ook'
of one) may make good that of Horace, (with whose writings you are so
well acquainted; nobody better;)

'Audax omnia perpeti,
Gens humana ruit per vetitum nefas.'

Forgive me, Sir, for what I am going to write: but if you could prevail
upon the rest of your family to join in the scheme which 'you,' and her
'virtuous sister,' Miss Arabella, and the Archdeacon, and I, once talked
of, (which is to persuade the unhappy young lady to go, in some
'creditable' manner, to some one of the foreign colonies,) it might not
save only her 'own credit' and 'reputation,' but the 'reputation' and
'credit' of all her 'family,' and a great deal of 'vexation' moreover.
For it is my humble opinion, that you will hardly (any of you) enjoy
yourselves while this ('once' innocent) young lady is in the way of being
so frequently heard of by you: and this would put her 'out of the way'
both of 'this Belford' and of 'that Lovelace,' and it might,
peradventure, prevent as much 'evil' as 'scandal.'

You will forgive me, Sir, for this my 'plainness.' Ovid pleadeth for me,

'----Adulator nullus amicus erit.'

And I have no view but that of approving myself a 'zealous well-wisher'
to 'all' your worthy family, (whereto I owe a great number of
obligations,) and very particularly, Sir,

Your obliged and humble servant,
ELIAS BRAND.

WEDN. AUG. 9.

P.S. I shall give you 'farther hints' when I come down, (which will be in
a few days;) and who my 'informants' were; but by 'these' you will
see, that I have been very assiduous (for the time) in the task you
set me upon.

The 'length' of my letter you will excuse: for I need not tell you, Sir,
what 'narrative,' 'complex,' and 'conversation' letters (such a one
as 'mine') require. Every one to his 'talent.' 'Letter-writing'
is mine. I will be bold to say; and that my 'correspondence' was
much coveted in the university, on that account, by 'tyros,' and
by 'sophs,' when I was hardly a 'soph' myself. But this I should
not have taken upon myself to mention, but only in defence of the
'length' of my letter; for nobody writeth 'shorter' or 'pithier,'
when the subject requireth 'common forms' only--but, in apologizing
for my 'prolixity,' I am 'adding' to the 'fault,' (if it were one,
which, however, I cannot think it to be, the 'subject' considered:
but this I have said before in other words:) s