BEVIS MOUNT, 19 
of to her praife, when the expenflve feaft, or the late hour, at 
which her companions danced, evaporate like the blaze of 
ftraw, remembered only by thofe who injure their health by 
excefs, inftead of giving health and life to others by a generous 
difpenfation of the goods of fortune. I am yours, 
LETTER VII. 
To the fame . 
Madam, 
M Y curioflty to view bevis mount, was the Ilronger from 
my remembrance of this noble lord at Lisbon ; I 
believe it was in the autumn 1736. Then it was Sir john 
Norris, who commanded a powerful fleet in the tagus, paid 
the laft honors, to the remains of this intrepid general, and fa- 
gacious leader of armies* It was about the year 1705 when he 
made fo rapid a progrefs through great part of the dominions 
of spain. When he was in winter quarters at Lisbon, how 
often did he rife before the fun, and in perfon folicit the dif- 
patch of buflnefs with diogo de mendon^a corte real, fecre- 
tary of Rate to the late king of Portugal. This faithful and 
acute minifter was yet alive when lord Peterborough came to 
Lisbon, at the time juft mentioned, in hopes to protra<ft life a 
little while, under extreme age, ,and more extreme decay. 
“ Alas,” fays the good old fecretary, “ where now is all his 
<£ martial ardor? — -Will he roufe me before the day, and not 
“ fuffer me to reft a moment till his buflnefs be done ? — Thofe 
“ days are gone for ever : we muft all yield to the more power- 
tc ful arm of death !” 
D 2 
You 
