to let you know how foon I propofe to be out of Pain, two Days hence I leave this Place, in order to my Journey towards London; and may I then be but as happy as your Kindness can make me, I shall have but very little room either for Envy or Ambition. Madam, LETTER XL. I Found you in a chiding Humour To-day, and fo I left you; To-morrow I hope for better Luck till when, neither you, nor any you can employ, fhall know whether I am under or above Ground, therefore lie ftill, and fatisfy yourfelf, that you are not, nor can be half fo kind to Mrs. as I am. Madam, MY LETTER XLI. Y Faults are fuch, as, among reasonable People, will ever find Excufe; but to you I will make none, you are fo very full of Mystery: I believe you make your Court with good Suc cefs, at least I wish it; and as the kindeft thing I can fay, do affure you, you fhall never be my Pattern, either in Good-nature or Friendship, for I will be after my own Rate, not yours, Your bumble Servant. LET. LETTER XLII. Madam, IAM far from delighting in the Grief I have given you, by taking away the Child; and you, who made it fo abfolutely neceffary for me to do so, must take that Excufe from me, for all the Ill-nature of it: on the other fide, pray be affur'd, I love Betty fo well, that you need not apprehend any Neglect from thofe I employ; and I hope very thortly to reftore her to you a finer Girl than ever. In the mean time you would do well to think of the Advice I gave you, for how little Shew foever my Prudence makes in my own Affairs, in yours it will prove very fuc cessful, if you pleafe to follow it; and fince Dif cretion is the Thing alone you are like to want pray ftudy to get it. I LETTER XLIII. Madam, Came to Town late laft Night, tho' Time enough to receive News from the King very furprifing, you being chiefly concern'd in't: I muft beg that I may speak with you this Morning, at ten o' Clock; I will not fail to be at your Door: the Affair is unhappy, and to me on many Scores, but on none more, than that it has difturb'd the Heaven of Thought I was in, to think, after fo long an Abfence, I had liv'd to be again bleft with feeing my deareft dear, Mrs. LET LETTER Madam, XLIV. To the SA M E. IAM forc'd at laft to own, that 'tis very un eafy to me to live fo long without hearing a Word of you, especially when I reflect how illnatured the World is to pretty Women, and what Occafion you may have for their Service. Befides, I am unfatisfied yet, why that inconfiderable Service you gave me leave to do you, and which I left pofitive Orders for when I came away, was left unperform'd; and if the Omiffion reflect upon my Servant or myself, that I might punish the one, and clear the other. I have often wifh'd, I know not why, but I think for your fake more than my own, that Mrs. might forget me quite: but I find it would trouble me of all things, fhould fhe think ill of me, or remember me to hate me, but whenever the would make me happy; if the can yet with me fo, let her command fome real Service, and my Obedience will prove the beft Reward my Hopes can aim at. XLV. LETTER Madam, MY Vifit Yesterday was intended to tell you, I had not dined in Company of Women, which (tho' for a certain Reason I could not very well exprefs with Words) was however fufficiently made appear, fince you could not be fo very ill-natur'd to make fevere Reflections upon me when I was gone. Were Men without Frailties, how would you bring it about to make 'em love you fo blindly as they do. I cannot yet imagine what Fault you could find in my Love-letter; certainly 'twas full of Kindness and Duty to you; and whilst these two Points are kept inviolable, 'tis very hard when you take any thing ill. I fear ftaying at home fo much gives you the Spleen (for I am loth to believe 'tis I) I have therefore fent you the two Plays that are acted this Afternoon; if that Diverfion could put you into fo good a Humour, as to make you able to endure me again, I should be very much oblig'd to the Stage. However, if your Anger continue, fhew yourself at the Play, that I may look upon you, and go mad. Your Revenge is in your own Eyes; and if I must fuffer I would choose that way. XLVI. LETTER Madam, THO' not for real Kindness fake, at least to make your own Words good (which is a Point of Honour proper for a Woman) endeavour to give me fome undeniable Proofs that you love me. If there be any in my Power which I have yet neither given nor offer'd, you must explain yourself; I am perhaps very dull, but withall very fincere: I could wish for your fake, and my own, that your Failings were fuch; but be they what they will, fince I muft love you, allow me the Liberty of telling you fometiines unmannerly Truths, when my Zeal for your Service caufes, causes, and your own Interest requires it: thefe Inconveniencies you must bear with from thofe that love you with greater Regard to you than themselves; fuch a one I pretend to be, and I hope, if you do not believe it, you will in time find it. You have faid fomething that has made me fancy To-morrow will prove a happy Day to me; however, pray let me fee you before you speak with any other Man; there are Reasons for it. Dearest of all my Defires, I expect your Commands. LETTER XLVII. Madam, Have a very juft Quarrel to Bufinefs, upon a thousand Faults, and will now continue it, whilft I live, fince it takes from me fome Hours of your Company. Till two in the Afternoon, I cannot come to you; pity my ill Fortune, and fend me word where I fhall then find you. XLVIII. LETTER Madam, Was just beginning to write you word, that I am the moft unlucky Creature in the World, when your Letter came in, and made me more certain; for you tempt me by defiring me to do the Thing upon Earth I have the most Fondness of, at this time; that is, going with you to Windfor 5 |