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

XXXVIII.

MADAM,

YOu were pleased to desire, that one of my Servants should inquire for Sir N. G. and give him a Letter, or to leave the Letter at his Lodgings. Madam, I must tell you what I hear, which is, that he may be Enquired for, but be∣fore he can be Found, or his Lodgings Known, he will be gone out of the Town; not that he obscures his Lodging, but that he Stayes not any where, for he is like a Shadow, or a Ghost, when you think it is so near as to speak to it, it straight appears afar off, or Vanishes away; and he is not onely in this City, but in every Town, for he rides from Town to Town, as Birds flie from Tree to Tree, and his onely bu∣siness is for Divertisement for Health, so that his Life is as if it rid Post; but let him ride from Death as far as he can, and do what he can to Shun it, yet Death will Meet him at his Journeys end, and there Arrest him, and Impri∣son his Body in a Grave, for Time hath laid an Action of Battery against him, and hath now threescore and fifteen years Summoned him to Appear, but as yet he keeps out of Sight, and will as long as he can, as we may perceive by his riding, and short stay in every place he comes to. Indeed Nature hath been his Friend, and seems

to be so still, and as long as she Protects him, Death cannot get him; nay, she hath Favour'd him more than many of his Neighbours, or Ac∣quaintance, for he never stayes so long in one place, as to make a Neighbourhood, but hath Acquaintance in every place; neither doth he tronble any Acquaintance with long Visits, but onely as to ask how they do, and so farewel; he doth not stay to examin the long Welfare of his old Acquaintance, nor to make tedious Com∣plements with new Acquaintance, nor stayes to inquire for those Acquaintance he sees not, but he will make new Acquaintance at first sight; and this Advantage he hath by riding to several pla∣ces, if it be any, that he hears more News than any other man, for he meets News in eve∣ry Town, which his Memory like a Portman∣tua carries with him, and as in every Town he takes up some News, so in every Town he leaves some; But such a Posting Life, were I a Man, would be Wearisom to me, for it would soon Tire my Life, or Rid me out of the World, at least to my thinking, although to him it is a Sport and Pleasure, or else he would not do so, since he is not Constrain'd thereto. Wherefore, as for your Letter, it must either be sent back to you again, or else it must lie here as a Watch to Take him, for it is impossi∣ble it should Overtake him, nor can any one tell where to find him, except those that are in the same place he is, which soon changes to Is not, so as one may say, he Is,

and Is not, he is like a Juglers Ball, 'tis here, 'tis gone; but he is no Jugler himself, for I hear he is a very Worthy Person, and his Honest and Harmless Endeavour to Prolong his Life, shews him a Wise man; and so lea∣ving him and your Letter to meet, though I know not when, I rest,

Madam,

Your faithful Friend and Servant.