great by her pen, as you may (ex pede Herculem) discover by that little[XXVIII.] tast of it the world hath been happy in, the hasty fruit of one or two interrupted houres after supper, which she professed to me, with a little regret, when she was surprised with it's sliding into the world without her knowledge, or allowance, and wholly beside her expectation;
[XXVIII.] Her ladyship's Pious Meditations.
great by being the greatest mistresse and promotress, not to say the foundress and inventress, of a new science—the art of obliging; in which she attain'd that sovereign perfection, that she reigned over all their hearts with whom she did converse;
great in her nobleness of living and hospitality;
great in the unparallelld sincerity of constant, faithfull, condescending friendship, and for that law of kindness which dwelt in her lips and heart;
great in her dexterity of management;
great in her quick apprehension of the difficulties of her affaires, and where the stress and pinch lay, to untie the knot, and loose and ease them;
great in the conquest of herselfe;
great in a thousand things beside, which the world admires as such: but she despised them all, and counted them but loss and dung in comparison of the feare of God, and the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus.'