LONDON:
HENRY G. BOHN, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN.

THE

FORTUNATE MISTRESS;

OR, A

HISTORY

OF THE

LIFE

AND
VAST VARIETY OF FORTUNES

OF

Mademoiselle de Beleau,

AFTERWARDS CALL'D
THE COUNTESS DE WINTSELSHEIM,

IN G E R M A N Y.

Being the Person known by the Name of the LADY

Roxana, in the Time of King Charles II.

LONDON:
Printed for T. Warner at the Black-Boy in Pater-

Noster-Row; W. Meadows at the Angel in Corn-
hil; W. Pepper at the Crown in Maiden-Lane,
Covent-Garden; S. Harding at the Post-House
in St. Martin's Lane; and T. Edlin at the Prince's
Arms against Exeter-Exchange in the Strand.

1724.

TIIE PREFACE.

The history of this beautiful lady is to speak for itself; if it is not as beautiful as the lady herself is reported to be; if it is not as diverting as the reader can desire, and much more than he can reasonably expect, and if all the most diverting parts of it are not adapted to the instruction and improvement of the reader, the relator says it must be from the defect of his performance ; dressing up the story in worse clothes than the lady whose words he speaks, prepared for the world.

He takes the liberty to say, that this story differs from most of the modern performances of this kind, though some of them have met with a very good reception in the world. I say, it differs from them in this great and essential article, namely, that the foundation of this is laid in truth of fact; and so the work is not a story, but a history.

The scene is laid so near the place where the main part of it was transacted, that it was necessary to conceal names and persons; lest what cannot be yet entirely forgot in that part of the town should be remembered, and the facts traced back too plainly by the many people yet living, who would know the persons by the particulars. It is not always necessary that the names of

persons should be discovered, though the history may be many ways useful; and if we should be always obliged to name the persons, or not to relate the story, the consequence might be only this: —that many a pleasant and delightful history would be