The Witch and the Maid of Honour Author:Witch General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1799 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: PREFACE. Pray, Sir, in all the reading which you have ever read, did you ever read fuch a book, as Locke's Effay upon the Human Under ft anding? -- Don't anfwer me rafhly ; becaufe many, I know, quote the book who have not read it; and many have read it who underftand it not. If cither of thefe be your cafe, as I write to inftrudT, I will tell you in three words what the book is: it is a Hiftory. -- " A " Hiftory ! of who ? what ? where ? " when?" -- Don't hurry yourfelf; it 5 a hiftory book, Sir, (which may pof- fibly recommend it to the world,) of what pafles in a man's own mind ; and if you will fay fo much of the book, and no more, believe me, you will cut no contemptible figure in a metaphyfical circle. -- But this . by the way. Now AND THE MAID OF HONOUR. Lord Harrington, of Exton, a remarkably handforne man, with good fenfe and found morals, poflefled all the accomplifhments of a gentleman ; he had ready wit, and was one of the brighteft ornaments of th e court of Elizabeth. This nobleman was delperately in love with Ifabella Markham, one of her rnajefty's maids of honour. My lord fighed and made verfes; the lady was very referved; and the queen kept a ftrict eye upon them j for, as fhe preferreda life of celibacy herfelf, fhe was not pleafed when thofe about her entered the marriage ftate. This affair was therefore carried on flowly; and the queen growing old and daily declining, her great mind and good difpofition loft their powers : the firft degenerated into weaknefs, and the latter into fretfulnefs; fo much fo indeed, that thofe of her attendants who had been accuftomed to her former ...« less