Minifter with her, that omitted no Arguments to bring her to a more compofed and more Chriftian Difpofition of Mind. Madam, fays he, you don't confider that by abandoning yourself thus to Defpair, you ac tually rebel against Providence. I can't help it, fays fhe; Providence may even thank itself for laying fo infupportable a Load upon me. O fie, Madam, cries the other, this is downright Impiety: what would you fay now, if Heaven fhould punish it by fome more exemplary Visitation? That is impoffible, replies the Lady, fighing; and fince it has robbed me of the only Delight I had in this World, the only Favour it can do, is to level a Thunderbolt at my Head, and put an End to all my Sufferings. The Parfon finding her in this extravagant Strain, and feeing no Likelihood of perfuading her to come to a better Temper, got up from his Seat, and took his Leave of her.

It came to my turn now, to try whether I was not capable of comforting her; and being convinced by fo late an Inftance, that Arguments brought from Religion were not like to work any

extra

extraordinary Effects upon her, I refolved to attack her Ladyfhip in a more fenfible Part, and represent to her the great Inconveniencies (not which her Soul) but her Body received from this inordinate Sorrow.

Madam, says I to her, next to my Concern for your worthy Husband's untimely Death, I am grieved to fee what an Alteration the bemoaning his Lofs has occafioned in you. These Words raising her Curiofity to know what this Alteration was, thus continued my Difcourfe: in endeavouring Madam, to extinguifh, or at leaft, to alleviate your Grief, than which, nothing can be more prejudicial to a beautiful Woman, I intend a public Benefit; for if the Public is interefted, as moft certainly it is, in the preferving a beautiful Face, that Man does the Public no little Service, who contributes moft to its Preservation.

This odd Beginning operated fo wonderfully upon her, that the defired me to leave this general Road of Compliments, and explain myself more particularly to her. Upon this (delivering myself with an unufual Air of Gravity, which your Grace knows, I feldom carry about me in the Company of Ladies) I told her, that Grief ruins the finest Faces fooner than any thing whatever; and that as Envy itself, could not deny her Face to be the moft.charming in the Universe, fo if fhe did not fuffer herfelf to be comforted, fhe mult foon expect to take her Farewel of it. I confirmed this Affertion, by telling her of one of the finest Women we ever had in England, who did herself more Injury in a Fortnight's time, by lamenting her only Brother's Death, than ten Years could poffibly have done. That I had

I had heard an eminent Phyfician at Leyden fay, That Tears (having abundance of faline Particles in them) not only spoiled the Complection, but haftened Wrinkles. But, Madam, concluded I, why fhould I give myself the Trouble to confirm this by foreign Inftances, and by the Teftimonies of our most knowing Doctors; when, alas! your own Face fo fully juftifies the Truth of what I have faid to you.

How! reply'd our disconfolate Widow, with a Sigh that came from the Bottom of her Heart: and is it poffible that my juft Concern for my dear Husband has wrought fo cruel an Effect upon me in fo fhort a Time. With that fhe ordered her Gentlewoman to bring the Looking-glass to her, and having furveyed herself a few Minutes in it, she told me, fhe was perfectly convinced that my Notions were true; but, cries fhe, what would you have us poor Women to do in thefe Cafes ? For fomething, continued fhe, we owe to the Memory of the Deceafed, and fomething to the World; which expects, at leaft, the common Appearance of Grief from us.

By your Leave Madam, fays I, all this is a Mistake, and no better; you owe nothing to your Hufband, fince he is dead, and knows nothing of your Lamentation. Befides, could you fhed an Ocean of Tears upon his Hearse, it would not do him the leaft Service; much lefs do you lie under any fuch Obligations to the World, as to fpoil a good Face, only to comply with its tyrannic Customs: no Madam, take care to preferve your Beauty, and then, let the World' fay what it pleases; your Ladyfhip may be revenged of the World whenever you fee fit. I am refolved, answers fhe, to be intirely governed by

you,