me flatter myself you will give fhelter to a new edition of this. I need not fay much as to the judicious performance of it; you will eafily perceive the obfervations fhe has made upon the humours of the Spaniard to be very juft; the drefs fhe has put them in, elegant and neat; and her expreffion familiar, eafy, and clear.

The former impreffions of this book have been very well received in the world; and I doubt not but this will meet with a better reception than any yet have done, by coming into it under your protection. Whatever you espouse comes fufficiently recommended, and, with thofe that know you, will be taken for a convincing argument of its own merit. I cannot perfuade myself filently to pafs over one motive which fwayed very much with me to make you this addrefs; and that is, a defire I have long entertained for an opportunity to declare the veneration and efteem I have for you as a gentleman, a scholar, and a patriot. The two first characters you enjoy undisturbed; and, to make good the laft, you have the applaufes of all true Britons, for the vigorous efforts you made against the late attacks upon the liberties of your country, by expofing the false reasonings of thofe men, who would have deluded us into a fatal fecurity, till Popery and tyranny had come down upon us like a mighty torrent, and overwhelmed us. I am, Sir, your most obedi, ent, humble servant.

LETTER

LETTER

CCCCL*.

From Mrs. MANLEY + to Sir RICHARD STEELE.

W

HEN men caft their eyes upon epiftles of this kind, from the name of the per

fon

* Prefixed to "Lucius, a Tragedy, 1717;" being the dedication already referred to in p. 275.

+ Daughter of Sir Robert Manley, a zealous Royalist. Early in life fhe was cheated into marriage with a near relation, of her own name, who had at the fame time a former wife living. Deferted by her husband, fhe was patronised by the Duchefs of Cleveland, who growing tired of Mis. Manley in fix months, discharged her, on pretence that the intrigued with her fon. Retiring into folitude, fhe wrote her first Tragedy, "The Royal Mischief." This play being acted in 1696, with great fuccefs, she received fuch unbounded incenfe from admirers, that her apartment was crowded with men of wit and gaiety, which, in the end, proved fatal to her virtue. In the fame year she also published "The "loft Lover, or, jealous Husband," a Comedy. In her retired hours fhe wrote "The Atalantis;” for which, she having made free in it with feveral characters, her printer was apprehended, by a warrant from the Secretary's office. Mrs. Manley, unwilling an innocent perfon fhould fuffer, prefented herself before the Court of King's Bench as the author. Lord Sunderland, then Secretary of State, being curious to know from whom she got information of several particulars which were supposed above her own intelligence, the replied, with great humility," that the "had no defign in writing further than her own amusement and "diverfion in the country, without intending particular reflec❝tions and characters; and did affure them, that nobody was "concerned with her." When this was not believed, and the contrary urged against her by several circumstances, the faid, "then it must be by inspiration; because, knowing her own innocence, she could account for it no other way." Whether thofe in power were afhamed to bring a woman to trial for a few amorous trifles, or whether (her characters being under feigned

66

Gg 4

names)

fon who makes the addrefs, and of him who receives it, they ufually have reafon to expect ap

plaufes

names) the laws did not actually reach her, she was discharged after feveral public examinations. On the change of the Ministry she lived in reputation and gaiety, and amused herself in writing Poems and Letters, and converfing with the Wits. A fecond edition of a volume of her Letters was published in 1713. "Lucius," a well-received Tragedy, was written by her, and acted in 1717. It was dedicated, as above, to Sir R. Steele, who was then on fuch friendly terms with her, that he wrote the prologue to this play, as Mr. Prior did the epilogue. She died July 11, 1724.-The welfare of fociety being not at all affected by the mifdeeds of those who have acquired any degree of eminence being known; on the contrary, when it is feen that, in spite of confiderable talents, poverty and contempt (as in the present inftance) generally accompany any deviations from the rule of right, it will tend to promote the practice of virtue, and be attended with confequences beneficial to the community; the following well-authenticated anecdote of Mrs. Manley is here preferved. In 1705 fhe was concerned with one Mrs. Mary Thompfon, a young woman who had been kept by a gentleman of the name of Pheasant, of Upwood, in Huntingdonshire, and then deceased, in profecuting a fuit in Doctors Commons, on the part of Mrs. Thompson, as the widow of Mr. Pheasant; the obje&t of the fuit being to establish her right of dower out of Mr. Pheafant's eftates, which were about 1500l. a year. It appears, on the evidence, which is recorded in Doctors Commons, that Mrs. Manley and Mrs. Thompson were jointly concerned in the profecution, and that she was to have had 100l. per annum for life, if it had fucceeded. They had procured one Edmund Smith, a very infamous fellow, and then a prifoner in the Fleet, to forge a marriage entry in the register at a church in Alderfgate Street, which was fupported by Smith's fwearing himfelf to have procured the parfon who performed the ceremony; and that he and a Mr. Abson were present at the wedding. The parson fixed on was one Dr. Cleaver, who appears, from the evidence, to have been a low and scandalous prieft, and, it is believed, the man who married at the Fleet. Cleaver and Abfon were both dead

when

plaufes improper either to be given or accepted by the parties concerned. I fear it will, at first fight, be much more fo in this address than any other which has at any time appeared; but while common dedications are stuffed with painful panegyricks, the plain and honeft bufinefs of this is, only to do an act of juftice, and to end a former misunderstanding between the Author, and him whom the here makes her patron. In confideration that one knows not how far what we have faid of each other may affect our characters in the world, I take it for an act of ho

when Smith was examined. The cause was fupported by fome weak collateral evidence, and was overthrown by the strongest evidence to the wickednefs of Smith's character, and by proof that the entry, which Smith fwore to have been entered by Mr. Pheafant himself, was not Mr. Pheafant's hand-writing; who lived with Mrs. Thompson as his mistress, and not as his wife. Upon the whole, Mrs. Manley's conduct in this affair fhews her to have been a bafe and wicked woman, capable of fuborning perjury and forgery for gain. It is to be noted, that this was in the year 1705. In the latter part of Queen Anne's reign fhe was in high favour with the Tories, as a party-writer, and was noticed by Dr. Swift, whom she assisted in the Examiner. Whether he knew her real character is perhaps uncertain. She paffed the remainder of her life with Swift's very good friend, John Barber, alderman and printer, as his miftrefs. She must have been fortunate if her baseness was not known; if it was, Dr. Swift's friends at least are not much credited by their connexions with her. It is not likely that Mrs. Manley's conduct was a fecret, as she was known as a writer before 1705; and Smith, in his evidence, fwears, that he first heard of the cause being inftituted at a coffee-bouse accidentally, where Mrs. Pheasant's cause was talked of, and Mr. Peere Williams, then an eminent counfel, was examined as a witness, so that the matter was certainly of public notoriety.

nour

nour to declare, on my part, that I have not known a greater mortification than when I have reflected upon the feverities which have flowed from a pen, which is now, you fee, difpofed as much to celebrate and commend you. On your part, your fincerc endeavour to promote the reputation and fuccefs of this Tragedy, are infallible teftimonies of the candour and friendship you retain for me. I rejoice in this public retribution, and with pleasure acknowledge, that I find by experience, that fome useful notices which I had the good fortune to give you for your conduct in former life, with fome hazard to myself, were not to be blotted out of your memory by any hardships that followed them.

I know you fo well, that I am affured you already think I have, on this fubject, faid too much; and I am confident you believe of me, that, did I not conceal much more, I should not say so much. Be then the very memory of dif agreeable things forgotten for ever, and give me leave to thank you for your kindness to this Play, and, in return, to fhew towards your merit the fame good-will. But when my heart is full, and my pen ready to express the kindeft fentiments to your advantage, I reflect upon what I have formerly heard you say, that the fame of a gentleman, like the credit of a merchant, muft flow from his own intrinfic value; and that all means to enlarge it, which do not arise naturally

from