when we are in Conversation: I chufe indeed to go thi-. ther, to divert any Anxiety or Wearinefs, which at any time I find grow upon me from any prefent Bufinefs or Care. It is faid, that a little Mirth and Diversion are what recreate the Spirits upon thofe Occafions; but there is a kind of Sorrow, from which I draw a Confolation that ftrengthens my Faculties, and enlarges my Mind beyond any thing that can flow from Merriment. When we meet, we foon get over any Occurrence which paffed the Day before, and are in a Moment hurried back to thofe Days which only we call good ones: The Paffages of the Times when we were in Fashion, with the Countenances, Behaviour and Jollity, fo much forfooth above what any appear in now, are prefent to our Imaginations and almoft to our very Eyes. This Conversation revives to us the Memory of a Friend, that was more than my Brother to me; of a Husband, that was dearer than Life to her: Difcourfes about that dear and worthy Man generally fend her to her Clofet, and me to the Dispatch of fome neceffary Bufinefs, which regards the Remains, I would fay the numerous Defcendants, of my generous Friend. I am got, I know not how, out of what I was going to fay of this Lady; which was, that fhe is far gone towards a better World; and I mention her only (with Refpect to this) as fhe is the Object of Veneration to those who are derived from her: Whofe Behaviour towards her may be an Example to others, and make the Generality of young People apprehend, that when the Ancient are paft all Offices of Life, it is then the Young are to exert themselves in their most laudable Duties towards them.

THE Widow of Sir Marmaduke is to be confidered in a very different View. My Lady is not in the fhining Bloom of Life, but at thofe Yeas, wherein the Gratifications of an ample Fortune, thofe of Pomp and Equipage, of being much esteemed, much vifited, and generally admired, are ufually more ftrongly pursued than in younger Days: In this Condition fhe might very well add the Pleasures of Courtship, and the grateful Perfecution of being followed by a Croud of Lovers; but he is an excellent Mother and great Occonomist; which Confidera

tions, joined with the Pleafure of living her own way, preferve her against the Intrusion of Love. I will not fay that my Lady has not a fecret Vanity in being ftill a fine Woman, and neglecting thofe Addreffes, to which perhaps we in part owe her Conftancy in that her Neglect.

HER Daughter Fane her eldeft Child of that Sex, is in the Twenty third Year of her Age, a Lady who forms her felf after the Pattern of her Mother; but in my Judgment, as the happens to be extremely like her, the fometimes makes her Court unskilfully, in affecting that Likenefs in her very Mein, which gives the Mother an uneafie Senfe, that Mrs. Jane really is what her Parent has a Mind to continue to be; but 'tis poffible I am too obferving in this Particular, and this might be overlooked in them both, in refpect to greater Circumftances: For Mrs. Jane is the right Hand of her Mother; it's her Study and conftant Endeavour to affift her in the Management of her Houfhold, to keep all idle Whispers from her, and discourage them before they can come at her from any other hand; to enforce every thing that makes for the Merit of her Brothers and Sifters towards her as well as the Diligence and Chearfulness of her Servants. It's by Mrs. Jane's Management, that the whole Family is governed, neither by Love nor Fear, but a certain Reverence which is compofed of both. Mr. Jane is what one would call a perfect good young Woman; but neither ftrict Piety, Diligence in Domeftick Affairs, or any other Avocation, have preferved her againft Love, which the bears to a young Gentleman of great Expectation, but fmall Fortune; at the fame time, that Men of very great Eftates ask her of her Mother. My Lady, tells her that Prudence must give way to Paffion, fo that Mrs. Jane, if I cannot accommodate the matter, muft conquer more than one Paffion, and out of Prudence banish the Man she loves, and marry the Man she hates.

THE next Daughter is Mrs. Annabella, who has a very lively Wit, a great deal of good Senfe, is very pretty, but gives me much trouble for her from a certain difhoneft Cunning I know in her; the can seem blind and carcless, and full of her felf only, and entertain with twenty affected Vanities whilft he is obferving all the

Company,

Company, laying up ftore for Ridicule; and, in a wo is felish and interefted under all the agreeable Qualities i the World. Alas, what fhall I do with this Girl!

Mrs. CORNELIA paffes her Time very much in Reading, and that with fo great an Attention, that it gives her the Air of a Student, and has an ill Effect upon her as fhe is a fine young Woman; the giddy part of the Sex will have it fhe is in Love; none will allow that fhe affects fo much being alone but for want of particular Company. I have railed at Romances before her, for fear of her falling into thofe deep Studies; fhe has fallen in with my Humour that way for the time, but I know not how, my imprudent Prohibition has, it feems, only excited her Curiofity; and I am afraid fhe is better read than I know of, for fhe faid of a Glafs of Water in which the was going to wash her Hands after Dinner, dipping her Fingers with a pretty lovely Air, It is Chryftalin. I shall examine further, and wait for clearer Proofs.

Mrs. BETTY is (I cannot by what means or methods imagine) grown mightily acquainted with what paffes in the Town; he knows all that matter of my Lord fuch a one's leading my Lady fuch a one out from the Play; fhe is prodigiously acquainted, all of a fudden, with the World, and asked her Sifter Fane t'other Day in an Argument, Dear Sifter, how should you know any thing that hear nothing but what we do in our own Family? I don't

much like her Maid.

Mrs. MARY, the youngest Daughter, whom they rally and call Mrs. Ironfide because I have named her the Sparkler, is the very Quintefcence of good Nature and Generofity; fhe is the perfect Picture of her Grand-father, and if one can imagine all good Qualities which adorn human Life become Feminine; the Seeds, nay the Bloffom of them, are apparent in Mrs. Mary. It is a weakness I cannot get over, (for how ridiculous is a regard to the bodily Perfections of a Man who is dead) but I cannot relift the Partiality to this Child, for being fo like her Grandfather; how often have I turned from her to hide the melting of my Heart when she has been talking to me! I am fure the Child has no Skill in it, for Artifice could not dwell under that Visage, but if I am

abfent

abfent Day from the Family, fhe is fure to be at my Lodging the next Morning to know what is the matter.

AT the head of thefe Children, who have very plentiful Fortunes, provided they marry with mine and their Mother's Confent, is my Lady Lizard; who, you cannot doubt, is very well vifited. Sir William Oger, and his Son almost at Age, are frequently at our Houfe on a double Confideration. The Knight is willing (for fo he very gallantly expreffes himself) to marry the Mother, or he'll confent, whether that be fo or not, that his Son Oliver fhall take any one of the Daughters Noll likes beft.

Mr. RIGBURT of the fame County, who gives in his Eftate much larger, and his Family more ancient, offers to deal with us for two Daughters.

SIR Harry Pandolf has writ Word from his Seat in the Country, that he alfo is much enclin'd to an Alliance with the Lizards, which he has declared in the following Letter to my Lady; fhe fhewed me it this Morning.

Madam,

I

Have heard your Daughters very well spoken of i ' and tho' I have very great Offers in my own Neighbourhood, and heard the Small-Pox is very rife at London, I will fend my eldest Son to fee them, provided that by your Ladyfhip's Anfwer, and your liking of the Rent-Roll which I fend herewith, your Ladyfhip affures me he fhall have one of them, for I don't think to have my Son refufed by any Woman; and fo, Madam, I conclude,

Your most Humble Servant,

Henry Pandolf.

No 6. Wednesday, March 18.

HAVE difpatched my young Women, and the Town has them among them; it is neceflary for the Elucidation of my future Difcourfes, which I defire may be denominated, as they are the Precepts of a Guardian,

Mr.

Mr. Ironfide's Precautions: I fay it is, after what has been already declared, in the next place neceffary to give an Account of the Males of this worthy Family, whofe Annals I am writing. The Affairs of Women being chiefly Domestick, and not made up of fo many Circumstances, as the Duties of Men are, I fear I cannot dispatch the Account of the Males under my Care in fo few Words as I did the Explanation which regarded my Women.

SIR Harry Lizard of the County of Northampton, Son and Heir of the late Sir Marmaduke, is now entered upon the twenty fixth Year of his Age, and is now at his Seat in the Country.

7

THE Eftate at prefent in his Hands is above three Thousand a Year after Payment of Taxes, and all neceffary Charges whatfoever. He is a Man of good UnderGanding, but not at all what is ufually called a Man of shi ning Parts. His Virtues are much greater than his Accomplishments, as to his Converfation. But when you come to confider his Conduct with relation to his Manners and Fortune, it would be a very great Injury not to allow him a very fine Gentleman. It has been carefully provided in his Education, that he should be very ready at Calculations. This gives him a quick Alarm inwardly upon all Undertakings, and in a much fhorter time than is ufual with Men who are not verfed in Bufinefs, he is Master of the Question before him, and can inftantly inform himself with great Exactness in the matter of Profit or Lofs that fhall arife from any thing propofed to him. The fame Capacity, joined to an honeft Nature, makes him very juft to other Men, as well as to himself. His Payments are very punctual, and I dare answer, he never did or ever will, undertake any piece of Building, or any Ornamental Improvement of his Houfe, Garden, Park or Lands, before, the Mony is in his own Pocket, wherewith he is to pay for fuch Undertaking. He is too good to purchase Labourers or Artificers (as by this means he certainly could) at an under rate; but he has by this means what I think he deserves from his fuperior Prudence, the Choice of all who are most knowing and able to serve him. With his ready Mony the Builder, Mafon and Carpenter are enabled to make their Market of Gentlemen in his Neighbourhood,

who