1110 
tutors in severall quallities, lan- 
guages, musick, dancing, writing, 
and needlework, but my genius was 
quite averse from all but my booke, 
and that I wasso eager of, that my 
mother thinking it preiudie’d my 
health, would moderate me in it ; 
yet this rather animated me then 
kept me back, and every moment I 
could steale from my play I would 
employ in any booke I could find, 
when my own were lockt up from 
me. Afterdinner and supper I still 
had an hower allow’d me to play, 
and then I would steale into some 
‘hole or other to read. My father 
would have me learne Latine, and 
T was so apt that I outstript my 
brothers who were at schoole, all- 
though my father’s chaplaine that 
was my tutor was a pittifull dull 
* fellow. My brothers who had a 
greate deale of witt, had some emu- 
lation at the progresse I made in 
my learning, which very well 
pleas’d my father, tho’ my mother 
would have bene contented, I had 
not so wholly addicted myselfe to 
that as to neglect my other qual- 
lities: as for musick and dancing I 
profited yery little in them, and 
would never practise my lute or 
harpsicords but. when my masters 
were with me; and for my needle 
Fabsolutely hated it; play among 
other children I despis’d, and when 
¥ was fore’d to entertaine such as 
eame to visitt me, I tir'd them with 
more grave instructions then their 
mothers, and pluckt all their babies 
to pieces, and kept the children in 
such awe, that they were glad when 
I entertain’d myselfe with elder 
eompany ; to whom I was very ac- 
ceptable, and living in the house 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806, 
with many persans that had a 
greate deale of witt ; and very pros 
fitable serious discourses being fre- 
quent at my father’s table and in my 
mother’s drawing woome, I was very 
attentive to all, and gather’d up 
things that I weuld utter againe to 
greate admiration of many that 
tooke my memory and imitation for 
witt. It pleas’d God that thro’ the 
good instructions of my mother, 
and the sermons she carried me to, 
I was convine’d that the knowledge 
ef God was the most excellent 
study, and accordingly applied my- 
selfe to it, and to practise as I was 
taught: I us’d to exhort my mo- 
ther’s maides much, and to’ turne 
their idle discourses to good sub- 
jects; but I thought, when I had 
done this on the Lord’s day, and 
every day perform’d my due taskes 
of reading and praying, that then I 
was free to anie thing that was net 
sin, for | was not at that time con- 
vine’d of the vanity of conversation 
which was not scandalously wicks 
ed, I thought it no sin to learne or 
heare wittie songs and amorousson- 
netts or poems, and twenty things 
of that kind, wherein I was so apt 
that I became the confident in alk 
the loves that were managed among 
my mother’s young weomen, and 
there was none of them but had 
many lovers and some particular 
friends belov’d above the rest; 
among these I havet * * * ** *#— 
Any one mention’d him to me, I told 
them | had forgotten those extrava- 
gancies of my infancy, and knew 
now that he and I were not equall ; - 
but I could not for many yeares 
heare his name without several in- 
ward emotions * * * Five yeares 
+ At this place is a great chasm, many leaves being torn out apparently by: the 
writer herself. 
6 Z 
after 
