MR. LOVELACE, TO JOHN BELFORD, ESQ.
MAY 24.
The devil take this uncle of mine! He has at last sent me a letter which
I cannot show, without exposing the head of our family for a fool. A
confounded parcel of pop-guns has he let off upon me. I was in hopes he
had exhausted his whole stock of this sort in his letter to you.--To keep
it back, to delay sending it, till he had recollected all this farrago of
nonsense--confound his wisdom of nations, if so much of it is to be
scraped together, in disgrace of itself, to make one egregious simpleton!
--But I am glad I am fortified with this piece of flagrant folly,
however; since, in all human affairs, the convenient are so mingled, that
there is no having the one without the other.
I have already offered the bill enclosed in it to my beloved; and read to
her part of the letter. But she refused the bill: and, as I am in cash
myself, I shall return it. She seemed very desirous to peruse the whole
letter. And when I told her, that, were it not for exposing the writer,
I would oblige her, she said, it would not be exposing his Lordship to
show it to her; and that she always preferred the heart to the head. I
knew her meaning; but did not thank her for it.
All that makes for me in it I will transcribe for her--yet, hang it, she
shall have the letter, and my soul with it, for one consenting kiss.
***
She has got the letter from me without the reward. Deuce take me, if I
had the courage to propose the condition. A new character this of
bashfulness in thy friend. I see, that a truly modest woman may make
even a confident man keep his distance. By my soul, Belford, I believe,
that nine women in ten, who fall, fall either from their own vanity or
levity, or for want of circumspection and proper reserves.
***
I did intend to take my reward on her returning a letter so favourable
to us both. But she sent it to me, sealed up, by Dorcas. I might have
thought that there were two or three hints in it, that she would be too
nice immediately to appear to. I send it to thee; and here will stop,
to give thee time to read it. Return it as soon as thou hast perused it.