APPENDIX. The following Account of the Family of Mrs. THOMAS, the Miftrefs of CROMWELL, who fold POPE'S LETTERS which were first published, was transcribed by D. P. OKEDEN, Efq. from a Manuscript in the leaf of a book in Trinity College Library, Cambridge. As it is curious, it is prefented to the Reader in its native fimplicity. This account is literally as follows. -Of the truth of it I can fay nothing, or of the time or perfon when, and by whom, it was written. MRS. RS. THOMAS, the mother of Corinna, was born in the year 1675. Her father died when he was two years old; and her mother, not finding her pecuniary circumstances such as she had reason to expect, fold her house, and retired with her daughter to country-lodgings. In the fame town lived Dr. Glyffon, at that time (1683) one hundred years of age, with a found judgment, and a clear and retentive memory. The Doctor frequently vifited Mrs. Thomas, and once in her prefence drew on, with great appearance of respect, a pair of rich Spanish leather gloves, fringed and embossed with gold. Mrs. T. could not help expreffing her curiofity to know the hiftory of these gloves. He answered, " Madam, I venerate these gloves; for the last time I had the honour of approaching my Royal Mistress, Queen Elizabeth, fhe pulled them from her own Royal hands, faying, Here, Glyffon, wear them for my fake. I have done fo, and never drew them on but when I had a mind to honour those 1 visited; and fince you love the memory of my Royal Miftrefs, take them, and preferve them carefully, when I am gone." The Doctor then prefented the gloves to Mrs. Thomas, and died in a few days. Deprived of this friend, Mrs. Thomas was without a companion; and having formed an intimacy with a physician, was by him cheated out of 300l. on pretence of profecuting the discovery of the philofopher's ftone. Afhamed of having reduced her fortune, and impoverished her children, by this wild fcheme, Mrs. T. returned to London, and, by the advice of the Duke of Montague, took a house, and let a part of it as lodgings. Tired of this line of life, fhe applied to the Duke, and ftated that her mind was above the dealings with occafional tenants, and that unless fhe could let her house to one family, the should refign it. "I take you at your word," faid his Grace, " and I will become your fole tenant: nay, don't fmile, for I am in earnest; I love a little more freedom than I can enjoy at home, and may come fometimes and eat a bit of mutton, with four or five honeft fellows whofe company I delight in." The bargain was ftruck, and his Grace was to pass for a Mr. Freeman of Hertfordshire. In a few days he ordered a dinner for his friends Jack, Tom, Will, and Ned, as his Grace called them. They came at the time appointed; but how furprifed was the widow when the faw the Duke of Devonshire, the Lords Buckingham and Dorfet, and Sir William Dutton Colt, under those feigned names. After After feveral meetings at this Lady's houfe, the noble perfons, having a high idea of her integrity, intrufted her with the grand fecret, which was nothing lefs than the project for the REVOLUTION. The REVOLUTION being effected, the Noblemen quitted Mrs. Thomas's houfe with great promises of providing for her but, alas! courtly promifes have no foundation, and they thought no more of their zealous landlady. The Duke of Montague, indeed, made offers of service, and being Captain of the Band of Penfioners, promised to provide for a Mr. Gwynnet, who at that time paid his addreffes to Mrs. Thomas's daughter, on condition that she facrificed her honour; but this infult was rejected with disdain. This daughter of Mrs. Thomas was the Corinna of Pope; a name originally given her by Dryden. She was courted in marriage by Mr. Gwynnet of the Middle Temple, and had the magnanimity to refuse his first propofal, on the score of her impoverished and perplexed circumstances. Mr. Gwynnet, however, having obtained a part of his paternal estate, renewed his addreffes; but her mother being then in a weak state of health, Corinna declared she could not leave her, and begged a delay of fix months; adding, that as fhe had waited fixteen years for Mr. Gwynnet, he could not think fix months long to wait for her. He replied with a deep figh, "Six months, my Corinna! is more now, than fixteen years have been. You put it off now, and God will put it off for ever!" It proved as he had foretold he next day went into the country, fickened, made his will, and died April 16, 1711; leaving his Corinna a bequest of 600l. : After the death of her lover, fhe was barbarously used: his brother fifled the will, which compelled her to have recourse to law. After much delay, fhe agreed to a compofition, and confented to receive 200l. instantly, and 2001. at the end of a year. The first payment was made; EE 4 made; but when the fecond became due, Mr. G. the elder refused to comply. She again had recourse to law; and after paying the expences attending her law-fuit, fhe only cleared from her fecond 200l. the fum of 131. 16s. Her creditors now became clamorous, and Corinna was hurried to gaol by the treachery of a falfe friend. Amongst her other misfortunes, fhe laboured under the difpleasure of Mr. Pope, who placed her in his Dunciad, as Curll's Corinna. Mr. Pope once paid her a vifit, in company with Henry Cromwell, Efq. whofe Letters by accident fell into her hands, with fome of Pope's Anfwers. After Mr. Cromwell's death, Curll found means to wheedle them from her, and printed them: this fo enraged Pope, that he never forgave her. Some few months after her releafe from prifon, Corinna took a small lodging in Fleet-ftreet, where the died, Feb. 3, 1730, aged 56; and was two days after buried in St. Bride's church. Some Poems, written by her, were published after her death by Curll; and two volumes of Letters, that paffed between her and Mr. Gwynnet. * Pope, fo far from paying her a vifit once, was very intimate with her; as appears from one of his Letters, where he speaks of being at Bath with her, by the name of Mrs. T. The idea of the Revolution being fettled in Mrs. Thomas's lodging is ridiculous; but the perfons mentioned, the Duke of Devonshire, Lord Dorfet, the Duke of Montague (evidently meant for Montagu Duke of Manchefter), were deeply concerned. Sir William Colt was appointed Envoy by William to Hanover. See Letters to him, in Tindal's Continuation. Lord Bucking ham means Sheffield Earl of Mulgrave, created afterwards Duke of Buckingham in 1703. He had most likely confiderable share in the Revolution, as he was made Privy Counsellor immediately on the acceffion of William. Mrs. Thomas, fpeaking of him when he was Duke of Buckingham, naturally calls him by his then title. It is likewise remarkable, and a corroboration of the above, that Mrs. Thomas calls the Duke of Devonshire by that title, though he was, at the time alluded to, only Earl of Devon fhire, and not created Duke till 1694. 8 To |