vast French Romances. These are the vast Prospects from the Friendship and Alliance of France, which he satyrically calls Romances, hinting thereby, that these Promises and Protestations were no more to be relied on than those idle Legends. Of these he is said to build an Altar; to intimate, that all the Foundation of his Schemes and Honours was fix'd upon the French Romances abovementioned.
A Fan, a Garter, Half a Pair of Gloves.
One of the things he sacrifices is a Fan, which both for its gaudy Show and perpetual Flutt'ring, has been made the Emblem of Woman. This points at the Change of the Ladies of the Bedchamber; the Garter alludes to the Honours he conferr'd on some of his Friends; and we may without straining the Sense, call the Half Pair of Gloves, a Gauntlet; the Token of those Military Employments, which he is said to have sacrificed to his Designs. The Prize, as I said before, means the T———y, which he makes it his Prayers soon to obtain, and long to possess.
The rest the Winds dispers'd in empty Air.
In
