P.S. I pray your onnur to think of the vister, and the willdurness, and
the hermmutidge; I pray your onnur doo ee; not forrgettin the tempel.
Think of the money your most dear gracious noble onnur; and think to
what vantidge I could a lay it out for your onnur; that is, take me
ritely your most exceptionable onnur, a savin and a sayin under your
wise onnur's purtection, and currection, and every think of that there
umbel and very submissive obedient kind. Bring me the man that a better
knows how to lay-out his pound or his penni than myself; that is,
always a savin and exceptin your noble onnur, as in rite and duty
boundin. And then as to forin parts! Why, lawjus mighty! Your noble
onnur has 'em at your fingur's ends. The temple will stand; blow or
snow, a there it will be; I'll a answer for that; a shillin's worth for
every shillin: but ast for the money a squitterd a here and a there in
forin parts, what will your most noble onnur ever see for that? I most
umbelly condysend to beg and beesiege your good and kind onnur's noble
pardn for all this audacious interpolation, of and by witch any but
your most disrespectfool onnur would say wus no better but so much mag:
but I hopes and trusts your onnur, as you always have bin henceforth in
times passt, is in the mind a well to take what a well is meant.
And so I wonce and again most perrumptallee beg leave, in all lowliness
by the grace and blessin of God in his infinit goodness and mercy to
superscribe meself.
ABIMELECH HENLEY
LETTER VIII
_Anna Wenbourne St. Ives to Louisa Clifton_
_London, Grosvenor Street_
Frank Henley's accident has necessarily delayed our journey for a
fortnight; nay, it was within an ace of being delayed for ever, and
[Would you think it possible?] by the artful remonstrances of this
Abimelech Henley. I have been obliged to exert all my influence, and
all my rhetoric, upon Sir Arthur, or it would have been entirely given
up. Rapacious and narrow in his own plans, this wretch, this honest
Aby, as my father calls him, would not willingly suffer a guinea to be
spent, except in improvements: that is, not a guinea which should not
pass through his hands. A letter from him to Sir Arthur has been the
cause of this contest.
I hope however, my dear, that Sir Arthur's affairs are not in so bad a
train as your fears [expressed in your letter of the third] cause you
to imagine. Should they be so, what will become of my brother? A mere
man of fashion! Active in the whole etiquette of visiting, dressing,
driving, riding, fencing, dancing, gaming, writing cards of compliment,
and all the frivolous follies of what, by this class of people, is
called _the world_; but indolent in, or more properly incapable of all
useful duties.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account