greate deale of witt, had some emulation at the progresse I made in my learn ing, which very well pleas'd my father, tho' my mother would have bene contented, I had not so 11·holly addicted myselfe to that as to neglect my other quallities: as for musick and dancing I profited very little in them, and would never practise my lute or harpsicords but when my masters were with me; and for my needle I absolutely hated it; play among other children I despis'd, and when I was forc'd to entertaine such as came to visitt me, I ti1~d them with more grave instructions then their mothers, and pluckt all their babies to pieces, and kept the children in such awe, that they were glad when I entertain'd myselfe with elder company; to whom I was very acceptable, and living in the house with many persons that had a great deale of wilt; and very profitable serious discourses being frequ<::nt at my father's table and in my mother's drawing roome, I was very attentive to all, and gather'd up things that I would utter againe to greate admiration of many that tooke my memory and imitation for wiLt. It pleas'd God that thro' the good instructions of my mother, and the sermons she carried me to, I was convinc'd that the knowledge of God was the most excellent study, and accordingly applied mysclfe to it, and to practise as I was taught: I us' cl to exhort my mother's maides much, and to turne their idle discourses to ..good subjects; but I thought, when I had done this on the Lord's day, and every day· perform'd my due taskes of reading and praying, that then I was ft'ee to anie thing that was not sin, for I was not at that time convinc'd of the vanity of conversation which was not scandalously wicked, I thought it no sin to learne or hcare wi ttie songs and amorous sonnetts or poems, and twenty things of that kind, wherein I was so apt that I became the confident in all the loves that were managed among my mother's young weomen, and there ·was none of them but had many lovers and som·c particular friends belov' cl above the rest; among these I D
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