BELLES LETTRES EXTRAORDINARY. 675 



The first letter which I shall offer to the reader, is that of a lady, 

 who deserves to be introduced by a motto from Casti : 



^TOTJUUl * :'tf}'Jl 



" Altre udirete poi, che scritte e dette 

 Non furon pria ne in verso mai, ne in prosa, 



T< J I'l iA 



E tutto con candor, con liberta, 



E con la natural semplicita." (NOVELLE.) 



Here is the forlorn fair one's simple and unaltered epistle : 



Bath. July. Satterday July 



5th 1816. 

 " Dear Maddam, 



aving ONFORTUNITLY Left your Service as I Latley Perseve throw A desetful 

 Man that you so Hoften ave cotioned me A But Who I Bleve Whod ave 

 runned my Sole and Boddy Both and I mit Be Thankful to God that I am 

 Parted from him and as my Bible tells me I Bleve that all thing Works 

 together For good to them that Lov God Dear Maddam I ave taken the key 

 of the carrag Blinds throw a innosent mistake and I ave Sent it to you and 

 ave take the Libbery to rit those fue Lines to you and I hope it will not be 

 offencive to you or to my master I did wish much to see you Maddam Befor 

 I Let yor service But I did not take the Libberty to ask for you Maddam had 

 I taken your advice I mit ave don Better But Little did I think I had a Snake 

 in my Bosom Maddam I am your and your Fambleys Most Obedient and 

 Most Humble Servant Franczs Bulley. 



To Mrs 



B House near C 

 Wilts. 



What a feeling of melancholy steals over our minds as we peruse 

 the letter of Frances Bulley ! We picture to ourselves a young and 

 tender girl, of ardent mind and susceptible imagination, the victim 

 of disappointed affection, the slave of a sensibility too easily awakened. 

 With regard to the perjured lover., we have nothing but conjecture to 

 guide us in endeavouring to ascertain the station of this Wiltshire 

 Theseus ; he was one of those probably, who, as the clown says, 

 " haunt fairs and wakes," dressed in holiday garb, with honeyed 

 words to beguile, and a nosegay in his button-hole. Perchance his 

 condition might have resembled hers a captivating groom perhaps 

 or it may be, an insinuating Valley de Sham the last most likely, 

 for there is no truth in any of them. But consolation was not entirely 

 reft from the maiden there was still Balm in Gilead she discovered 

 the key of the " carrag blinds." The letter we speak in earnest 

 is at once simple and touching. 



We now come to an epistle which opens in a formidable manner. 

 I imagined at first that it was intended for Mr. Cross or Mr. Vigors, 

 but on referring to the superscription I found it addressed to a gentle- 

 man, whose name, I presume, is mis-spelt, unless it be another alias 

 of the gentleman in black, or grey, or other " trumpery," whom the 

 Germans delight so to honour. It was as follows: " To Mr. HELL 

 Clother Combeford Ner Cann Wilts." 



The opening is fine we can imagine the crowned Queen Cybele 

 sending her regal messengers to prepare her way ! 



March the ye 20. 18019. 



Sir, I have send you these Lions to Let you no, that I have got you a mill- 

 man For you If you dos think proper and he his a good Sarvent as aney won 



