Familiar letters. Vol. I. Written by the Right Honourable John, late Earl of Rochester, to the Honble Henry Savile, Esq; and other letters, by persons of honour and quality. With letters written by the most ingenious Mr. Thomas Otway, and Mrs. K. Phillips. 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,

THo' I am almost Blind, utterly Lame, and scarce within the rea∣sonable hopes of ever seeing London again, I am not yet so wholly mortified and dead to the taste of all Hap∣piness, not to be extreamly reviv'd at the receipt of a kind Letter from an Old Friend, who in all probability might have laid me aside in his Thoughts, if not quite forgot me by this time. I ever thought you an extraordinary Man, and must now think you such a Friend, who, be∣ing a Courtier, as you are, can love a Man, whom it is the great Mode to hate. Catch Sir G. H. or Sir Carr, at such an ill-bred Proceeding, and I am mistaken: For the hideous Deportment, which you have heard of, concerning running naked, so much is true, that

we went into the River somewhat late in the Year, and had a Frisk for forty Yards in the Meadow, to dry our selves. I will appeal to the King and the Duke, if they had not done as much; nay, my Lord Chancellor, and the Archbishops both, when they were School-boys? And, at these Years, I have heard the one Declai∣med like Cicero, the others Preached like St. Austin: Prudenter Persons, I conclude, they were, ev'n in Hanging-sleeves, than any of the flashy Fry, (of which I must own my self the most unsolid) can hope to appear, ev'n in their ripest Man∣hood.

And now, (Mr. Savile) since you are pleas'd to quote your self for a grave Man of the number of the Scandalizd, be pleas'd to call to Mind the Year 1676, when two large fat Nudities led the Coranto round Rosamond's fair Foun∣tain, while the poor violated Nymph wept to behold the strange Decay of Manly Parts, since the Days of her dear Harry the Second: P— ('tis confess'd) you shew'd but little of; but for A—and B—, (a fil∣thier

Ostentation! God wot) you ex∣pos'd more of that Nastiness in your two Folio Volumes, than we altogether in our six Quarto's. Pluck therefore the Beam out of thine own Eye, &c. And now 'tis time to thank you for your kind inviting me to London, to make Dutch-men merry; a thing I would a∣void, like, killing Punaises, the filthy Savour of Dutch-mirth being more ter∣rible. If GOD, in Mercy, has made 'em hush and melancholly, do not you rouze their sleeping Mirth, to make the Town mourn; the Prince of O∣range is exalted above 'em, and I cou'd wish my self in Town to serve him in some refind Pleasures; which, I fear, you are too much a Dutch-man to think of.

The best present I can make at this time is the Bearer, whom I beg you to take care of, that the King may hear his Tunes, when he is easie and pri∣vate; because I am sure they will di∣vert him extreamly: And may he ever have Harmony in his Mind, as this Fel∣low will pour it into his Ears: May

he dream pleasantly, wake joyfully, love safely, and tenderly, live long and happily; ever pray (Dear Savile) Ʋn-Bougre lassé qui era toute sa foutue reste de Vie,

Vostre fidel Amy & tres humble Serviteur, ROCHESTER.