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

CXCV.

MADAM,

TO tell you what Pastimes this City hath, they be several Sights and Shews, which are to be seen for Mony, for even Pastime is Bought; for at several times of the Year come hither Dancers on the Ropes, Tumblers, Jug∣lers, Private Stage-Players, Mountebanks, Monsters, and several Beasts, as Dromedaries, Camels, Lions, Acting Baboons, and Apes, and many the like, which would be as Tedious to me to Relate as to See, for I would not take the pains to See them, unless some Few; a∣mongst the rest there was a Woman brought to me, who was like a Shagg-dog, not in Shape, but Hair, as Grown all over her Body, which Sight stay'd in my Memory, not for the Plea∣santness, but Strangeness, as she troubled my Mind a Long time, but at last my Mind kick'd her Figure out, bidding it to be gone, as a Dog-like Creature; and though I am of so Dull and Lazy a Nature, as seldom to take the Pains to See Unusual Objects, yet here coming an Itali∣an

Mountebank, who had with him several per∣sons to Dance, and Act upon the open Stage, al∣so one which did Act the part of a Fool, and that all to draw a Company of People together, to hear him tell the Virtues, or rather Lies of his Drugs, Cures, and Skill, and to Intice, or Per∣swade them to Buy, and to be Cozened and De∣ceived, both in Words, Drugs, and Mony; I saw this Fool Act his Part so Well, that many of the People bought more Drugs for the Fool's sake, than for the Apocryphal Physician's, which was the Mountebank; indeed, Madam, a Fool's Part, as it is the Pleasantest, so it is the most Dif∣ficult to Act, I say, to Act it Well, for it doth require more Ingenuity and Wit than any o∣ther Part Acted on the Stage, for though the World is full of Fools, yet there are not many Feigned Fools, for most men endeavour to seem Wiser than they are, but Feigned Fools endea∣vour to seem Foolisher than they are; But where there is one Feigned Fool in the World, there are a thousand Feigned Wise men, and where there is one Professed Mountebank, or Jugler, there are thousands that are so, but will not be Known, or Thought to be so. Upon this Profess'd Mountebank's Stage, there were two Handsom Women Actors, both Sisters, the one of them was the Mountebank's, th'other the Fool's Wife, and as the Saying is, that Fools have Fortune, his Wife was far the Handsom∣er, and better Actor, and Danced better than th' other; indeed she was the Best Female Actor

that ever I saw; and for Acting a Man's Part, she did it so Naturally as if she had been of that Sex, and yet she was of a Neat, Slender Shape; but being in her Dublet and Breeches, and a Sword hanging by her side, one would have believed she never had worn a Petticoat, and had been more used to Handle a Sword than a Distaff; and when she Danced in a Masculine Habit, she would Caper Higher, and Oftener than any of the Men, although they were great Masters in the Art of Dancing, and when she Danced after the Fashion of her own Sex, she Danced Justly, Evenly, Smoothly, and Gracefully; wherefore in this VVoman, and the Fool her Husband, I took such Delight, to see them Act upon the Stage, as I caused a Room to be hired in the next House to the Stage, and went every day to See them, not to Hear what they said, for I did not Understand their Language, & their Actions did much delight my Sight, for I believe they were better than their Wit, which, as I suppose, were but some Stale, Bald Jests, and Broken Pieces, or Senseless Speeches, taken out of some Roman∣ces, or such like Foolish Books; But after they had been in this City some Short time (for so it seem'd to me) to my great Grief, the Magi∣strate Commanded them out of the Town, for fear of the Plague, which was then in the City, although some said, the Physicians through En∣vy to the Mountebank, Bribed them out; the truth is, they had Reason, for the Mountebank was then so much in Request, as most of the

People made him their Doctor, and Iaen Po∣tage (for so the Fool was named) was their Apothecary; But they being gone, I was troubled for the Loss of that Pastime which I took in Seeing them Act; wherefore to please me, my Fancy set up a Stage in my Brain, and then brought out some Incorporeal Drugs for Incor∣poreal Diseases, to be Bought by Incorporeal People, and the Incorporeal Thoughts were the several Actors, and my VVit play'd the Jack Fool, which Pleased me so much, as to make me Laugh Loud at the Actions in my Mind, whereas otherwise I seldom Laugh Heartily, as the Phrase is; but after my Thoughts had Acted, Danced, and Played the Fool, some seve∣ral times of Contemplating, my Philosophical and Physical Opinions, which are as the Doctors of, and in the Mind, went to the Judgment, Rea∣son, Discretion, Consideration, and the like, as to the Magistrates, and told them, it was very Unprofitable to let such Idle Company be in the Mind, which Robbed the multitude of Thoughts, of Time and Treasure; whereupon the Magistrates of the Mind Commanded the Fancy-Stage to be taken down, & the Thought-Actors to go out, and would not Suffer them to Cheat, or Fool any Longer; And so leaving my Mind Free of such Strangers, I rest,

Madam,

Your faithful Fr. and S.