amazement of every one who saw me and had heard of the affair
between me and my lord. He himself was much surprised and vexed

at this sudden change, nor could he account how it was possible
for me so soon to shake off those chains he thought he had fixed

on me for life; nor was he willing to lose his conquest in this
manner. He endeavored by all means possible to talk to me again

of love, but I stood fixed to my resolution (in which I was
greatly assisted by the crowd of admirers that daily surrounded

me) never to let him explain himself: for, notwithstanding all
my pride, I found the first impression the heart receives of love

is so strong that it requires the most vigilant care to prevent
a relapse. Now I lived three years in a constant round of

diversions, and was made the perfect idol of all the men that
came to court of all ages and all characters. I had several good

matches offered me, but I thought none of them equal to my merit;
and one of my greatest pleasures was to see those women who had

pretended to rival me often glad to marry those whom I had
refused. Yet, notwithstanding this great success of my schemes,

I cannot say I was perfectly happy; for every woman that was
taken the least notice of, and every man that was insensible to

my arts, gave me as much pain as all the rest gave me pleasure;
and sometimes little underhand plots which were laid against my

designs would succeed in spite of my care: so that I really
began to grow weary of this manner of life, when my father,

returning from his embassy in France, took me home with him, and
carried me to a little pleasant country-house, where there was

nothing grand or superfluous, but everything neat and agreeable.
There I led a life perfectlysolitary. At first the time hung

very heavy on my hands, and I wanted all kind of employment, and
I had very like to have fallen into the height of the vapors,

from no other reason but from want of knowing what to do with
myself. But when I had lived here a little time I found such a

calmness in my mind, and such a difference between this and the
restless anxieties I had experienced in a court, that I began to

share the tranquillity that visibly appeared in everything round
me. I set myself to do works of fancy, and to raise little

flower-gardens, with many such innocent rural amusements; which,
although they are not capable of affording any great pleasure,

yet they give that serene turn to the mind which I think much
preferable to anything else human nature is made susceptible of.

I now resolved to spend the rest of my days here, and that
nothing should allure me from that sweet retirement, to be again

tossed about with tempestuous passions of any kind. Whilst I was
in this situation, my lord Percy, the earl of Northumberland's

eldest son, by an accident of losing his way after a fox-chase,
was met by my father, about a mile from our house; he came home

with him, only with a design of dining with us, but was so taken
with me that he stayed three days. I had too much experience in

all affairs of this kind not to see presently the influence I had
on him; but I was at that time so entirely free from all

ambition, that even the prospect of being a countess had no
effect on me; and I then thought nothing in the world could have

bribed me to have changed my way of life. This young lord, who
was just in his bloom, found his passion so strong, he could not

endure a long absence, but returned again in a week, and
endeavored, by all the means he could think of, to engage me to

return his affection. He addressed me with that tenderness and
respect which women on earth think can flow from nothing but real

love; and very often told me that, unless he could be so happy as
by his assiduity and care to make himself agreeable to me,

although he knew my father would eagerlyembrace any proposal
from him, yet he would suffer that last of miseries of never

seeing me more rather than owe his own happiness to anything that
might be the least contradiction to my inclinations. This manner

of proceeding had something in it so noble and generous, that by
degrees it raised a sensation in me which I know not how to

describe, nor by what name to call it: it was nothing like my
former passion: for there was no turbulence, no uneasy waking

nights attending it, but all I could with honor grant to oblige
him appeared to me to be justly due to his truth and love, and

more the effect of gratitude than of any desire of my own. The
character I had heard of him from my father at my first returning

to England, in discoursing of the young nobility, convinced me
that if I was his wife I should have the perpetual satisfaction

of knowing every action of his must be approved by all the
sensible part of mankind; so that very soon I began to have no

scruple left but that of leaving my little scene of quietness,
and venturing again into the world. But this, by his continual

application and submissive behavior, by degrees entirely
vanished, and I agreed he should take his own time to break it to

my father, whose consent he was not long in obtaining; for such a
match was by no means to be refused. There remained nothing now

to be done but to prevail with the earl of Northumberland to
comply with what his son so ardently desired; for which purpose

he set out immediately for London, and begged it as the greatest
favor that I would accompany my father, who was also to go

thither the week following. I could not refuse his request, and
as soon as we arrived in town he flew to me with the greatest

raptures to inform me his father was so good that, finding his
happiness depended on his answer, he had given him free leave to

act in this affair as would best please himself, and that he had
now no obstacle to prevent his wishes. It was then the beginning

of the winter, and the time for our marriage was fixed for the
latter end of March: the consent of all parties made his access

to me very easy, and we conversed together both with innocence
and pleasure. As his fondness was so great that he contrived all

the methods possible to keep me continually in his sight, he told
me one morning he was commanded by his father to attend him to

court that evening, and begged I would be so good as to meet him
there. I was now so used to act as he would have me that I made

no difficulty of complying with his desire. Two days after this,
I was very much surprised at perceiving such a melancholy in his

countenance, and alteration in his behavior, as I could no way
account for; but, by importunity, at last I got from him that

cardinal Wolsey, for what reason he knew not, had peremptorily
forbid him to think any more of me: and, when he urged that his

father was not displeased with it, the cardinal, in his imperious
manner, answered him, he should give his father such convincing

reasons why it would be attended with great inconveniences, that
he was sure he could bring him to be of his opinion. On which he

turned from him, and gave him no opportunity of replying. I
could not imagine what design the cardinal could have in

intermeddling in this match, and I was still more perplexed to
find that my father treated my lord Percy with much more coldness

than usual; he too saw it, and we both wondered what could
possibly be the cause of all this. But it was not long before

the mystery was all made clear by my father, who, sending for me
one day into his chamber, let me into a secret which was as

little wished for as expected. He began with the surprising
effects of youth and beauty, and the madness of letting go those

advantages they might procure us till it was too late, when we
might wish in vain to bring them back again. I stood amazed at

this beginning; he saw my confusion, and bid me sit down and
attend to what he was going to tell me, which was of the greatest

consequence; and he hoped I would be wise enough to take his
advice, and act as he should think best for my future welfare.

He then asked me if I should not be much pleased to be a queen?
I answered, with the greatest earnestness, that, so far from it,

I would not live in a court again to be the greatest queen in the
world; that I had a lover who was both desirous and able to raise

my station even beyond my wishes. I found this discourse was
very displeasing; my father frowned, and called me a romantic