298 The Duchess of Newcastle 



incorporeal legs, and some slid quite off their feet, 

 and fell on the cold hard ice; whereof some sliding 

 upon imaginary shoes, with the imagination full were 

 tossed up into the air of my brain; yet most of my 

 thoughts slid with a good grace and agility, as with 

 a swift and flying motion. But after I had sat by the 

 fireside some time, the imaginary ice began to melt, 

 and my thoughts prudently retired, or removed, for 

 fear of drowning in the imaginary river in my brain. 

 And so leaving this imagination, I profess my self 

 really, Madam, 



Your faithful friend and servant. 



A LETTER TO HER SISTER PYE ^ 



(" Of my four sisters, the third married Sir Edmund 



Pye") 



Dear Sister Pye, — Distance of place, nor length 

 of time, cannot lessen my natural, or rather super- 

 natural affection to you; for certainly my love for 

 you is more than a sister's love, nay, such a love, as 

 when I lived with you, it could not choose but be 

 somewhat troublesome, by reason my love was accom- 

 panied with such fears, as it would neither let you 

 rest, pray, nor eat in quiet. For though it was a 

 watchful love, yet it was a fearful love, for I remember 

 I have oftentimes waked you out of your sleep, when 

 you did sleep quietly, with soft breathing, fearing 

 you had been dead; and oftener have I laid my face 

 over your mouth, to feel if you breathed, insomuch 

 as I have kept my self waking, to watch your sleeps, 

 and as troublesome I was to you concerning your 

 feeding, as I was in your sleeping, for I was afraid 

 that that which was to nourish you, should kill you. 

 1 See p. 192 of her Memoirs. 



