276 The Duchess of Newcastle 



loss of my twenty playes, as the loss of twenty lives, 

 for in my mind I should have died twenty deaths, 

 which would have been a great torment, or I should 

 have been near the fate of those playes, and almost 

 drowned in salt tears, as they in the salt sea; but 

 they are destinated to live, and I hope, I in them, when 

 my body is dead, and turned to dust. But I am so 

 prudent, and careful of my poor labours, which are 

 my writing works, as I alwa3^es keep the copies of 

 them safely with me, until they are printed, and then 

 I commit the originals to the fire, like parents which 

 are willing to die, whereas they are sure of their 

 children's lives, knowing when they are old, and 

 past breeding, they are but useless in this world. 

 But howsoever their paper bodies are consumed, like 

 as the Roman Emperours in funeral flames, I cannot 

 say, an eagle flies out of them, or that they turn into 

 a blazing star, although they make a great blazing 

 light when they burn; and so leaving them to your 

 approbation or condemnation, 



I rest, Madam, 

 Your faithful friend and servant. 



ON HER MUCH TALKING 



Madam, — ^Th' other day Mr. H. U.'s. daughter and 

 neece were here to visit me, and I endeavouring to 

 entertain them kindty and friendly, talked so much, 

 as they might easily believe, my tongue was in a 

 perpetual motion; especially being strangers to me, 

 not knowing my solitary, silent humour, who speak 

 only much when I entertain strangers, which I do 

 but seldom, so that my talking is like fits of a quartan 

 ague, and as hard to be lured, for much talking is a 



