_Abimelech Henley to Sir Arthur St. Ives, Baronet_
_Wenbourne-Hill_
Most Onnurable Sir, my ever onnurd Master,
I do hear of strange queerums and quicksets, that have a bin trap laid
for your ever gracious onnur, and for the mercifool lovin kindness of
sweet missee. Whereof I be all in a quandary, for it do seem I wus
within an ames ace of a havin bin chouse flickur'd meself. Whereby I
paradventerd before to tell your noble onnur my poor thofts on this
here Mr. Clifton match marriage, which is all against the grain. And
this I do hope your ever onnurable onnur will pry into, and see with
your own eyes.
Whereof I have a bin ruminatin of many thinks lately, and of the ups
and downs of life, so that I should sing oh be joyfool if as your onnur
would but turn them in your thofts, as I have done. Whereby my son has
a bin down with me; and I do find that sooth and trooth he be verily a
son of my own begettin; and thof I say it a man may be proud of sitch a
son; and as your ever gracious onnur wus most mercifooly pleased to
sifflicate, a wus born a gentleman, for a has his head fool and fool of
fine notions.
Whereby if your onnurable onnur will but a be pleased to lend a
mercifool ear to me, why mayhap I should a be willin to come down with
the kole to your onnur's heart's content. Why not? For I have a talked
matters over with my son, and a has said a many glorious thinks of your
onnur and of sweet mercifool missee, all a witch a learned from me. For
why? He is my own son, and of the issue of my loins, and I did always
giv'n the best of advice. A had his whole feedin and breedin from me,
and as a wus always fain to be a man of learnin why I taught him his
letters meself; whereof I have now reason to be proud of 'n.
But that is not whereof of a what I wus a goin to think to say. I wus
about to paradventer to proposal to your onnur that, if thinks might
behappen to come to pass in the manner of mercifool lovin kindness and
gracious condysension, the wherewithalls should a be forth cummin to
the tune of fifty thousand pounds: that is with the betokenin of all
proper securities of parchments and deeds and doosoors to be first
signed and stipilated, as heretofore have bin on like future occasions.
Take me ritely, your onnur; I mean for the twenty thousand pounds. For
why? I meself will be so all bountifool as to come down on the nail
head with thirty thousand for my son. And then we shall see who will be
a better gentleman, as your onnurable onnur wus most graciously pleased
to kappaishus him?
Whereby Wenbourne Hill would then be in all its glory; and mayhap your
ever gracious onnur might in sitch a case again go on with your
improofments. And who can say but the wildurness might a begin to
flourish? So that if your noble onnur will but think of that, why
thinks may behappen to begin to take a new turn, and there may be mirth
and merry days again at Wenbourne Hill. For I do know in your heart
your onnur do lamentation the loss of all your fine taste, and elegunt
ideers, and plans, and alterations; all of a witch have a bin so many
years a carryin on and a compassin at Wenbourne Hill.
Whereof I umbelly condysend to intreat your noble onnur would a give
these thinks a thinkin. For why? The lawyers might a then be stoptt,
and a spoke might a behappen to be put in the wheel of the
foreclosures; witch if not, as your noble onnur already knows, may not
a turn out to be altogether quite so agreeable, unless your ever
gracious and onnurable onnur should be so all mercifool as to rite to
me; whereof I could then give them the whys and the wherefores, and all
thinks would be smooth and smilin.
I besiege your most noble onnur to ponderate mercifooly of these
thinks, and of a dockin of the entail, and of a settin of the deeds of
the lawyers to work. Whereby every think may in sitch a case be made
safe and secure, not forgettin Wenbourne Hill; and the willdurness, and
mayhap the hermuttidge, and the grotto. For why, your noble onnur?
Where one fifty thousand pound be a forth cummin from, another may a
behappen to be found. But that's a nether here nor there, a savin and
exceptin the death and mortality of man, and the resurrection of the
just and of the repentin sinner in all grace and glory.
And so I most umbelly remain, with the thanks givin of goodness, your
onnur's most faithfool umbel sarvent everlastin to command,