CCXI sociable letters written by the thrice noble, illustrious, and excellent princess, the Lady Marchioness of Newcastle.

CLXVIII.

MADAM,

IF the Lady P. R. be as much in Heaven's Favour, as she is in Nature's and Fortune's, she is not only Happy, but Blessed, for Nature hath given her Beauty and Wit, and Fortune hath gi∣ven her Riches and Honour, and if Heaven give her Grace to Use those Well, she may be Crowned the Glory of her Sex; But as Beauty, Wit, Honour, & Riches, are like Load-stones, to draw Love, Admiration, and Respect, so they draw Envy and Malice; she hath many Suters, but whether they be all Lovers I cannot tell, nay I dare say, she cannot tell whether they be True Lovers or not, yet no doubt but they all Swear they are, for Suters and Courtly Lovers make no Conscience of Oaths; wherefore if she have a Judgment answerable to her Wit, she will chuse a Husband Wisely, and not Fondly, a Man ra∣ther for Merit, than Person, or Wealth, for Wit rather than Title; for a Woman that Marries a Fool, a Knave, or a Shark, is as Unhappy as a Man that Marries a Scold, a Whore, or a Slut. But you will say, these three later are only a∣mongst the Meaner Sort of Women; I answer, I wish the Better Sort were free from those Vi∣ces; but there be many Cleanly, Patient, and Honest VVomen that are Poor, and Humbly

Born, when those of Higher Birth and Greater Wealth are not so, for all are not Sluts out of Poverty, but through Miserable Covetousness, and some out of Laziness; 'tis true, I never heard Great Persons call'd Scolds, but High Spi∣rits, but the High Spirits have Sharp Tongues; and for Adultery, Idleness and Delicious Feed∣ing is apter to make Wanton Minds in the Bet∣ter Sort, than Painful Labour, and Spare, or Coarse Diet in the Meaner Sort. But leaving this Discourse, as also the Lady P. R. to her Lovers, and those to their Fortune, I rest,

Madam,

Your faithful Friend and Servant.