--_Father_ is graver than he used to be. No Wonder. He hath much on his Mind; the Calls on his Time and Thoughts are beyond Belief; but GOD is very good to him. His Favour at home and abroad is immense: he hath good Health, soe have we alle; and his Family are established to his Mind, and settled alle about him, still under the same fostering Roof. Considering that I am the most ordinarie of his Daughters, 'tis singular I should have secured the best Husband. _Daisy_ lives peaceablie with _Rupert Allington_, and is as indifferent, me seemeth, to him as to alle the World beside. He, on his Part, loves her and theire Children with Devotion, and woulde pass half his Time in the Nurserie. _Dancey_ always had a hot Temper, and now and then plagues _Bess_; but she lets noe one know it but me. Sometimes she comes into my Chamber and cries a little, but the next kind Word brightens her up, and I verilie believe her Pleasures far exceed her Payns. _Giles Heron_ lost her through his own Fault, and might have regained her good Opinion after all, had he taken half the Pains for her Sake he now takes for her younger Sister: I cannot think how _Cecy_ can favour him; yet I suspect he will win her, sooner or later. As to mine own deare _Will_, 'tis the kindest, purest Nature, the finest Soul, the ... and yet how I was senselesse enow once to undervalue him! Yes, I am a happy Wife; a happy Daughter; a happy Mother. When my little _Bill_ stroaked dear _Father's_ Face just now, and murmured "Pretty!" he burst out a-laughing, and cried,-- "You are like the young _Cyrus_, who exclaimed,--'Oh! Mother, how pretty is my Grandfather!' And yet, according to _Xenophon_, the old Gentleman was soe rouged and made up, as that none but a Child woulde have admired him!" "That's not the Case," I observed, "with _Bill's_ Grandfather." "He's a _More_ all over," says _Father_, fondly. "Make a Pun, _Meg_, if thou canst, about _Amor_, _Amore_, or _Amores_. 'Twill onlie be the thousand and first on our Name. Here, little Knave, see these Cherries: tell me who thou art, and thou shalt have one. '_More! More!_' I knew it, sweet Villain. Take them all." I oft sitt for an Hour or more, watching _Hans Holbein_ at his Brush. He hath a rare Gift of limning; and has, besides, the Advantage of deare _Erasmus_ his Recommendation, for whom he hath alreddie painted our Likenesses, but I think he has made us very ugly. His Portraiture of my Grandfather is marvellous; ne'erthelesse, I look in vayn for the Spirituallitie which our _Lucchese_ Friend, _Antonio Bonvisi_, tells us is to be found in the Productions of the Italian Schools. _Holbein_ loves to paint with the Lighte coming in upon his Work from above. He says a Lighte from above puts Objects in theire proper Lighte, and shews theire just Proportions; a Lighte from beneath reverses alle the naturall Shadows. Surelie, this hath some Truth if we spirituallize it. _June 2d._