Sociable Letters 267 



fashions are not alwayes changed for more com- 

 modious or becoming, but for the sake of variety, for 

 an old fashion may be more useful and graceful than 

 a modern fashion: but I believe the Lady G, P. 

 carried Mrs. O. B.'s letter about with her for a pre- 

 tence to visit company, like as gossips do cakes and 

 other junkets to their neighbours, the junkets increas- 

 ing the company, and the company the junkets, so the 

 Lady G. P. out of a luxury to talk and company, like 

 as other gossips, out of a luxury to talking and eating, 

 carried the letter, to show her several acquaintance 

 sport, to get other acquaintance, and if she had not 

 had that letter, 'tis likely she would have found some 

 other pretence rather than have stayed at home. 

 Indeed, one may say, that in this age there is a malig- 

 nant contagion of gossiping, for not onely one woman 

 infects another, but the women infect the men, and 

 then one man infects another, naj^ it spreads so much, 

 as it takes hold even on young children, so strong and 

 infectious is this malignity. But if any will avoid it, 

 they must every morning anount the soles of their 

 feet with the oyl of slackness, and bath every limb in 

 a bath of rest ; then they must put into their ears some 

 drops of quiet, to strengthen the brain against vapour- 

 ous noise, and stop their ears with a little wool of 

 deafness, to keep out the wind of idle discourse ; also 

 they must wash their eyes with the water of obscurity, 

 lest the glaring light of vanity should v/eaken them, 

 and they must take some electuary of contemplation, 

 which is very soverain to comfort the spirits, and they 

 must drink cooHng julips of discretion, which are 

 good against the fever of company, and if they take 

 some jelly of restraint, they will find it to be an 

 excellent remedy against this mahgnity. Onely they 

 must take great care lest they be too relax to per- 



