Familiar and courtly letters written by Monsieur Voiture to persons of the greatest honour, wit, and quality of both sexes in the court of France ; made English by Mr. Dryden, Tho. Cheek, Esq., Mr. Dennis, Henry Cromwel, Esq., Jos. Raphson, Esq., Dr. -, &c. ; with twelve select epistles out of Aristanetus, translated from the Greek ; some select letters of Pliny, Jun and Monsieur Fontanelle, translated by Mr. Tho. Brown ; and a collection of original letters lately written on several subjects, by Mr. T. Brown ; to which is added a collection of letters of friendship, and other occasional letters, written by Mr. Dryden, Mr. Wycherly, Mr. -, Mr. Congreve, Mr. Dennis, and other hands.

Cyrtion to Dictys.

Out of the same, Epist. 7. Lib. 1.

DIstracted between Joy and Greif, I write the following Lines to you: Yesterday I was at my old Recreation of Fishing by the Sea-side, and as I was draw∣ing a thundring Fish out of the Water, so very large that it made my Rod crack a∣gain, behold there comes up to me a pretty

Damosel, with a lovely mixture of Roses and Lillies in her Cheeks, tall and strait as a Cedar that likes the Ground it grows in. Thought I to myself, I'm a lucky Dog to Day, Fortune favours me in both Elements, and now I am like to get a better Prize at Land than I drew just now out of the Water: Honest Friend, cries she, I conjure you by Neptune, to look after my Cloaths a little, while I wash my self in the Sea. This Re∣quest, you may imagine, was not unwelcome to me, because it wou'd give me an Oppor∣tunity to see something. She had no sooner thrown off her Rigging; but, good Heavens! there was a sight enough to have spoiled the most virtuous Resolutions of the severest Phi∣losopher: From between her Hair, which was of a lovely Black, and flow'd down in great Quantity, I discover'd a pair of Rosie Cheeks, and an Ivory Neck, that wholly possest me with Admiration and Surprise: both these Colours were in the highest per∣fection, but they deriv'd no little agreement from the neighbourhood of the Black. To return to our Nymph, she had no sooner undress'd, but she plung'd foremost into the Waves. The Sea was as smooth as a Bow∣ling-green, and when she appeared above the Water, had I not seen her before, I durst have sworn she was one of the

Nereids, of whom the Poets tell us so many Stories. When she had washed as long as she thought fit, out she came; and from such a sight as this, our Painters, I suppose, were instructed how to draw Venus rising out of the Sea. I immediately ran to my lovely Damosel to deliver her her Cloaths, and when she was so near me, cou'd not forbear to touch her Bubbies, and so forth. But to see what ill Fate attends me! The young Gipsie blush'd and frown'd at me: But even her very Anger became her; it gave a fresh Lustre to her Beauty, and her Eyes darted Lightning at me. Then in her Indignation she broke my Rod flung my Fish into the Sea, and ran away from me, as fast as her Legs would carry her. Imagine in what a Confusion she left me. I lamented the loss of what I had taken with so much Pains; but the loss of her, whom I had as it were in my Hands, afflicted me infinitely more. This Disap∣pointment, in short, so mortifies me, that I dare no longer trust my self with the cruel Idea of it.