nd the
obsequiousness; and that, were the rake as much used to them as the
husband is, he would be [and is to his own wife, if married] as
indifferent to their favours, as their husbands are; and the husband, in
his turn, would, to another woman, be the rake. Let the women, upon the
whole, take this lesson from a Lovelace--'Always to endeavour to make
themselves as new to a husband, and to appear as elegant and as obliging
to him, as they are desirous to appear to a lover, and actually were to
him as such; and then the rake, which all women love, will last longer in
the husband, than it generally does.'

But to return:--If I have not sufficiently cleared my conduct to thee in
the above; I refer thee once more to mine of the 13th of last month.*
And pr'ythee, Jack, lay me not under a necessity to repeat the same
things so often. I hope thou readest what I write more than once.

* See Vol. II. Letter XIV.

I am not displeased that thou art so apprehensive of my resentment, that
I cannot miss a day without making thee uneasy. Thy conscience, 'tis
plain, tells thee, that thou has deserved my displeasure: and if it has
convinced thee of that, it will make thee afraid of repeating thy fault.
See that this be the consequence. Else, now that thou hast told me how I
can punish thee, it is very likely that I do punish thee by my silence,
although I have as much pleasure in writing on this charming subject, as
thou canst have in reading what I write.

When a boy, if a dog ran away from me through fear, I generally looked
about for a stone, or a stick; and if neither offered to my hand, I
skinned my hat after him to make him afraid for something. What
signifies power, if we do not exert it?

Let my Lord know, that thou hast scribbled to me. But give him not the
contents of thy epistle. Though a parcel of crude stuff, he would think
there was something in it. Poor arguments will do, when brought in
favour of what we like. But the stupid peer little thinks that this lady
is a rebel to Love. On the contrary, not only he, but all the world
believe her to be a volunteer in his service.--So I shall incur blame,
and she will be pitied, if any thing happen amiss.

Since my Lord's heart is set upon this match, I have written already to
let him know, 'That my unhappy character had given my beloved an
ungenerous diffidence of me. That she is so mother-sick and father-fond,
that she had rather return to Harlowe-place than