THE LOVER. To which is added, The READ ER; By the fame AUTHOR. 6959 Phyllida amo ante alias: nam me difcedere flevit. Virg. LONDON: Printed for J. Tonfon in the Strand, F. Brown ΤΟ Sir Samuel Garth, M. D. SIR, A Sfoon as Ithought of making the Lover a Prefent to one of my Friends, I refolved, without farther diftracting my Choice, to fend it To the Beft-natured Man. You are fo univerfally known for this Character, that an Epistle fo directed would find its Way to You without your Name, and I believe no Body but You yourself would deliver fuch a Superfcription to any other Perfon. This Propensity is the nearest akin to Love; and Good-nature is the worthieft Affection of the Mind, as Love is the nobleft Paffion of it: While the latter is wholly employed in endeavouring to make happy one fingle Object, the other diffuses its Benevolence to all the World.. As As this is Your natural Bent, I cannot but congratulate to You the fingu lar Felicity that your Profeffion is fo agreeable to your Temper. For what Condition is more defirable than a conftant Impulse to relieve the Diftreffed, and a Capacity to adminifter that Relief? When the fick Man hangs his Eye on that of his Physician, how. pleasing must it be to fpeak Comfort to his Anguish, to raise in him the firft Motions of Hope, to lead him into a Perfuafion that |