Familiar letters: vol. I. Written by the Right Honourable, John, late Earl of Rochester, to the honourable Henry Savile, esq; and other letters by persons of honour and quality. With letters written by the most ingenious Mr. Tho. Otway, and Mrs. K. Philips. Publish'd from their original copies. With modern letters by Tho. Cheek, Esq; Mr. Dennis, and Mr. Brown.

TO THE Honourable HENRY SAVILE••

Dear SAVILE,

IF it were the Sign of an honest Man, to be happy in his Friends, sure I were mark'd out for the worst of Men; since no one e'er lost so many as I have done, or knew to make so few. The Severity you say the Dutchess of P— shews to me, is a proof, that 'tis not in my power to deserve well of Any-body; since (I call Truth to Witness) I have never been guilty of an Errour, that I know, to her: And this may be a Warn∣ing to you, that remain in the Mistake of being kind to me, never to expect a grateful Return; since I am so utterly ignorant how to make it: To value you in my Thoughts, to prefer you in my Wishes, to serve you in my Words; to observe, study, and obey you in all my Actions, is too little; since I have per∣formed all this to her, without so much

as an offensive Accident. And yet she thinks it just, to use me ill. If I were not malicious enough to hope she were in the wrong; I must have a very melan∣cholly Opinion of myself. I wish your Interest might prevail with her, as a Friend of her's, not mine, to tell how I have deserv'd it of her, since she has ne'r accus'd me of any Crime, but of being Cunning; and I told her, Some∣body had been Cunninger than I, to per∣swade her so. I can as well support the Hatred of the whole World, as Any∣body, not being generally fond of it. Those whom I have oblig'd, may use me with Ingratitude, and not afflict me much: But to be injur'd by those who have oblig'd me, and to whose Service I am ever bound; is such a Curse, as I can only wish on them who wrong me to the Dutchess.

I hope you have not forgot what G—y and you have promis'd me; but within some time you will come and fetch me to London: I shall scarce think of coming, till you call me, as not ha∣ving many prevalent Motives to draw me to the Court, if it be so that my Ma∣ster

has no need of my Service, nor my Friends of my Company.

Mr. Shepheard is a Man of a fluent Stile and coherent Thought; if, as I suspect, he writ your Postscript.

I wish my Lord Hallifax Joy of every Thing, and of his Daughter to boot.

ROCHESTER.