d every good servant, for the future, will be
proud to be likened to honest Joseph Leman.

If she should guess at you, or find you out, I have it already in my
head to write a letter for you to copy,* which, occasionally produced,
will set you right with her.

* See Vol.III. Letter XXI.

This one time be diligent, be careful: this will be the crown of all:
and once more, depend, for a recompense, upon the honour of

Your assured friend, R. LOVELACE.

You need not be so much afraid of going too far with Betty. If you
should make a match with her, she is a very likely creature, though
a vixen, as you say. I have an admirable receipt to cure a termagant
wife.--Never fear, Joseph, but thou shalt be master of thine house. If
she be very troublesome, I can teach thee how to break her heart in a
twelvemonth; and honestly too;--or the precept would not be mine.

I enclose a new earnest of my future favour.

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. But
this last command!--It seems so intricket! Lord be merciful to me, how
have I been led from littel stepps to grate stepps!--And if I should
be found out!--But your Honner says you will take me into your Honner's
sarvise, 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 my
ambishion. 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 apt
to gain her. But mayhap my deareste young lady will not make all this
trubble needful. If she has promissed, she will stand to it, I dare to
say.

I love your Honner for contriveing to save mischiff so well. I thought
till I know'd your Honner, that you was verry mischevous, and plese
your 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 do
myself; for I am, althoff a very plane man, and all that, a very honnest
one, I thank my God. And have good principels, and have kept my young
lady's pressepts always in mind: for she goes no where, but saves a soul
or two, more or less.

So, commending myself to your Honner's further favour, not forgetting
the inne, when