I LETTER LXIV. To Mrs. STEELE. DEAR PRUE, Aug. 18, 1708. great feve HAVE your letter; and all the rity you complain of is, that you have a husband who loves you better than his life, who has a great deal of troublesome bufinefs, out of the [fatigue] of which he removes the dearest thing alive. Yours faithfully, in fpite of your. felf, RICH. STEELE. LETTER LXV. To Mrs. STEELE. DEAR PRUE, YOU Aug. 20, 1708. OURS by penny-poft came to my hands but just now. You extremely mistake me, in believing me capable of any cruelty or unkindness to you. Ifcorn that any man living should have more honour and regard to his wife than myself. You fpeak with heat to me, but I will not answer you in that style, but make it my utmost aim to make you eafy and happy, to which you* nothing but doing me the justice to believe me, with all the attention imaginable, your faithful husband, RICH. STEELE. I have paid Mr. Addison the whole thousand pound, and have fettled every man's payment So the Original. + See Dedication to NEW TAT. vol. IV. and note. except one, which I hope to perfect to-morrow, Defmaiseaux* is gone to the Bath for his health. I inclofe a guinea and a half, and will fend more to-morrow or Monday, if I do not come myfelf. I am Mrs. Binn's fervant. LETTER LXVI. To Mrs. STEELE. DEAR PRUE, I Aug. 21, 1708. HOPE this will find you in good health, as I am at this prefent writing. I defign when I come down to let Kerwin ride your little horse to Hampton-Court, where I think to leave him at grass; for he costs five fhillings a week in town. There is no manner of news in town; and I fend this without any other business than to repeat to you that I am your affectionate faithful hufband, and most humble fervant, RICH. STEELE. * Peter Defmaifeaux, secretary of the Royal Society of London, was the fon of a French Proteftant minifter, and born at Auvergne in 1666. He retired early, probably as a refugee, into England; and died there in 1745. He had intimate connexions with St. Evremond and Bayle. He gave a handfome edition of the works of the former, in 3 vols. 4to, with a life of the author prefixed: and he drew up the life of the latter, which was printed before the edition of his "Dictionary” in 1730, and feparately at the Hague, 1732, 2 vols. 12mo. He published alfo, the fame year, the "Miscellaneous Works of Bayle," in 4 vols. fol. He was the editor of other things; and whatever he published, he always accompanied with remarks, full of literary anecdotes. He was very exact and curious in his accounts; but fomewhat prolix and tedious, by running out into too much detail and minute difcuffions. LETTER LETTER LXVII. Të Mrs. STEELE. DEAR PRUE, Aug. 23, 1708. I HAVE your letter, and will take care to do as you defire in every particular of it. I hope, in the mean time, the cook's husband may go of errands till the fervant comes down. I am, your affectionate and faithful husband, RICH. STEELE. My moft humble fervice to Mrs. Binns. LETTER LXVIII. To Mrs. STEELE. DEAR PRUE, TP Aug. 28, 1708. HE afternoon coach fhall bring you ten pounds. Your letter fhews you are paffionately in love with me. But we must take our portion of life as it runs without repining; and I confider that good-nature, added to that beautiful form God has given you, would make an happiness too great for human life. Your most obliged husband, and most humble ferRICH. STEELE. vant, LETTER LETTER LXIX. To Mrs. STEELE. DEAR PRUE, Aug. 28, 1708. SEND you with this ten pounds, and fhould come to fee you, as ungodly as you are, but that a mail is every moment expected, as you may gather from reading the laft Gazette, which I inclofe, and am, dear, dear Prue, fincerely your fond husband, RICH. STEELE. LETTER LXX. To Mrs. SIEELE. DEAR PRUE, Aug. 30. 1708. I SENT ten pounds by the afternoon coach of Saturday, and hope you received it fafe. The manner in which you write to me might perhaps to another look like neglect and want of love; but I will not understand it fo, but take it to be only the uneafinefs of a doating fondness, which cannot bear my abfence without disdain. I hope we shall never be fo long asunder more, for it is not in your power to make me otherwife than your affectionate, faithful, and tender husband, RICH. STEELE. LETTER LXXI. To Mrs. STEELE. J DEAR PRUE, Whitehall, Sept. 4, 1708. YOU will receive by Watts fome wine. I YOU had not the good-fortune to fee her, because I lay last night at Addison's, and fhe was in hafte for fear of lofing her tide to-day, therefore could not stay till I came to the office out of the city. I did not receive your letter writ on Sunday till Wednesday night. You may think what you please; but I know you have the best hufband in the world in your most affectionate, faithful, humble fervant, RICH. STEELE. LETTER LXXII. To Mrs. STEELE. DEAR PRUE, Sept. 8, 1708, Two, Afternoon, Sandy-end. Hadif AVING reached London about eleven, dispatched what was further neceffary after what papers Mr. Addifon had before fent to the prefs, I am juft now arrived here to dinner. You defire me to make fubmiffions in my epiftles, which I think is not to be infifted upon; but, if acknowledgements will fatisfy you, I cannot but own to you, what you too well know, that you have a power almoft fovereign over your |