2o6 The Duchess of Newcastle 



words, they give the rest more liberty to place them- 

 selves in a more methodicall order, marching more 

 regularly with my pen, on the ground of white paper, 

 but my letters seem rather as a ragged rout, than a 

 well-armed body, for the brain being quicker in 

 creating than the hand in writing, or the memory in 

 retaining, many fancies are lost, by reason they oft- 

 times outrun the pen; where I, to keep speed in the 

 race, write so fast as I stay not so long as to write 

 my letters plain, insomuch as some have taken my 

 hand-writing for some strange character, and being 

 accustomed so to do, I cannot now write very plain, 

 when I strive to write my best ; indeed, my ordinary 

 hand- writing is so bad as few can read it, so as to 

 write it fair for the press. But however, that little 

 wit I have, it delights me to scribble it out, and 

 disperse it about, for I being addicted from my child- 

 hood to contemplation rather than conversation, to 

 solitariness rather than society, to melancholy rather 

 than mirth, to write with the pen than to work with a 

 needle, passing my time with harmeless fancies, their 

 company being pleasing, their conversation innocent, 

 in which I take such pleasure, as I neglect my health, 

 for it is as great a grief to leave their society, as a joy 

 to be in their company. My only trouble is, lest my 

 brain should grow barren, or that the root of my 

 fancies should become insipid, withering into a dull 

 stupidity for want of maturing subjects to write on: 

 for I being of a lazy nature, and not of an active dis- 

 position, as some are that love to journey from town 

 to town, from place to place, from house to house, 

 delighting in variety of company, making still one 

 where the greatest number is ; likewise in playing at 

 cards, or any other games, in which I neither have 

 practised, nor have I any skill therein : as for dancing, 



