Letter 1

Though it is not fitting for a
gentleman to take his lady in
the place of a servant, yet, complying
with your desire, I willingly grant it
you, if thereby you can find yourself
less uncomfortable in the place chosen
by yourself, than you have been in
that which I gave you, thanking you
cordially that you are pleased still to
have some remembrance of me.

Henry R.

Letter 2

Although, my Mistress, it
has not pleased you to remem-
ber the promise you made me when I
was last with you — that is, to hear
good news from you, and to have an
answer to my last letter; yet it seems
to me that it belongs to a true servant
(seeing that otherwise he can know
nothing) to inquire the health of his
mistress, and to acquit myself of the
duty of a true servant, I send you this
letter, beseeching you to apprise me
of your welfare, which I pray to God
may continue as long as I desire mine
own. And to cause you yet oftener
to remember me, I send you, by the
bearer of this, a buck killed late last
night by my own hand, hoping that
when you eat of it you may think of
the hunter; and thus, for want of
room, I must end my letter, written
by the hand of your servant, who very
often wishes for you instead of your
brother. H. R.

Letter 3

My mistress and friend,
my heart and I surrender our-
selves into your hands, beseeching
you to hold us commended to your
favour, and that by absence your af-
feftion to us may not be lessened:
for it were a great pity to increase
our pain, of which absence produces
enough and more than I could ever
have thought could be felt, remind-
ing us of a point in astronomy which
is this: the longer the days are, the
more distant is the sun, and never-
theless the hotter; so is it with our
love, for by absence we are kept a
distance from one another, and yet
it retains its fervour, at least on my
side; I hope the like on yours, as-
suring you that on my part the pain
of absence is already too great for
me; and when I think of the increase
of that which I am forced to suffer,
it would be almost intolerable, but
for the firm hope I have of your un-
changeable affedtion for me: and to
remind you of this sometimes, and
seeing that I cannot be personally
present with you, I now send you the
nearest thing I can to that, namely,
my picture set in a bracelet, with the
whole of the device, which you al-
ready know, wishing myself in their
place, if it should please you. This is
from the hand of your loyal servant
and friend,
H.R.