_Abimelech Henley to Sir Arthur St. Ives_
_Wenbourne-Hill_
Most onnurable Sir, my ever onnurd Master,
Your onnur has a thrown me quite into a quandry! I couldn't have thoft
it! For why? My thofts were all in the mercifool praise and
glorification of your onnur; and I had a done nothink but say how good
and gracious your onnur had a bin, to me and mine. But I do find, a
savin and exceptin your ever onnurable onnur, 'tis all a gull queerum!
Whereof the face of affairs is quite transmogrified! And so, ast for
raisin the wind of twenty thousand pounds, I find the think is neither
komparissuble nur a parallel to common sense. For why? It is not to be
had. A man's money is his own, your onnur; and when a has got it,
there's as good law for he as for a dooke. Always a savin and exceptin
your most exceptionable onnur, as in duty boundin. For as I wus a
sayin, your onnur, when a man has a got the super nakullums, who shall
take it from him? Because why, it is his own.
If so be as the whats and the whys and the wherefores had a bin a forth
cummin, why then the shiners might a seen the light of day, mayhap. But
a man's son, why a's his son; a's his own; a's his goods and chattels,
and law and rite; bein of the race of his own begettin, feedin, and
breedin. Whereby I cannot but say, love me love my dog. Always a savin
and exceptin your onnurable onnur, as aforesaid.
And ast for the rhino, why some do save, and some do spend, and some do
hold, and some do let go, and some do have, and some do want. Whereupon
if so be as he as a has the most a may be as good as another. Why not?
Always a savin and exceptin your ever onnurable onnur, as aforesaid.
But when so be as a man has the wherewithalls, why a let him begin to
hold up his head, I say. Why not? For why? It is the omnum gathurum
that makes the man. And if I do a doff my hat to my betters, there a be
and a bin the whats and the whys and the wherefores for it. But I can a
doff my hat, or I can a keep it on my head; and mayhap a can begin to
look my betters in the face, as well as another. Why not? Always a
savin and exceptin your ever exceptionable onnur, as in duty boundin.
And ast for famalies and names, I axes nothink about they. A tell me
who has the most kole! I axes that! Mayhap Henley may be as good a name
as Clifton. And ast for famalies, why it is notorious that Adam and Eve
wus the begettin of us all; always a savin and exceptin your onnurable
onnur. Whereof a there's an end of that.
Whereby your onnurable onnur wus a menshinnin the mortgages; and of a
seem of every think a treeved and settled, afore your onnur do die. But
as thinks do be likely to turn out, why every man for himself, and God
for us all. There be foreclosures mayhap, that a be to be thoft of. For
why? There a be wheels within wheels.
If so be indeed as if thinks had a turned up trumps, why then ay, it
would a bin summut; all smooth and go softly, and there might a
behappened to be sunshine and fair weather at Wenbourne-Hill. For why?
Every think would then a bin clear and above board. Thinks would a then
a bin safe and sure to all sides; and your onnurable onnur would mayhap
a seen that your onnur would a lost nothink by the bargain. For why?
Missee my younk lady might a paradventered to have had all, in the
upshot; and an ever gracious and glorious and mercifool my younk lady
missee she would a then a bin. Whereby as matters be likely to turn
out, why thinks must a take their course. Thof a mayhap folks may go
further and fare worse. Whereof if so be as lives have a bin saved, by
land and by water, and a man's son is thoft to be somebody, why mayhap
a may not a take it so kindly to be chouse flickurd.
For my part, I thoft as thof all thinks had a bin as good as settled;
and that in all partikillers missee my younk lady, of ever mercifool
affability, would a bin left to please herself. Why not? When precious
lives have a bin saved, and when there a bin shootins, and leapins, and
swimmins, and sousins, I say as aforesaid, why that's a summut; and a
man's own son mayhap won't a like to be flamdudgind.
And so as to mortgages to be paid off, your onnurable onnur, why mayhap
that's a sooner said nur done. For I say as aforesaid, that it seems as
if whereby, if it had not a bin for some folks, some folks would a now
a bin in their salt water graves: always a savin and exceptin your ever
exceptionable onnur, as in duty boundin. Whereby take me ritely, your
onnurable onnur, I means nothink amiss. If thinks be a skew whift, why
it be no fault of mine. It is always a savin and exceptin of your
onnurable onnur: being as I be ready to glorify to the whole world of
all your futur lovin kindness of blessins of praise, a done and a
testified to me and mine.
Whereof as to frippery jerry my gingle red coats and cockades, why they
be nothink of my seekin. For why? They be the betokens of the warnins
of the signs of the bloody cross of antichrist, and the whore of
Babilon, and of the dispensation of the kole, and the squitter
squanderin of the wherewithalls, and the supernakullums. Whereby an
honest man's son may become to be bamboozild, and addle brained, and
foistee fubbd, belike, as finely as his neighbours. So that if so be as
I have a bin a ponderaitin that there a be nothink to be got by it.
Always a savin and exceptin of the blessins of praise, and mercifool
glory, of your ever exceptionable onnurable onnur's lovin kindness, and
goodness; and every think of that there umbel and very submissive
obedient kind, as in duty boundin.
Witch is all at present, beginnin and endin to the everlastin power of
almighty joys eternal; umbelly beggin leave to superscribe meself.