“ It is with pleasure I received your favour, filled with tortured hearts and angry cupids, to express to me the state of your sufferings—and if you are really as much in love as your lines express, I am sure I ought to pity you; but to be serious—if your intentions are honourable, I shall be very happy, as I certainly have a great esteem for you; but if you send it as a triffle of gallantry, I shall be sorry that I have declared my mind so fully, as I confess I should be happy were I for life,
Your faithful Valentine. ”

“ Whate’er is your wish, believe it’s not mine,
To think I should like you, my odd Valentine.
One weighty objection’s the company you keep
The best are in calf, and the poorer in sheep.
’Mongst folios, and quartos, octavos, & twelves
And all your dead stock, there’s no room for
ourselves. ”

“ I know not in what words to convey the sense I have of your merit; custom prevents a female disclosing her affection to the object on whom her heart fondly doats, but if you knew how much I esteem and admire you, you would not thinkmeimprudent in declaring my passion I have frequently thought, before I committed this to paper, it is not so great an impropriety in expressing my regard first, and am very sure you can guess who the writer is ”