Page:The Wentworth Papers 1715-1739.djvu/210

 194 THE WENTWORTH PAPERS.

London, April i6, 171 1.

Dear Brother,

There's a certain young lady that has a great love and affection for you, has had a mind a great while to writ to you, but is restrain'd by her modesty so has desired me to give a short history of her affair.

It has been for some time that my sister Betty has had frequent opportunities of seeing Coll. Selwine at Mrs. Han- bury's, and he has profest a great deal of love and respect and sincere passion for her, wch she has received with a becoming modesty, so that he has no more from her then that she has no avertion to him, but my mother perceives he has taken deep root in her affections ; so that what they both beg of you by me is that when Coll. Selwine comes to wait upon you at the Hague you will be perticular civil to him, for they depend upon't that by your engageing behaviour he's to be fix to Betty for ever. He went for Holland yesterday, the day before he sent to my sister Arundel to know if she was at home and that if Mrs. B : W : was with her he wou'd come and wait upon her to take his leave. Mrs. Masham was with my sister when the message was brought her, wch Mrs. Masham said for such a pretty gentleman as Sylwine was not very civil, to tell one Lady he wou'd come to see her if she had another with her ; so that she might not think strange on't she told Mrs. Masham he was a lover of my sister Betty upon wch Mrs. Masham advised to send him word my sister was not there but she expected her in half an hour, so to send for her immediately, for 'twas so advan- tageous a match that it ought to be encouraged by all means, and so said some handsome things of my sister Betty, but fear'd his friends wou'd think her Fortune too little for him. He has often brag'd to my sister Betty of your great favours to him and has profest all the obligations and respect for you imaginable and she in return has brag'd that she's your favourite sister. Since Mr. Powell came here I seeing he was well acquainted with Coll. Sylwine I have got her con- sent to tell him of this affair, wch has been a great satisfac-

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