position that must be carefully guarded against, or it will prove destructive of her own peace, and her husband's reputation.

A case beautifully illustrating this difficult point in matrimonial relations, occurs in the memoirs of Lady Fanshawe, the wife of Sir Richard Fanshawe, who was a faithful loyalist during the troubles of the civil wars, and after the Restoration ambassador to the courts of Spain and Portugal.

Soon after Lady Fanshawe's marriage, she was instigated by some crafty ladies of the court to obtain from her husband a knowledge of some secret political events; but the whole description of the matter is so beautiful that we give her own words :—

"And now I thought myself a perfect queen, and my husband so glorious a crown, that I more valued myself to be called by his name than born a princess, for I knew him very wise and very good, and his soul doted on me; upon which confidence I will tell you what happened. My Lady Rivers, a brave woman, and one that had suffered many thousand pounds loss for the king, and whom I had a great reverence for, and she a kindness for me as a kinswoman-in discourse she tacitly commended the knowledge

of state affairs, and that some women were very happy in a good understanding thereof, as my Lady Aubigny, Lady Isabel Thynne, and divers others, and yet none was at first more capable than I; that in the night she knew there came a post from Paris from the Queen, and that she would be extremely glad to hear what the Queen commanded the King in order to his affairs; saying, if I would ask my husband privately, he would tell me what he found in the packet, and I might tell her. I that was young and innocent, and to that day had never in my mouth, what news?-began to think there was more in inquiring into public affairs than I thought of, and that it being a fashionable thing, would make me more beloved of my husband, if that had been possible, than I was. When my husband returned home from council, after welcoming him, as his custom ever was he went with his handful of papers into his study for an hour or more; I followed him he turned hastily and said, • What wouldst thou have, my life?' I told him, I heard the Prince had received a packet from the Queen, and I guessed it was that in his hands, and I desired to know what was in it.' He smilingly replied, 'My love,

I will immediately come to thee, pray thee go, for I am very busy.' When he came out of his closet I revived my suit; he kissed me and talked of other things. At supper, I would eat nothing; he as usual sat by me, and drank often to me, which was his custom, and was full of discourse to company that was at table. Going to bed I asked again, and said I could not believe he loved me, if he refused to tell me all he knew; but he answered nothing, but stopped my mouth with kisses. So we went to bed; I cried, and he went to sleep. Next morning early, as his custom was, he was called to rise, but began to discourse with me first; to which I made no reply; he rose, came on the other side of the bed and kissed me, and drew the curtain softly and went to court. When he came home to dinner, he presently came to me as was usual, and when I had him by the hand, I said, "Thou dost not care to see me troubled;' to which he taking me in his arms, answered, My dearest soul, nothing upon earth can afflict me like that; and when you asked me of my business, it was wholly out of my power to satisfy thee, for my life and fortune shall be thine, and every thought of my heart in which the trust

I am in may not be revealed; but my honour is my own, which I cannot preserve if I communicate the Prince's affairs; and pray thee with this answer rest satisfied.' So great was his reason and goodness, that upon consideration it made my folly appear to me so vile, that from that day until the day of his death, I never thought fit to ask him any business but what he communicated freely to me, in order to his estate and family."*

*Memoirs of Lady Fanshawe, p. 67.

CHAPTER IX.

ON THE TREATMENT OF SERVANTS.

"NEXT to your children," says an admired writer, "your servants are your nearest dependents and to promote their good, spiritually as well as temporally, is your indispensable duty. Let them always join your family devotions, and endeavour to make them spend their Sabbath properly."

I have heard an old domestic remark, the worst mistresses a servant ever lived with are young married women. They are unreasonable," said she, "in their commands: they expect too much; nor do they know rightly when to commend or when to blame."

In your manner to your servants, be firm without being severe, and kind without being familiar. Never be in the habit of conversing with them, unless on business, or on