40 THE WENTWORTH PAPERS.
February 13, 1705. My dearest dear childe ....
The other day Peter brought his youngist son to se me which is the fynest of all his far beyand Will. I fancy it lyke dear Paul ; it has your skin and very brisk gray eye and a luvly culloar, and very plump round faic, its fyner much then the girle, whoe Bell has geven a very fyne coat to, it being her God Daughter. Its time for you to thinck of a Wife, for this will be Peter's fifth childe. I am very sorry for poor Major Larranc. I hear he is condemd to be shott to death, about a consperecy to delever up Gibletor, with sixteen more offecers all to dye ; he was a freind of poor dear Paul's, soe I am hartely sorry for him.* We have fyne summer wether now, its said to be very sickly. I thanck God we are all well. Fubsf is in sum trouble, for yesterday she parted with her last little one, but it is as great a trouble to Pug for she was infenit fond of it, and soe was the puppy of her
March 9, 1705. .... Yesterday thear was great rejoysing, all the Ladys and Gentlemen in thear Birthday cloaths. But the Queen would not giv them a Baul nor Play. Betty was in the Drawing room and loocked very handsom. I wish she had a good husband, for she is now in her Pryme and she affects to be afraid of the small pox, and thearfor I fear would be pepered with them should she get them, and then her market would be spoyled as sister Skynner ses. We shall goe in a fortnight to Twittingham, whear I hope to have many a happy day with you. I pray God send Peece, and then I shall long for that happy time ; but whilst the warr lasts, its my earnest prayers that you may contenew whear you are
- In December, 1704, during the siege of Gibraltar, it was discovered
that "an Enghsh major, and some other conspirators" (according to Boyer's Annals) were in treasonable correspondence with the Spanish camp. Paul, twice mentioned in this letter, was the writer's son, killed at the siege of Namur in 1695.
t Fubs was a pet dog, Pug a pet monkey.
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