LETTER LX. For yr dear self. BOTH DEARLY KYND AND CRUELL NEECE, You feast me so with choyce excesse of kyndnis, I am torn'd epicure: upon your conscience bee itt. Every line of yours is such a severall daynty dishe I can not feede on it without glottony: God forgive you. You seeme to raigne as queene of love, say, doe, what none els can; shoote arrows wher you please, wound, and heale att once, whilest I, lyke som poore slave, looke on, admire, receive your favours with blushes, and with ioy. Burne in my hart with love, yet dar not speake of itt, because tis naked, and can not apeare. It wants all yr advantages of power to sett it forth but glory not too much; for ther is great complaynts of yr government. You violently rob'd a preist of all the treasure of his love: he has not so much as a graine, to bestow upon his poore sister heer att Lovaine; but kynd providence has given her better fortune in loves trafick, then her brother bankerot;* for though she spent att Lovaing as much as he could loose att London, she fynds itt an unexhausted treasure, and if but wysely lay'd out, the comings in inritch beyounde expression. Arithmatick cannot coumpt the dear satisfactions which true worth renders to its lovers. Thus you crowen the most sencire, constant, cordiall love of Dearly kynd neece, Yr poor and infinitly oblig'd ante, W. THIMELby. My thancks can no wayes reach yr bounty. My debt so great nothing but love can crosse the score. * From the French banqueroute, bankrupt. LETTER LXI.* DEARE UNCLE, AFTER the good purposes, and strong resolutions, which I think, if I can remember so long agoe, my last did expres, I would by no meanes have you think it, all to gether the ould neglegence; or what is worse, ill youmer : but that I have bine so holy taken up with the gaity of the French, that I have not time for so seriose imploiment as righting; this, perhaps, you may think but a new excuse; but when you reflect that you wisht it, you will not, I hope, repent if I am so conversed. I am only sorry to hear no better newse of my country; + *This, and the three next letters, are from Eliza Cottington to Herbert Aston, who had married her aunt Catherine Thimelby. † By this, I imagine, an allusion is meant to the dissolute manners which prevailed in England during the reign of Charles II, and I wish they had some of the good example which is hear: at least Madame Lavalier is. more then pretended; for she gos through all the rigor of the order as much as any one. But there is a lady in Queen-street, says, all ar not bound to be Lavaliers. I must beg her pardon, if I think all that have done like her aught, and that she can sattisfy no other way. I doe not doubt but you will be of the same opinion. When shall I hear your dear child is hapyly bestowed? That were something I should rejoyce at indeed; but she deserves so well, I must confes I know no man worthy enouf. Had she * This Lady was the celebrated Madame de la Valliere, first mistress of Lewis XIV. She afterwards became a nun, and composed a pious book, which was translated by. Mrs Charlotte Lenox, and published in 1774, with this title: "Meditations, and Penitential Prayers, written by the celebrated Duchess de la Valliere, mistress of Lewis XIV. of France, after a recovery from a dangerous illness, when she first formed the resolution of quitting the Court, and devoting herself to a religious life." Madame Genlis has published an Historical Romance, entitled, "La Duchesse de la Valliere," which is one of the best and most interesting of her numerous works. |