nly the
consequences of my own invention.

LETTER XLVII

TO ROBERT LOVELACE, ESQ. HIS HONNER SAT. APRIL 15.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HONNER,

This is to let you Honner kno', as how I have been emploied in a bisness
I would have been excused from, if so be I could, for it is to gitt
evidense from a young man, who has of late com'd out to be my cuzzen
by my grandmother's side; and but lately come to live in these partes,
about a very vile thing, as younge master calls it, relating to your
Honner. God forbid I should call it so without your leafe. It is not for
so plane a man as I be, to tacks my betters. It is consarning one Miss
Batirton, of Notingam; a very pretty crature, belike.

Your Honner got her away, it seems, by a false letter to her, macking
believe as how her she-cuzzen, that she derely loved, was coming to see
her; and was tacken ill upon the rode: and so Miss Batirton set out in
a shase, and one sarvant, to fet her cuzzen from the inne where she laid
sick, as she thote: and the sarvant was tricked, and braute back the
shase; but Miss Batirton was not harde of for a month, or so. And
when it came to passe, that her frends founde her out and would have
prossekutid your Honner, your Honner was gone abroad: and so she was
broute to bed, as one may say, before your Honner's return: and she got
colde in her lyin-inn, and lanquitched, and soon died: and the child is
living; but your Honner never troubles your Honner's hedd about it
in the least. And this, and some other matters, of verry bad reporte,
'Squier Solmes was to tell my young lady of, if so be she would have
harde him speke, before we lost her sweet company, as I may say, from
heere.*

* See Vol.II. Letters XV. and XVI.

Your Honner helped me to many ugly stories to tell against you Honner to
my younge master, and younge mistriss; but did not tell me about this.

I most humbelly beseche your Honner to be good and kinde and fethful to
my deerest younge lady, now you have her; or I shall brake my harte for
having done some dedes that have helped to bringe things to this passe.
Pray youre dere, good Honner, be just! Prayey do!--As God shall love ye!
prayey do!--I cannot write no more for this pressent, for verry fear and
grief--

But now I am cumm'd to my writing agen, will your Honner be pleased to
tell me, if as how there be any danger to your Honner's life from this
bisness; for my cuzzen is actile hier'd to go down to Miss Batirton