DR. DARWIN 



pliant over the power of Time. The ftory 

 of that paffion, fo terrible in it's confe- 

 <juences, with which me unintentionally 

 infpired her natural fon by Lord Jerfey of 

 England, is finely told in this part ; that 

 fon, totally unconfcious of his birth and 

 fatal nearnefs of blood to the charming 

 Madam de L'Enclos ! In the firft edition 

 of the Loves of the Plants this extraor- 

 dinary woman received both perfonal and 

 mental injuftice from the prelude to that 

 {lory. She is there reprefented by the 

 Poet, as wrinkled, grey, and paralytic ; 

 circumftances incompatible with the poffi- 

 bility of the attachment, and contrary to 

 the rcprefentation of her biographers. 

 Upon their teftimony we learn that Ninon 

 retained a large portion of her perfonal 

 beauty and graces to an almoft incredible 

 period ; that it was confiderable enough 

 to procure her young lovers at the age of 



eighty, 



