Docno: AFC03d128
Author: AA2
Recipient: Cranch, Elizabeth
Recipient: Norton, Elizabeth Cranch
Date: 1779-01-24
[dateline] Plymouth jan 24 1779
Last weak I had the pleasure to receive too letters
1 from my friend Myrtilla, aney time when you have letters if you send them to Brackets
2 and dirrect them to General Waren or his Laidie, they will come safe to hand; you must cover them if you intend I shall read them first: I should have wrote you a longer letter by this opportunity but am prevented by an accident, which has taken up my thoughts for a weak past, but as I know you are not possest of so great a share of curiosity as some others, and suppose you can stey the tide of that torrent which is sometimes so fatal I shall not make you accqainted with it till my return which I do not wish for only upon account of seeing my friends; however I do not talk of it yet. Do not let this raise the little curiosity you are Mistress of to too great a height for a little is dangerous sometimes.
I am very sory to hear Lysander
3 is so unwell however I hope the distemper he now labours under will not prove fatal to him or to you:—you say you have not had the symtoms of love yet: but I sincerely belive you have too fataly experienced them. Should be glad you would enclose them
4 in the next letter as I ever shall be glad to see aney thing Portius recommends: and I think he did those: I enclose those para-gafts from Charles Wentworth and Grandison which you
[desired of?] me.
5
I have had the pleasure to see the Miss Eastons.
6 Mrs. Waren sais she thinks the oaldest Miss Betsey is an agreable prety Girl so I must defer my opinion till a future day, they are great talkers.
<I suppose Jack Thaxter has told you he was intimately accqainted with us: I let one of them say this>
7 But I think Modestty in a Laidie is one of the shineing virtues of their sex; no dought you have heard.
[salute] I am with the sincereest affection your sincere & unalterable friend,
[signed] Mercella
PS jan 26 I beg you would not show this letter to aney person not even to your Mamma espechely that paragraft which mentions the accident as something has turnd up since I wrot the letter which makes me desire this of you.