when you had taken so much trouble in coming would give me if possible more concern than for you not to come, but consider it well over, my Dearest Friend if we can meet with safety nothing could give me so much but our feelings and our danger in this is mutual for our meeting imprudently might endanger our not meeting so often at another time, but could it be done safely it would be a pity to lose any of our too few opportunities. I was very much frightened at first, but by thinking it over am not quite so alarmed and hope it is not so much talked off as she said. She said that at first they said there was Highwaymen in the roads about and that afterwards a person from Chester knew you and discovered it to everybody. I hope they won't dare to say anything to my lord as he has not said a word or even named you and he has been at Halkin, Mrs G-r leaves us tomorrow and on Wednesday we to go to Mrs H. where I hope to receive your Dear Letter-I'm miserable in having any thing to tell you that can give you the least uneasiness it vexes me more than anything I feel myself, what do you think about it, Pray my dear Soul do either way you think best and I hope as we have been tollerably fortunate hitherto, we may scramble thro it somehow or other, but I don't know what to say what to advise but I'm sure you can judge much better than me pray let me have a few lines in Lemon Duce by Carry to tell me, I wish I could find a Meathod for you to write in ink, I'll consider about it night and day but I fear I can't but realy I make out the Lemon Duce very well, we leave Mrs H. again on Friday, dont my dear Soul be alarmed about the

Affair, if you think it better not to come we shall meet I hope not 3 weeks later thank God for that, he seems horridly tired of being here & impatient to be in town he sais he'd not be from London when the parliament met for the world & I hope will be there some days before, he is not yet well so any how thank God we shant be very long asunder, tho' indeed while I say so, a day nay an hour appears Ten thousand years, but my Soul if you think you can come safely we'll settle everything the best thats possible and we may perhaps do very well-O I dont know what to say, I say and unsay every minuteI long to see you and yet I would not do anything that might be against our future meeting, in short I'll say no more for I scarcely know what I say my Dearest Soul think it over and I'm vastly in hopes every thing will be for the best & will happen well and fortunate at last, I am racked between the wish to see my Dear Friend and the fear of being found out but dont my life be uneasy think it over and either way you determine will I dare say end well, I'v told Carry you will write a Line to me by her in Lemon Duce, how happy it is we come to town so soon let us think of that, this Letter is to set out at 6 in the morning by the post so I must send it down as soon as I can that my sitting up may not be particular & cause my letter being suspected so I won't say much more but that I love you and always shall my Dear Dear Friend pray dont be vext about this affair God bless you my Dearest Dear Soul. Ever with the most sincere affection yrs

H

We have gone on just as usual but today he had a heap of men to dine here Sir W. Williams stays all night Mr. G―r goes off in the morning, Farewell once more my Dearest Friend dont pray be uneasy I entreat you my Soul.

Je vous etimerois etternelement tres cherre est adorable

amme

What Joy will it be to me when I can see my Dear Soul BON SOIR

M M
M

MARY II TO WILLIAM OF ORANGE

The ambitions of William and Mary seem so diver

gent that it is not singular their domestic relations should have been altogether commonplace, and hence on account of their station curious if not interesting. William's great ambition in life was to demolish the prestige and power of Louis XIV of France, Mary's to please her husband. Both were successful. That, at least, gave them a common bond for conversation, if not for affection.

William was the son of the Stadtholder of Holland and the daughter of Charles I. Mary was the daughter of James II and his first wife, Anne Hyde, daughter of Lord Clarendon. Deprive the Stuarts of their vices, and little of interest remains. In the present instance, therefore, it is the blood of Orange and of Hyde that counts. James II, who was all Stuart, could hardly be expected to stand against that dual force. On the flight of James, William, who was not so near the throne as his wife, would accept nought of the British people but the full title of king. His terms were accepted-by Parliament and by his wife. They came as nominally joint rulers, but it took the wife some months to live

down the Tory prejudice against a daughter who had usurped her father's throne, and the husband a like period to confirm that usurpation by conquering Ireland. And this brings us to the period covered by the letters.

James, with officers and munitions furnished by the King of France, landed in Ireland in the spring of 1689, and attempted to set up a Parliament in Dublin. A year later, he with his Irish and French soldiery were defeated by William at the battle of the Boyne. Then William's own Dutch completed the work begun by their late Stadtholder's son, and Ireland was reduced as much as it has ever been possible to reduce it.

Mary died of smallpox in 1694, and by the orders of her husband, who survived her as William III, the unfinished palace of Greenwich was turned into a hospital for seamen of the Royal Navy in honour of her memory. William mourned for her as it is customary for strong men to mourn for subservient, adoring, tireless housewives the world over.

M M