istent things?
And must they all be faithless who are Kings?
The gods be prais'd that I was humble born,
Ev'n tho' it renders me my Paris' scorn.
And I had rather this way wretched prove,
Than be a queen, dishonest in my love.

[Footnote 1: Memoirs prefixed to her Novels, by a lady.]

[Footnote 2: Memoires ubi supra.]

[Footnote 3: Memoirs ubi supra.]

[Footnote 4: A noted boxer.]

[Footnote 5: A Turk, famous for his performances on a wire, after the
manner of rope-dancers.]

* * * * *

Sir GEORGE ETHEREGE,

A Celebrated wit in the reign of Charles and James II. He is said to
have been descended of an ancient family of Oxfordshire, and born about
the year 1636; it is thought he had some part of his education at the
university of Cambridge, but in his younger years he travelled into
France, and consequently made no long stay at the university. Upon his
return, he, for some time, studied the Municipal Law at one of the Inns
of Court, in which, it seems, he made but little progress, and like
other men of sprightly genius, abandoned it for pleasure, and the gayer
accomplishments.

In the year 1664 the town was obliged with his first performance for
the stage, entitled the Comical Revenge, or Love in a Tub, the writing
whereof brought him acquainted, as he himself informed us, with the earl
of Dorset, to whom it is by the author dedicated. The fame of this play,
together with his easy, unreserved conversation, and happy address,
rendered him a favourite with the leading wits, such as the duke of
Buckingham, Sir Charles Sedley, the earl of Rochester, Sir Car Scroop.
Being animated by this encouragement, in 1668, he brought another comedy
upon the stage, entitled She Would if She Could; which gained him no
less applause, and it was expected, that by the continuance of his
studies, he would polish and enliven the theatrical taste, and be no
less constant in such entertainments, than the most assiduous of his
cotemporaries, but he was too much addicted to pleasure, and being
impelled by no necessity, he neglected the stage, and never writ, till
he was forced to it, by the importunity of his friends. In 1676, his
last comedy called the Man of Mode, or Sir Fopling Flutter, came on the
stage, with the most extravagant success; he was then a servant to
the beautiful duchess of York, of whom Dryden has this very singular
expression, 'that he does not think, that at the general