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

XCI.

MADAM,

IN your last Letter you say, that the Lady G. P. carried a Letter she received from Mrs. O. B. from Company to Company to Jest at, because it was not Indited after the Court∣ly Phrase, but after the Old manner and way, beginning thus, After my hearty Commendati∣on, hoping you are in good Health, as I am at the writing hereof; this is to let you understand, &c. But I know not why any body should Jest at it, for 'tis Friendly to send their Commendations, and to wish them Good Health, and certainly

Friendly and Kind Expressions are to be Pre∣fer'd before Courtly Complements, the First sounds like Real Truth, the Other may be de∣monstrated to be Feigning, for all Complements Exceed the Truth; 'Tis true, the Style of Let∣ters alters and changes as the Fashion of Clothes doth, but Fashions are not alwayes changed for more Commodious or Becoming, but for the sake of Variety, for an Old Fashion may be more Useful and Graceful than a Modern Fashi∣on: But I believe the Lady G. P. carried Mrs. O. B s. Letter about with her for a Pre∣tence to visit Company, like as Gossips do Cakes and other Junkets to their Neighbours, the Jun∣kets increasing the Company, and the Company the Junkets, so the Lady G. P. out of a Luxu∣ry to Talk and Company, like as other Gossips out of a Luxury to Talking and Eating, carried the Letter, to shew her several Acquaintance Sport, to get other Acquaintance, and if she had not had that Letter, 'tis likely she would have found some other Pretence rather than have stayed at Home. Indeed, one may say, that in this Age there is a malignant Contagion of Gos∣siping, for not onely one Woman Infects an∣other, but the Women Infect the Men, and then one Man Infects another, nay, it Spreads so much, as it takes hold even on Young Children, so strong and Infectious is this Malignity; but if any will Avoid it, they must every Morning A∣noint the Soles of their Feet with the Oyl of Slackness, and Bath every Limb in a Bath of

Rest, then they must put into their Ears some Drops of Quiet, to Strengthen the Brain against Vaporous Noise, and Stop their Ears with a lit∣tle Wool of Deafness, to keep out the Wind of Idle Discourse, also they must Wash their Eyes with the Water of Obscurity, lest the glaring light of Vanity should Weaken them, and they must take some Electuary of Con∣templation, which is very Soverain to Com∣fort the Spirits, and they must drink Cool∣ing Julips of Discretion, which are good a∣gainst the Fever of Company, and if they take some Jelly of Restraint, they will find it to be an Excellent Remedy against this Ma∣lignity, onely they must take great care lest they be too Relax to Perswasion, but ra∣ther so Restringent as to be Obstinate from entring into a Concourse; for there is no∣thing more Dangerous in all Malignant Dis∣eases, than Throngs or Crowds of People; and this is the best Preparative against the Plague of Gossiping. But for fear with writing too Long a Letter I should fall into that Disease, I take my leave, and rest,

Madam,

Your very faithful Friend and Servant.