your Honner shall so please, and good one offers; for
plases are no inherritanses now-a-days. And, I hope, your Honner will
not think me a dishonest man for sarving your Honner agenst my duty, as
it may look; but only as my conshence clears me.

Be pleased, howsomever, if it like your Honner, not to call me honest
Joseph, so often. For, althoff I think myself verry honnest, and all
that, yet I am touched a littel, for fear I should not do the quite
right thing: and too besides, your Honner has such a fesseshious way
with you, as that I hardly know whether you are in jest or earnest, when
your Honner calls me honnest so often.

I am a very plane man, and seldom have writ to such honourable
gentlemen; so you will be good enuff to pass by every thing, as I have
often said, and need not now say over again.

As to Mrs. Betty; I tho'te, indeed, she looked above me. But she comes
on vere well, natheless. I could like her better, iff she was better to
my 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 I
colde make shift to throe my hat at her, or so, your Honner.

But that same reseit, iff your Honner so please, to cure a shrewish
wife. It would more encurrege to wed, iff so be one know'd it
before-hand, as one may say. So likewise, if one knoed one could
honnestly, as your Honner says, and as of the handy-work of God, in one
twelvemonth--

But, I shall grow impertinent to such a grate man.--And hereafter may
do 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 notable
landlady your Honner put into my head.

Butt wonce moer, begging your Honner's parden, and promissing all
dilligence and exsackness, I reste,

Your Honner's dewtiful sarvant to command, JOSEPH LEMAN.

LETTER V

MR. LOVELACE, TO JOHN BELFORD, ESQ. ST. ALBAN'S, MONDAY NIGHT.

I snatch a few moments while my beloved is retired, [as I hope, to
rest,] to perform my promise. No pursuit--nor have I apprehensions of
any; though I must make my charmer dread that there will be one.

And now, let me tell thee, that never was joy so complete as mine!--But
let me inquire, is not the angel flown away?

*****

O no! She is in the next apartment!--Securely mine!--Mine for ever!

O ecstasy!--My heart will burst my breast,
To leap into her bosom!

I knew that the whole st