I was, yesterday, at Deerfield, & heard News enough--I was told that a civil, good looking Gentleman; who had been lately from N--n, told them he saw me there with you--That I was wild, & noisy--He thinks I shall make a damn'd droll Figure in a Pulpit, with Powdered-Hair; a long Cue; & deep Ruffles!--I fancy myself it would appear odd!--I was told there also every Circumstance of our Ride from Princeton to N--n. Of my being with your Brother in Philadelphia as I went up, & returned--Of almost the whole of my Company & Conduct while in Town. It is something curious, tho' by no Means troublesome, that every part of my Behaviour, is in whatever Place I go, so circumstantially inspected.--I shall suppress all I heard of you, only that you are soon to be married, & I should not have mentioned this, but that I might let you know it was told in Triumph to dash me!--Yet if it had wounded my Soul I would have sustained & concealed the Pain, to outbrave such Insolence! I cannot help, however, when I am alone in my Chamber, reflecting on the Danger of the Impropriety I may possibly be guilty of in thus continuing my Intimacy with you. But I turn it all off with a Smile, &, if the Report be true, with a Wish, in the Language of the Poet Walter to a Lady of his Acquaintance "That you may possess all your Wishes, as to earthly Happiness & Comfort, in the Society of him whom you have preferr'd to the rest of Men; & that you may feel as much for him, of that Anxiety which arises from Esteem, as others have felt for you"--I am going, next Month to Virginia, unless the Remonstrances of my Relations prevail with me to decline it. But on I go little thinking how much I may incur your Censure by writing so freely, & so long--O Laura, I wish most ardently, that I could with Propriety, from the present Moment, spend all my hours near your Person.--They would then, with their purple Wings, fly along through the Sorrows, & Tumults of Life, wholly unnoticed. Laura, yours PHILIP. V. FITHIAN. [ANDREW HUNTER TO PHILIP FITHIAN] Nassau Hall Septr 6th 1773 DR SIR. I am very sorry that I cannot answer your letter so much to your satisfaction as I could desire. Doctor Witherspoon is gone to New-England to the convention and is not expected home 'till the latter end of this week--he received no account from Virginia before he went from home. You may trust that I will let you know when ever I can hear any thing related to your prospect of going to the southward. Mr Imlay[37] is gone from College and is not expected back 'till near commencement, however I have talked with some of his acquaintances, and they say he expects to go. [37] William Eugene Imlay was graduated at Princeton in 1773. Cf. Williams, ed., _Fithian_, p. 41.