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.