"Sir. This will, I hope, finde you well. For myself, I am afflicted [atchew!] with a voilent Rheum, the wch I feare will turne to an inflamatn of the Longs. [Egad! that’ll please the old niggard!] I command the sarvices of the best Potticary in the place, but finding his nostrums vain, for three dayes have eate nought but Water Gruel. ’Tis said that Rumm is a speedie Cure, but that I eschew. [Atchew!] My Hande shakes with the feaver, & I shd not rite to you now had I not Surprizing Nuse to give. You must knowe that, visitting at the house of Mme de Vodray, where your he sarvant is ever an honour’d guest, [that’s worth fifty guineas to me!] what was my vaste Amazement to finde there that yonge Cockerell H—— R—— swaggering it as one of the beste. It passes my wit to divine how he escap’d from the _Merrie Maide_, & hope y may recover the Passage Money, the wch methinks will be difficult. [Atchew! He won’t get a penny o’t.] ’Tis passing strange the boy is here, not lesse that he is acquaint with the Vodrays; & moreover with him is my pestilent cozn S—— M——, of whom more hereafter, ’twill be easie to deal with him, whereto I have already things _in Traine_. H—— R—— is employ’d with one Grootz, a merchant of Substance, & one that hath large Contracks with the confederate armies. The boy being out of yr way, y have belike no further cause against him, & wd wish no further stepps taken, comming & going is like at any time to Cooke his Goose, but if I mistake in this ’twould be well to sende 100 Guineas by the same Hande as wont, & I wd endevour to bring the matter to a safe and speedie End, in wch case I wd make bold to aske for a further Summe of 200 Guineas for to requite my Zeale in the sarvice of my honour’d Frende & Patron." "Atchew! Writing is plaguily dry work," he muttered, breaking off at this point, "and the bottle’s empty." He tugged at a bell-pull, and resumed his letter. "’Twill be no light Taske, seeing the yonge man hath captured of late a Partie of above 100 French in an Affaire near Breda, the wch I doubte not will give him some Consekence with the Dutch no less than himselfe, of the wch Affaire ’tis like an Account will be printed in the _Courant_. [Sure ’twill give Nick a start.] I must add that Living is _verie Deare_ here. For my Creditt sake and the furtherance of youre Ends, I have hired a Magnifficent Appartment, for the wch I have to paye a sweete Rent. Hence it is verie nessessarie I have the Guineas without delai. Waiting yr commands & so subscribe myself yr ever humble and obediant RALPH AGLIONBY, Captain." "Atchew! There, ’tis done, and writ fair." He flung his pen on the table. "And I’d fain know what the squire has against the knave; ’tis more than pique, I promise you. Where’s Simmons, confound him!" He sanded the wet paper, folded it, sealed it with yellow wax, and wrote the superscription: