as I taught, were to instruct a child in the science of coming

handsomely into a room. In this I corrected many faults of my
predecessors, particularly that of being too much in a hurry, and

instituting a child in the sublimer parts of dancing before they
are capable of making their honors.

"But as I have not now the same high opinion of my profession
which I had then, I shall not entertain you with a long history

of a life which consisted of borees and coupees. Let it suffice
that I lived to a very old age and followed my business as long

as I could crawl. At length I revisited my old friend Minos, who
treated me with very little respect and bade me dance back again

to earth.
"I did so, and was now once more born an Englishman, bred up to

the church, and at length arrived to the station of a bishop.
"Nothing was so remarkable in this character as my always

voting--[10]."
[10] Here part of the manuscript is lost, and that a very

considerable one, as appears by the number of the next book
and chapter, which contains, I find, the history of Anna Boleyn;

but as to the manner in which it was introduced, or to whom the
narrative is told, we are totally left in the dark. I have only

to remark, that this chapter is, in the original, writ in a
woman's hand: and, though the observations in it are, I think,

as excellent as any in the whole volume, there seems to be a
difference in style between this and the preceding chapters;

and, as it is the character of a woman which is related, I am
inclined to fancy it was really written by one of that sex.

BOOK XIX
CHAPTER VII

Wherein Anna Boleyn relates the history of her life.
"I am going now truly to recount a life which from the time of

its ceasing has been, in the other world, the continual subject
of the cavils of contending parties; the one making me as black

as hell, the other as pure and innocent as the inhabitants of
this blessed place; the mist of prejudice blinding their eyes,

and zeal for what they themselves profess, making everything
appear in that light which they think most conduces to its honor.

"My infancy was spent in my father's house, in those childish
plays which are most suitable to that state, and I think this was

one of the happiest parts of my life; for my parents were not
among the number of those who look upon their children as so many

objects of a tyrannic power, but I was regarded as the dear
pledge of a virtuous love, and all my little pleasures were

thought from their indulgence their greatest delight. At seven
years old I was carried into France with the king's sister, who

was married to the French king, where I lived with a person of
quality, who was an acquaintance of my father's. I spent my time

in learning those things necessary to give young persons of
fashion a polite education, and did neither good nor evil, but

day passed after day in the same easy way till I was fourteen;
then began my anxiety, my vanity grew strong, and my heart

fluttered with joy at every compliment paid to my beauty: and as
the lady with whom I lived was of a gay, cheerful disposition,

she kept a great deal of company, and my youth and charms made me
the continual object of their admiration. I passed some little

time in those exulting raptures which are felt by every woman
perfectly satisfied with herself and with the behavior of others

towards her: I was, when very young, promoted to be maid of
honor to her majesty. The court was frequented by a young

nobleman whose beauty was the chief subject of conversation in
all assemblies of ladies. The delicacy of his person, added to a

great softness in his manner, gave everything he said and did
such an air of tenderness, that every woman he spoke to flattered

herself with being the object of his love. I was one of those
who was vain enough of my own charms to hope to make a conquest

of him whom the whole court sighed for. I now thought every
other object below my notice; yet the only pleasure I proposed to

myself in this design was, the triumphing over that heart which I
plainly saw all the ladies of the highest quality and the

greatest beauty would have been proud of possessing. I was yet
too young to be very artful; but nature, without any assistance,

soon discovers to a man who is used to gallantry a woman's desire
to be liked by him, whether that desire arises from any

particular choice she makes of him, or only from vanity. He soon
perceived my thoughts, and gratified my utmost wishes by

constantly preferring me before all other women, and exerting his
utmost gallantry and address to engage my affections. This

sudden happiness, which I then thought the greatest I could have
had, appeared visible in all my actions; I grew so gay and so

full of vivacity that it made my person appear still to a better
advantage, all my acquaintance pretending to be fonder of me than

ever: though, young as I was, I plainly saw it was but pretense,
for through all their endeavors to the contrary envy would often

break forth in sly insinuations and malicious sneers, which gave
me fresh matter of triumph, and frequent opportunities of

insulting them, which I never let slip, for now first my female
heart grew sensible of the spiteful pleasure of seeing another

languish for what I enjoyed. Whilst I was in the height of my
happiness her majesty fell ill of a languishingdistemper, which

obliged her to go into the country for the change of air: my
place made it necessary for me to attend her, and which way he

brought it about I can't imagine, but my young hero found means
to be one of that small train that waited on my royal mistress,

although she went as privately as possible. Hitherto all the
interviews I had ever had with him were in public, and I only

looked on him as the fitter object to feed that pride which had
no other view but to show its power; but now the scene was quite

changed. My rivals, were all at a distance: the place we went
to was as charming as the most agreeable natural situation,

assisted by the greatest art, could make it; the pleasant
solitary walks the singing of birds, the thousand pretty romantic

scenes this delightful place afforded, gave a sudden turn to my
mind; my whole soul was melted into softness, and all my vanity

was fled. My spark was too much used to affairs of this nature
not to perceive this change; at first the profuse transports of

his joy made me believe him wholly mine, and this belief gave me
such happiness that no language affords words to express it, and

can be only known to those who have felt it. But this was of a
very short duration, for I soon found I had to do with one of

those men whose only end in the pursuit of a woman is to make her
fall a victim to an insatiable desire to be admired. His designs

had succeeded, and now he every day grew colder, and, as if by
infatuation, my passion every day increased; and, notwithstanding

all my resolutions and endeavors to the contrary, my rage at the
disappointment at once both of my love and pride, and at the

finding a passion fixed in my breast I knew not how to conquer,
broke out into that inconsistentbehavior which must always be

the consequence of violentpassions. One moment I reproached
him, the next I grew to tenderness and blamed myself, and thought

I fancied what was not true: he saw my struggle and triumphed in
it; but, as he had not witnesses enough there of his victory to

give him the full enjoyment of it, he grew weary of the country
and returned to Paris, and left me in a condition it is utterly

impossible to describe. My mind was like a city up in arms, all
confusion; and every new thought was a fresh disturber of my

peace. Sleep quite forsook me, and the anxiety I suffered threw
me into a fever which had like to have cost me my life. With

great care I recovered, but the violence of the distemper left
such a weakness on my body that the disturbance of my mind was

greatly assuaged; and now I began to comfort myself in the
reflection that this gentleman's being a finished coquette was

very likely the only thing could have preserved me; for he was
the only man from whom I was ever in any danger. By that time I

was got tolerably well we returned to Paris; and I confess I both
wished and feared to see this cause of all my pain: however, I