obliged her to explain
herself, upon the point of her refusal. She told her then, that the
duke of Montague had already made an attack upon her, that his designs
were dishonourable; and that if she submitted to ask his grace one
favour, he would reckon himself secure of another in return, which he
would endeavour to accomplish by the basest means. This explanation
was too satisfactory; Who does not see the meanness of such an
ungenerous conduct? He had made use of the mother as a tool, for
carrying on political designs; he found her in distress, and as a
recompence for her service, and under the pretence of mending her
fortune, attempted the virtue of her daughter, and would provide for
her, on no other terms, but at the price of her child's innocence.

In the mean time, the young Corinna, a poetical name given her by Mr.
Dryden, continued to improve her mind by reading the politest authors:
Such extraordinary advances had she made, that upon her sending some
poems to Mr. Dryden, entreating his perusal, and impartial sentiments
thereon, he was pleased to write her the following letter.

Fair CORINNA,

'I have sent your two poems back again, after
having kept them so long from you: They were
I thought too good to be a woman's; some of my
friends to whom I read them, were of the same
opinion. It is not very gallant I must confess to
say this of the fair sex; but, most certain it is,
they generally write with more softness than
strength. On the contrary, you want neither
vigour in your thoughts, nor force in your expression,
nor harmony in your numbers; and me-thinks,
I find much of Orinda in your manner,
(to whom I had the honour to be related, and
also to be known) but I am so taken up with my
own studies, that I have not leisure to descend to
particulars, being in the mean time, the fair
Corinna's

Most humble, and

Most faithful servant
Nov. 12, 1699. JOHN DRYDEN.

Our amiable poetess, in a letter to Dr. Talbot, Bishop of Durham, has
given some farther particulars of her life. We have already seen that
she was addressed upon honourable terms, by Mr. Gwynnet, of the
Middle Temple, son of a gentleman in Gloucestershire. Upon his
first discovering his passion to Corinna, she had honour enough to
remonstrate to him the inequality of their fortune, as her affairs
were then in a very perplexed situation. This objection was soon
surmounted by a lover, especially a