The Love Letters of Dorothy Osborne to Sir William Temple, 1652-54 by Dorothy Osborne
page 34 of 263 (12%)
page 34 of 263 (12%)
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Hutton family. She writes to Mr. Hutton to escort her in the Park,
adding--"This, I am sure, you will do, because I am a friend to the tobacco-box, and such, I am sure, Mr. Hutton will have more respect for than for any other account that could be pretended unto by "Your humble servant." This, with Dorothy's praise, gives us a cheerful opinion of Lady Diana, of whom we must always wish to know more. _January 22nd_ [1653]. Sir,--Not to confirm you in your belief in dreams, but to avoid your reproaches, I will tell you a pleasant one of mine. The night before I received your first letter, I dreamt one brought me a packet, and told me it was from you. I, that remembered you were by your own appointment to be in Italy at that time, asked the messenger where he had it, who told me my lady, your mother, sent him with it to me; then my memory failed me a little, for I forgot you had told me she was dead, and meant to give her many humble thanks if ever I were so happy as to see her. When I had opened the letter I found in it two rings; one was, as I remember, an emerald doublet, but broken in the carriage, I suppose, as it might well be, coming so far; t'other was plain gold, with the longest and the strangest posy that ever was; half on't was Italian, which for my life I could not guess at, though I spent much time about it; the rest was "_there was a Marriage in Cana of Galilee_," which, though it was Scripture, I had not that reverence for it in my sleep that I should have had, I think, if I had been awake; for in earnest the oddness on't put me into that violent laughing that I waked myself with |
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