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

XLV.

MADAM,

SInce I writ to you that Letter of the first of the last Month, I have several times Con∣versed with Mrs. R. E. and I find her Wit runs in Parts, like as Musick, where there must be several Parties to Play or Sing several Parts; she is not a whole Consort her self, neither can she Play the grounds of Wit, but yet she can make a shift to fill up a Note; and it is to be observed, that Wit in several Persons runs on several Sub∣jects, but few have general Wits, as to Play Musically upon every Subject, especially with∣out making a Fault, for I have known some, on some particular Subjects, will be wonderful Witty, and on others mere Dunces and Idiots. And for parts of Wit, some have Gossiping Wit, as Midwife and Nurse Wit, also Wafer and Hippocras Wit, Ale and Cake Wit, as in Christning, Churching, Lying in, and other Gossipings; Others have Bridal Wit, Game-some Wit, also Gaming Wit, Tavern-Wit, Brothel-VVit, and some have Court-VVit, which is a Jeering, Scoffing Wit, but all these are but Scums or Dregs of VVit, onely Scum-VVit swims on the top, which soon boyls over, and Dreg-VVit lies at the bottom, and is hard∣ly stirr'd without much motion to raise it up.

Thus several sorts of Wit run about amongst Mankind, and Mrs. E. Rs. Wit is a Plato∣nick Wit, as loving Friendships, and the con∣versation of Souls, but take her from the Pla∣tonicks, and she is gone, both from Wit and Un∣derstanding, or those are gone from her; and so leaving her to her single-Self, and her Wit to her Platonick-Lover, I rest,

Madam,

Your faithful Friend and Servant.