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

XC.

MADAM,

I Am sorry the Plague is much in the City you are in, as I hear, and fear your Stay will In∣danger your Life, for the Plague is so Spread∣ing and Penetrating a Disease, as it is a Malig∣nant Contagion, and Dilates it self throughout a City, nay, many times, from City to City, all over a Kingdom, and enters into every Particu∣lar House, and doth Arrest almost every Parti∣cular Person with Death, at least, layes grievous Sores upon them; Indeed Great Plagues are Death's Harvest, where he Reaps down Lives like Ears of Corn; wherefore, Madam, let me perswade you to Remove, for certainly Life is so Pretious, as it ought not to be Ventured, where there is no Honour to be Gain'd in the Hazard, for Death seems Terrible, I am sure it doth to Me, there is nothing I Dread more than Death, I do not mean the Strokes of Death, nor the Pains, but the Oblivion in Death, I fear not Death's Dart so much as Death's Dungeon, for I could willingly part with my Present Life, to have it Redoubled in after Memory, and would willingly Die in my Self, so I might Live in my Friends; Such a Life have I with you, and you with me, our Persons being at a Distance, we live to each other no otherwise than if we were Dead, for Absence is a Present

Death, as Memory is a Future Life; and so ma∣ny Friends as Remember me, so many Lives I have, indeed so many Brains as Remember me, so many Lives I have, whether they be Friends or Foes, onely in my Friends Brains I am Better Entertained; And this is the Reason I Retire so much from the Sight of the World, for the Love of Life and Fear of Death: for since Na∣ture hath made our Bodily Lives so short, that if we should Live the full Period, it were but like a Flash of Lightning, that Continues not, and for the most part leaves black Oblivion behind it; and since Nature Rules the Bodily Life, and we cannot live Alwayes, nor the Bounds of Na∣ture be Inlarged, I am industrious to Gain so much of Nature's Favour, as to enable me to do some Work, wherein I may leave my Idea, or Live in an Idea, or my Idea may Live in Many Brains, for then I shall Live as Nature Lives a∣mongst her Creatures, which onely Lives in her Works, and is not otherwise Known but by her Works, we cannot say, she lives Personally amongst her Works, but Spiritually within her Works; and naturally I am so Ambitious, as I am restless to Live, as Nature doth, in all Ages, and in every Brain, but though I cannot hope to do so, yet it shall be no Neglect in me; And as I desire to Live in every Age, and in every Brain, so I desire to Live in every Heart, especially in your Ladiships, wherein I believe I do alrea∣dy, and wish I may live Long. Wherefore for my own sake, as well as yours, let me intreat

you to Remove out of that Plaguy City, for if you Die, all those Friends you Leave, or Think of, or Remember, partly Die with you, nay, some perchance for Ever, if they were Personal∣ly Dead before, and onely Live in your Me∣mory; Wherefore, as you are a Noble Lady, have a Care of your Friends, and go out of that City as Soon as you can, in which you will Ob∣lige all those you Favour, or that Love you, a∣mongst which there is none more Truly, Faith∣fully, and Fervently, your Friend and Ser∣vant, than,

Madam,

I, M. N.