Eighteenth Century Letters Author:Reginald Brimley Johnson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: To Vanessa [mrs. Esther Vanhomrigh, Junior,] At her lodgings, over against Park-Place, in St. Jatnes's Street, London. [August 1712.] I THOUGHT to have... more » written to little Missessy by the colonel, but at last I did not approve of him as a messenger. Mr. Ford began your health last night, under the name of the Jilt, for which I desire you will reproach him. I do neither study nor exercise so much here as I do in town. The colonel1 will intercept all the news I have to tell you, of my fine snuff-box,2 and my being at a ball, and my losing my money at ombre with the Duke and Duchess of Shrewsbury. I cannot imagine how you pass your time in our absence, unless by lying a-bed till twelve, and then having your followers about you till dinner. We have dispatches to-day from Lord Bolingbroke; all is admirably well, and a cessation of arms will be declared with France in London on Tuesday next. I dined with the Duke of Shrewsbury to-day, and sat an hour by Mrs. Warburton, teaching her when she played wrong at ombre, and I cannot see her defects; either my eyes fail me, or they are partial. But Mrs. Touchet is an ugly, awkward slut. What do you do all the afternoon ? How come you tomake it a secret to me that you all design to come to Windsor ? If you were never here, I think you all cannot do better than come for three or four days; five pounds will maintain you, and pay for your coach backwards and forwards. I suppose the captain will go down with you now, for want of better company. I will steal to town one of these days, and catch you napping. I desire you and Moll will walk as often as you can in the Park, and do not sit moping at home, you that can neither work, nor read, nor play, nor care for company. I long to drink a dish of coffee in the sluttery, and hear you dun me for ...« less