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been pretty successful this morning. Send for Queer-ones to keep you company. At night we will talk over all, Your faithful, affectionate husband, RICH. STEELE.

Since the above, I have received a message from Mr. Addison, who put off the meeting with Mr. Afhurft, and has engaged me to meet fome Whig lords. In the evening, at fix, you shall know where I am.

LETTER CLXIX. To Mrs. STEELE.

DEAR PRUE,

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July 1, 1713. F you please to be in a readiness about one o'clock, I will fend you word where I fhall be, to go with you to Mr. Hoole's to fee the Entry. I have discharged Hugh, and have his receipt. Your most affectionate, faithful, husband, RICH. STEELE.

I have given his black cloaths, for I will ne ver strip a fervant.

A ftationer, in Ludgate-street.

This was the public entry of the Duke D'Aumont, the French Ambaffador, who came on this day in state from Greenwich to the Tower by water, and afterwards paraded, in a style of great fplendour, through the city, to Somerset-house; where he was magnificently entertained till the day of his public audience, the 4th of July, when he proceeded to St. James's in the fame form as was observed at his entry. A full and curious account of the whole folemnity may be feen in the "Political "State" for 1713, vol. VI. p. 34.

LETTER

LETTER CLXX. To Mrs. STEELE.

DEAR PRUE,

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July 1, 1713.

F you will please to come to Mr. Hoole's, a ftationer's, next door to Ludgate church, you will there find your ever obliged husband, RICH. STEELE.

LETTER CLXXI. To Mrs. STEELE.

DEAR PRUE,

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July 2, 1713.

WISH you a good journey; take care of yourself, and expect to find me at home to receive you to-morrow evening. Your moft humble fervant, RICH. STEELE.

LETTER CLXXII. To Mrs. STEELE.

DEAR PRUE,

July 10, 1713.

HIS is only to acquaint you that I have al

THI most finished my vexations; and I fhall,

from to-morrow, be in a regular and methodical way.

You are my pride, my pleafure, my ambition, and all that is agreeable to your affectionate and faithful husband, RICH. STEELE.

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LETTER CLXXIII. To Mrs. STEELE.

DEAR TYRANT,

July 13, 1713. HAVE feen Carpenter this morning, and he fays it is all one to him, we may keep the woman in the house; fo that what you have to do, is only to get linen, &c. bundled up againft evening. You fhall hear from me again about five o'clock. I beg of you to govern me as gently as you can, for you have full power over your affectionate, conftant, obedient hufband, RICH. STEELE.

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LETTER CLXXIV. To Mrs. STEELE.

July 22, 1713.

WRITE because I hear you give yourself

up to lamentation *. You have, indeed, no caufe for it; and I beseech you to repofe the confidence in me, which is deserved from you by your affectionate and tender husband,

RICH. STEELE.

* Within a month after the date of this letter he was elected member for Stockbridge; and, ftrange to tell, the election of poor Dick was followed up by a petition against it on the score of PRIBERY! See "Journals of the House of Commons," March 3, 1713-14. As Steele was expelled the House, on the 17th (fee p. 100) on another business, the petition was of course withdrawn, April 17, 1714.

LETTER

LETTER CLXXV. To Mrs. STEELE.

DEAR WIFE,

F you please to call at

together to Brompton.

DEAR PRUE,

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July 27, 1713. Button's*, we will go Yours ever,

RICH. STEELE.

LETTER CLXXVI. To Mrs. STEELE. July 30, 1713. F you have not fecured Morgan Davies at dinner, I would dine in Paul's church-yard, in order to go to Tryon after Change. Yours RICH. STEELE. I will be at home at five, therefore do not fend for me here except Davies is with you.

ever,

LETTER CLXXVII. To Mrs. STEELE.

DEAR PRUE,

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Sept. 29, 1713. HAVE fettled all things to great fatisfaction, and defire you would stay at home, but fend the coach for me to come to you, to take the air and talk further. Yours, RICH. STEELE.

*Button, who had been a fervant in the Countefs of Warwick's family, kept a coffec-house on the fouth fide of Ruffelstreet, about two doors from Covent-garden, and was under the patronage of ADDISON. Here it was that the Wits of that time ufed to affemble. It is faid, when ADDISON had fuffered any vexation from the Countefs, he withdrew the company from Button's houfe. JOHNSON'S "Lives of English Poets," vol. II. P. 339, 8vo, 1781. LETTER

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LETTER CLXXVIII. To Mrs. STEELE.

DEAR PRUE, Bloomsbury-square, Dec. 24, 1713. DINE with Lord Halifax, and fhall be at home half-hour after fix. For thee I die, for thee I languish. RICH. STEELE.

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LETTER CLXXIX To Mrs. STEELE.

DEAR PRUE,

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Jan. 20, 1713-14.

AM gone to Buckley's, and from thence am to go and dine at a place where I am to be with the Elector's envoy. From thence I fhall again return to Buckley's. I truft I fhall bring home good news. I want clean linen, being

* Sam. Buckley at the Dolphin in Little-Britain, for whom feven volumes of the original Spectator in folio had been printed. The Spectator being difcontinued at the close of the 7th volume, was fucceeded by The Guardian; and Pope informs us, that Steele was engaged in articles of penalty to Jacob Tonson, for all the papers he published under this laft name. The fame author fays, "the true reafon that STEELE laid down The Guardian was a quarrel between him and the bookfeller abovementioned;" he adds, “that Stcele, by defisting two days, and altering the title of his paper to that of The Englishman, got quit of his obligation. "Additions to POPE'S Works," 1776, vol. II. p. 84, et feq. At the date of this letter, the periodical paper to which STEELE gave the title of The Englishman, was in the courfe of publication; it was printed by S. Buckley in Amen. corner, and announced as The Sequel of the Guardian. The title of Spectator was refumed fome months after; number firft of the VIIIth volume, printed by Buckley in Amen corner, folio, is dated on the 18th of the June following, in 1714.

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