16 other circumstances, which, though I have often heard, I minded not enough to remember perfectly; only my father told her, her dreame signified she should have a daughter of some extraordinary eminency; which thing, like such vaine prophecies, wrought as farre as as it could its own accomplishment:' for my father and mother fancying me then beautifull, and more than ordinarily apprehensive, applied all their cares, and spar'd no cost to emproove me in my education, which procur'd me the admiration of those that flatter'd my parents. By ehat time I was foure yeares old I read English perfectly, and having a greate memory, I was carried to sermons, and while I was very young could remember and repeate them exactly, and being caress'd, the love of praise tickled me, and made me attend more heedfully. When I was about 7 yea;es of age, I reniember I had att one time . 8 tutors in severall quallities, languages, musick, dancing, writing, and needlework, but my genius was quite averse from all but my booke, and that I WfJS so eager of, that my mother thinl<ing it preindic'd my health, would moderate me in it; yet this rather animated me then kept me back, and every moment I could steale from my play I would employ in any booke I could find, when my own were lockt up from me. After dinner and supper I still had an bower allow'd me to play, and then I would stcale into some hole or other to read. My father would have me learne Latine, and I was so apt that I outstript my brothers who were at schoole, all though my father's chaplaine that was my tutor was a pittifull dull fellow. My brothers who had a e This is an ingenious way of accounting for the fulfilment of superstitious predictions and expectations, which might frequently with close attention be traced to their source, as is here done. It is clear that in the present case it occasioned a peculiar care to be taken of her education; and this again caused her mind anrl di~position to take that singular stamp which attracted the notice of Mr. Hutchinson, and led her to the highest situation that she could wish for, that of the lady of a counsellor of state in her beloved, bUt short-lived, republic. When the reader shall have followed her to the end of her labors, let him judge whethe1· there could be any situation tp which she was not adequate.
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