“I am glad to hear you frequent the church.  You cannot fail of being often put in mind of the great virtue of patience, and how necessary that may be for you to practise I leave to your own experience.  I applaud your prudence (for I hope it is entirely owing to it) that you have no money at Tunbridge.  It is easier to avoid the means of temptation than to resist them when the power is in our own hands....

“The place you are in has strangely filled your head with cures and physicians; but (take my word for it) many a fine lady has gone there to drink the waters without being sick, and many a man has complained of the loss of his heart who has had it in his own possession.  I desire you will keep yours, for I shall not be very fond of a friend without one, and I have a great mind you should be in the number of mine.”

JOHN GAY TO THE HON.  MRS HOWARD.

  Tunbridge Wells, July 12th, 1723.

“The next pleasure to seeing you is hearing from you, and when I hear you succeed in your wishes I succeed in mine—­so I will not say a word more of the house.

“We have a young lady, Mary Jennings, here that is very particular in her desires.  I have known some ladies who, if ever they prayed and were sure their prayers would prevail, would ask an equipage, a title, a husband or matadores; but this lady, who is but seventeen and has but thirty thousand pounds, places all her wishes in a pot of good ale.  When her friends, for the sake of her shape and complexion, would dissuade her from it, she answers, with the truest sincerity, that by the loss of shape and complexion she can only lose a husband, but that ale is her passion.  I have not as yet drank with her, though I must own I cannot help being fond of a lady who has so little disguise of her practice, either in her words or appearance.  If to show you love her you must drink with her she has chosen an ill place for followers, for she is forbid with the waters.  Her shape is not very unlike a barrel, and I would describe her eyes, if I could look over the agreeable swellings of her cheeks, in which the rose predominates; nor can I perceive the least of the lily in her whole countenance.  You see what L30,000 can do, for without that I could never have discovered all these agreeable particularities.  In short, she is the ortolan, or rather wheat-ear, of the place, for she is entirely a lump of fat; and the form of the universe itself is scarce more beautiful, for her figure is almost circular.  After I have said all this, I believe it will be in vain for me to declare I am not in love, and I am afraid that I have showed some imprudence in talking upon this subject, since you have declared that you like a friend that has a heart in his disposal.  I assure you I am not mercenary and that L30,000 have not half so much power with me as the woman I love.”

THE HON.  MRS. HOWARD TO JOHN GAY.