LETTER X. To Mrs. SCURLOCK. MADAM, Aug. 22, 1707*. IF my vigilance, and ten thousand wishes for your welfare and repofe, could have any force, you last night flept in fecurity, and had every good angel in your attendance. To have my thoughts ever fixed on you, to live in conftant fear of every accident to which human life is liable, and to fend up my hourly prayers to avert them from you; I fay, Madam, thus to think, and thus to fuffer, is what I do for her who is in pain at my approach, and calls all my tender forrow impertinence. You are now before my eyes, my eyes that are ready to flow with tenderness, but cannot give relief to my gufhing heart, that dictates what I am now faying, and yearns to tell you all its achings. How art thou, oh my foul, ftolen from thyfelf! how is all thy attention broken! My books are blank paper, and my friends intruders. I have no hope of quiet but from your pity to grant it, would make more for your triumph. To give pain, is the tyranny, to make happy, the true empire, of beauty. If you would confider aright, you * This date is in part cut out, and fupplied with "Aug. 9, "1671." Over "Madam," at the beginning, Mrs., S. has written "Andromache," and fubftituted "Madam" for "dear "Mrs. Scurlock" at the end. would 4 would find an agreeable change, in difmiffing the attendance of a flave, to receive the complaifance of a companion. I bear the former, in hopes of the latter condition. As I live in chains without murmuring at the power which inflicts them, so I could enjoy freedom without forgetting the mercy that gave it. Dear Mrs. Scurlock, the life which you bestow on me shall be no more my own. I am, your inoft devoted, moft obedient fervant, RICH. STEELE. LETTER XI. To Mrs. ScURLOCK. MADAM, Chelfea, Aug. 25, 1707. AM obferved, by a friend who is with me, in every gefture and motion I make. I have ftole a moment, while he is in next room, to tell the charmer and infpirer of my foul I am her devoted, obedient servant, RICH. STEELE,' I LETTER XII. To Mrs. ScURLOCK. My dearest Creature, Thursday, Aug. 27, 1707. BEG the favour of you to let me pass this day in your company. I have contrived my bufiness fo, that I have till eight at night, at my own difpofal. I can come in a coach; and Mrs. Warren being in the way, may let me in without obfervation. 4 1 obfervation. My loved creature, do not deny this request, nor think I am capable of being allowed that liberty without a true sense of your goodness to me in it. Your generous condescension in all your carriage towards me, shall always give you a powerful and lafting influence upon the thoughts and actions of him who hopes to be, Madam, your most obliged and grateful husband, RICH. STEELE. LETTER XIII. To Mrs. SCURLOCK. MADAM, Aug. 29, 1707. FEAR it will be an hour later than usual that I wait upon you to night; for I have an appointment which will detain me, and which concerns both you, and, Madam, your most obliged, moft obedient humble fervant, RICH. STEELE. I LETTER XIV. To Mrs. ScURLOCK. MADAM, Aug. 30, 1707. BEG pardon that my paper is not finer, but I am forced to write from a coffee-house where I am attending about bufinefs. There is a dirty crowd of busy faces all around me, talking of money; while all my ambition, all my wealth, is love! Love, which animates my heart, heart, fweetens my humour, enlarges my foul, and affects every action of my life. life. It is to my lovely charmer I owe, that many noble ideas are continually affixed to my words and actions; it is the natural effect of that generous paffion, to create in the admirer fome fimilitude of the object admired. Thus, my dear, am I every day to improve from fo fweet a companion. Look up, my fair one, to that Heaven which made thee fuch, and join with me to implore its influence on our tender innocent hours, and befeech the Author of love, to bless the rites he has ordained, and mingle with our happiness a juft fenfe of our tranfient condition, and a refignation to His will, which only can regulate our minds to a steady endeavour to please Him and each other. I am for ever your faithful fervant, R. STEELE I LETTER XV. To Mrs. SCURLOCK. Dear, lovely Mrs. SCURLOCK, Saturday-night [Aug. 30, 1707]. HAVE been in very good company, where your health, under the character of the woman I loved beft, has been often drunk; fo that I may say I am dead drunk for your fake, which is more than "I die for you." R. STEELE. LETTER LETTER XVI. To Mrs. SCURLOCK. MADAM, IT Sept. 1, 1707 *. T is the hardest thing in the world to be in love, and yet attend business. As for me, all who speak to me find me out, and I muft lock myself up, or other people will do it for me. A gentleman asked me this morning, “What "news from Lisbon and I answered, “She ❝is exquifitely handsome." Another defired to know "when I had been laft at Hamptoncourt?" I replied, "It will be on Tuesday come fe'nnight.". Pr'ythee allow me at least to kifs your hand before that day §, that my mind may be in fome compofure. || Oh love! A thousand torments dwell about thee, Yet who would live, to live without thee? Methinks I could write a volume to you; but all the language on earth would fail in saying how much, and with what disinterested pasfion, I am ever yours, RICH. STEELE. *The date of this letter is altered to " Sept. 25, 1671;” and Mrs. S. has remarked on it, "The two next were written after the day for our marriage was fixed." + Altered by Mrs. S. to "Holland." Altered to "Windfor;" and the reply in the next line is changed to, "She defigns to go with me." § Altered to " the appointed day.” These two words and the following couplet are struck out. LETTER |