To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
MADAM,
YEsterday I employed my time in reading History, and I find in my self an Envy, or rather an Emulation towards Men, for their Courage, Prudence, VVit, and Eloquence, as not to Fear Death, to Rule Commonwealths, and to Speak in a Friend's behalf, or to Pacifie a Friend's Grief, to Plead for his own Right, or
to Defend his own Cause by the Eloquence of Speech; yet this is not in all Men, for some men have Courage and no VVit, and some have VVit and no Conduct, and some have neither VVit, Courage, nor Conduct; but mistake me not, for I do not Envy or Emulate a Stubborn Obstinacy, nor a Desperate Rashness, nor an In∣slaving Policy, nor Fine VVords and Choice Phrases; but to Fight Valiantly, to Suffer Pa∣tiently, to Govern Justly, and to Speak Ratio∣nally, Movingly, Timely and Properly, as to the purpose, all which I fear Women are not Capable of, and the Despair thereof makes me Envy or Emulate Men. But though I love Ju∣stice Best, and trust to Valour Most, yet I Admire Eloquence, and would choose VVit for my Pa∣stime. Indeed Natural Orators that can speak on a Sudden and Extempore upon any Subject, are Nature's Musicians, moving the Passions to Harmony, making Concords out of Discords, Playing on the Soul with Delight. And of all the Men I read of, I Emulate Iulius Caesar most, because he was a man that had all these Excellencies, as Courage, Prudence, Wit and Eloquence, in great Perfection, insomuch as when I read of Iulius Caesar, I cannot but wish that Nature and Fate had made me such a one as he was; and sometimes I have that Cou∣rage, as to think I should not be afraid of his Destiny, so I might have as great a Fame. But these wishes discover my Aspiring Desires, and all those Desires are but Vain that cannot be At∣tained
to; yet although I cannot attain to Iulius Caesar's Fame, it suffices me, to have attained to your Favour, and to the Honour to subscribe my self,
Madam,
Your faithful Friend and Servant.