LETTER IV
TO ROBERT LOVELACE, ESQUIER, HIS HONNER SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL 9.
HONNERED SIR,
I must confesse I am infinitely obliged to your Honner's bounty. Butthis last command!--It seems so intricket! Lord be merciful to me, howhave I been led from littel stepps to grate stepps!--And if I shouldbe found out!--But your Honner says you will take me into your Honner'ssarvise, and protect me, if as I should at any time be found out;and raise my wages besides; or set me upp in a good inne; which is myambishion. And you will be honnerable and kind to my dearest young lady,God love her.--But who can be unkind to she?
I wil do my best I am able, since your Honner will be apt to lose her,as your Honner says, if I do not; and a man so stingie will be aptto gain her. But mayhap my deareste young lady will not make all thistrubble needful. If she has promissed, she will stand to it, I dare tosay.
I love your Honner for contriveing to save mischiff so well. I thoughttill I know'd your Honner, that you was verry mischevous, and pleseyour Honner: but find it to be clene contrary. Your Honner, it is plane,means mighty well by every body, as far as I see. As I am sure I domyself; for I am, althoff a very plane man, and all that, a very honnestone, I thank my God. And have good principels, and have kept my younglady's pressepts always in mind: for she goes no where, but saves a soulor two, more or less.
So, commending myself to your Honner's further favour, not forgettingthe inne, when your Honner shall so please, and good one offers; forplases are no inherritanses now-a-days. And, I hope, your Honner willnot think me a dishonest man for sarving your Honner agenst my duty, asit may look; but only as my conshence clears me.
Be pleased, howsomever, if it like your Honner, not to call me honestJoseph, so often. For, althoff I think myself verry honnest, and allthat, yet I am touched a littel, for fear I should not do the quiteright thing: and too besides, your Honner has such a fesseshious waywith you, as that I hardly know whether you are in jest or earnest, whenyour Honner calls me honnest so often.
I am a very plane man, and seldom have writ to such honourablegentlemen; so you will be good enuff to pass by every thing, as I haveoften said, and need not now say over again.
As to Mrs. Betty; I tho'te, indeed, she looked above me. But she comeson vere well, natheless. I could like her better, iff she was better tomy young lady. But she has too much wit for so plane a man. Natheless,if she was to angre me, althoff it is a shame to bete a woman, yet Icolde make shift to throe my hat at her, or so, your Honner.
But that same reseit, iff your Honner so please, to cure a shrewishwife. It would more encurrege to wed, iff so be one know'd itbefore-hand, as one may say. So likewise, if one knoed one couldhonnestly, as your Honner says, and as of the handy-work of God, in onetwelvemonth--
But, I shall grow impertinent to such a grate man.--And hereafter maydo for that, as she turnes out: for one mought be loth to part with her,mayhap, so verry soon too; espessially if she was to make the notablelandlady your Honner put into my head.
Butt wonce moer, begging your Honner's parden, and promissing alldilligence and exsackness, I reste,
Your Honner's dewtiful sarvant to command, JOSEPH LEMAN.