her husband, comes forth in full splendour. Now it is, that Mrs. Hutchinson starts into life again, as if from the tomb; and lives in the eye of the world with a lustre of fame, which never fell upon her, during her actual existence here! The name of Apsley becomes consecrated among the lovers of genius, and Lord Bathurst may thank the Editor of this precious MS. for at least adding a splendour to one of his titles, beyond what it before possessed!

"My grandfather by the father's side," says Mrs. Hutchinson, "was a gentleman of a competent estate; about 7, or 8ool. a year, in Sussex. He being descended of a younger house, had his residence at a place called Pulborough; the family out of which he came, was an Apsley, a town where they had been seated before the Conquest, and ever since continued, till of late the last heir male of that eldest house, being the son of Sir Edward Apsley, is dead without issue, and his estate gone with his sister's, daughters into other families," &c.

Her father, Sir Allen Apsley, was knighted by K. James, and afterwards procured the office of Victualler of the Navy, "a place then both of credit and great revenue." His third wife was Lucy daughter of Sir John St. John of Lydiard-Tregoz in Wiltshire; by whom he had, among other children, this his eldest daughter. Her father was afterwards Lieutenant of the Tower, and died in May 1630, æt. 63, leaving his widow surviving, who died at her daughter's house at Owthorpe, in 1659.

"After

"After my mother had had three sons," continnes the memoir-writer," she was very desirous of a daughter; and when the women at my birth told her that I was one, she received me with a great deal of joy; and the nurses fancying, because I had more complexion and favour than is usual in so young children, that I should not live, my mother became fonder of me, and more endeavoured to nurse me. As soon as I was weaned, a French woman was taken to be my dry nurse, and I was taught to speak French and English together. My mother, while she was with child of me, dreamed that she was walking in the garden with my father, and that a star came down into her hand, with other circumstances, which, though I have often heard, I minded not enough to remember perfectly; only my father told her that her dream signified she should have a daughter of some extraordinary eminency for my father and mother, fancying me then beautiful, and more than ordinarily apprehensive, applied all their cares, and spared no cost to improve me in my education, which procured me the admiration of those that flattered my parents. By that time I was four years old I read English perfectly, and having a great memory, I was carried to sermons, and while I was very young could remember and repeat them so exactly, and being caressed, the love of praise tickled me, and made me attend more heedfully. When I was about 7 years of age, I remember I had at one time 8 tutors in several qualities, languages, musick, dancing, writing, and needlework, but my genius was quite averse from all but my book; and that I was so eager of, that my mother, thinking it prejudiced my health, would moderate me in it; yet this rather animated me,

than

a

thap kept me back, and every moment I could steal fom my play I would employ in any book I could find, when my own were lockt up from me. After dinner and supper I still had an hour allowed me to play, and then I would steal into some hole or other to read. My father would have me learn Latin, and I was so apt that I outstript my brothers, who were at school, although my father's chaplain who was my tutor was a pitiful dull fellow. My brothers, who had deal of wit, had some emulation at the progress great I made in my learning, which very well pleased my father, though my mother would have been contented, I had not so wholly addicted myself to that as to neglect my other qualities: as for music and dancing I profited very little in them, and would never practise my lute or harpsicords but when my masters were with me; and for my needle I absolutely hated it; play among other children I despised, and when I was forced to entertain such as came to visit me, I tired them with more grave instruction than their mothers, and pluckt all their babies to pieces, and kept the children in such awe, that they were glad when I entertained myself with elder company, to whom I was very acceptable; and living in the house with many persons that had a great deal of wit, and very profitable serious discourses being frequent at my father's table, and in my mother's drawing-room, I was very attentive to all, and gathered up things that. I would utter again to great admiration of many, that took my memory and imitation for wit. It pleased God that through the good instructions of my mother, and the sermons she carried me to, I was convinced that the' knowledge

knowledge of God was the most excellent study, and accordingly applied myself to it, and to practise as I was taught: I used to exhort my mother's maids much, and to turn their idle discourses to good subjects; but I thought, when I had done this on the Lord's day, and every day performed my due tasks of reading and praying, that then I was free to any thing that was not sin, for I was not at that time convinced of the vanity of conversation which was not scandalously wicked. I thought it no sin to learn or hear witty and amorous sonnets or poems, and twenty things of that kind, wherein I was so apt that I became the confidant in all the loves that were managed among my mother's young women, and there was none of them but had many lovers, and some particular friends beloved above the rest."

Mr. Hutchinson having "tried a little the study of the law, but finding it unpleasant and contrary to his genius, and the plague that spring beginning to drive people out of town," retired to the house of his musicmaster at Richmond, "where the Prince's Court was, and where was very good company and recreations, the King's hawks being kept near the place, and several other conveniences." Having communicated this to a friend the gentleman bid him take heed of the place, for it was so fatal for love, that never any young disengaged person went thither, who returned again free."

Mr. Hutchinson found there" a great deal of good young company, and many ingenuous persons, that by reason of the Court, where the young Princes were bred, entertained themselves in that place,

and

and had frequent resort to the house, where Mr. Hutchinson tabled: the man being a skilful composer in music, the rest of the King's musicians often met at his house to practise new airs and prepare them for the King, and divers of the gentlemen and ladies that were affected with music, came thither to hear; others that were not, took that pretence to entertain themselves with the company. Mr. Hutchinson was soon courted into their acquaintance and invited to their houses, where he was nobly treated with all the attractive arts that young women and their parents use to procure them lovers, but though some of them were very handsome, others wealthy, witty, and well-qualified; all of them set out with all the gaiety and bravery, that vain women put on to set themselves off, yet Mr. Hutchinson could not be entangled in any of their fine snares; but without any taint of incivility, in such a way of handsome raillery, reproved their pride and vanity, as made them ashamed of their glory, and vexed that he alone, of all the young gentlemen that belonged to the court or neighbourhood, should be insensible of their charms.

"In the same house with him, there was a younger daughter of Sir Allen Apsley, late Lieutenant of the Tower, tabled for the practice of her lute, till the return of her mother, who was gone into Wiltshire for the accomplishment of a treaty that had been made some progress in, about the marriage of her elder daughter with a gentleman of that country, out of which my lady herself came, and where her brothers, Sir John St. John and Sir Edward Hungerford, living in great honour and reputation, had invited her to a visit of them.