"I have not receaved yet those three copyes of verses you promised me for sending your box to Mr Henry Thimelby, therfore I beseech you not to forget them, for I have a longe time much longed for them. And indeed I could almost find in my hart to quarrel with you, and to conclude my letter with it; for I have written to you I know not how often, and beged of you most pittyfully that you would send mee some verses of your owne makeing, and yet you never would, when you know I love them more then can bee expressed. And in one of your letters, rather then you would send any of them to poore me, you writte word you had none, when I am sure you cannot chuse but thinke I know that is impossieble. And therfore pray see how hardly you deale with mee, when I have sent you all the verses that I could gett perpetuly, never omieting the sending of any that I could get that were good ones. Therfore I desire you will make an end of the quarrell, with sending mee some as sune as you can; for I assure you they can not come to one that will more esteme them then your ever most afectionat sister to serve you, Constance F."
"I receaved with this your last letter, which is dated the 1st of November, another letter which you had writt afore your being sicke; and in it you sent me a copy of your verses made to Mr Win—. They are much comended by all, as they deserve; and you have ganed the English ladyes harts extremely by them, to see you so constant a favorete of ther mirrits. For my part, I must confesse I
am taken with nothinge but the prayses you give your Seraphina.[1]
- ↑ This was the poetical name of his mistress, Catherine Thimelby. I have an admirable poem by him, on her death, entitled, "Aspirations sent after Seraphina in Heaven by her distressed Supplyant." I have inserted it in its proper place, among the "Tixall Letters," after an "Account of her Death," also composed by Herbert Aston.
These "Letters" I expect shortly to publish as an appendage to this work.
