LETTERCII.TO MR. M——.
Sept. 4, 1779.
THELamb[11]just now kindly delivered to theBear[12]theMonkey’s[13]letter.—I am glad at heart that the forced exercise did thy hip no hurt—but that M— of thine—I do not like such faces!—if she is half what she looks, she is too good for any place but heaven, where the hallelujahs are for ever chanting by such cherub-faced sluts as she! Thank God! she is neither daughter nor sister of mine—I should live in perpetual fear.—But why do I plague myself about her? She has a protector in you—and foul befall the being (for no man would attempt it) that wishes to injure her!—Mrs. D—— I could like so well, that I wish to know but very little of her!—strange, but true!—and when you have been disappointed in your schemes of domestic happiness, and deceived in your too hasty-formed judgements tothe age of fifty, as oft as your friend, you will fully enter into any meaning.
She looks open—honest—intelligently sensible—good-natured—easy—polite and kind;—knowledge enough of the world to render her company desireable—and age just sufficient to form her opinions, and fix her principles;—add to all this an agreeable face, good teeth, and a certainJe ne sai quoi(forgive the spelling, and do not betray me):—but I say again, and again—when one has formed a great opinion of either male or female, ’tis best, for that opinion’s sake, to look no further—there, rogue!
I shall take no notice of the tricking fraudulent behaviour of the driver of the stage—as howhe wanted to palm a bad shilling upon us—andas howthey stopped us in the town, and most generously insulted us—andas howwe took up a fat old man—his wifefattoo—and child;—and after keeping us half an hour in sweet converse of the—of theblastingkind—how that the fat woman waxed wrath with her plump master, for his being serene—and how that he caught choler at her friction, tongue-wise;—how he ventured his head out of the coach-door, and sworeliberally—whilst his —— in direct line with poor S——n’s nose—entertained him withsoundand sweetest of exhalations.—I shall say nothing of being two hours almost on our journey—neither do I remark that S——n turned sick before we left G——, nor that the child p— upon his legs:—in short, it was near nine before we got into Charles Street.
Sir, the pleasures of the day made us more than amends for the nonsense that followed.—Receipt in full.
I. SANCHO.
My best respects to Mr. Y——; and my love, yea, cordial love to Nancy:—tell her—no, if I live to see her again, I will tell her myself.
Observe, we were seven in the coach;—the breath of the old lady, in her heat of passion, was not rose-scented;—add to that, the warmth naturally arising from crowd and anger—you will not wonder at S—t—’s being sick—And he, S——, wanted to be in town rather sooner.—My compliments to George.—Mr. L—— is so kind to promiseto call for this scrawl:—thank him for me, as well as for thyself.—Adieu.—Mrs. S—— pretty well, the two Fanny’s and Kitty but indifferent.
[11]A Mr. Lamb.[12]Meaning himself.[13]Mr. M——, to whom he often gave that title.
[11]A Mr. Lamb.
[12]Meaning himself.
[13]Mr. M——, to whom he often gave that title.