Transcription
CATALOG NUMBER HF 3051 a
OBJECT NAME Letter
DATE n.d. [before 1799??]
AUTHOR EAC [?Eliza Ann Colden Laight] [copied by Ann?]
RECIPIENT [Alice Ann Hoffman Nicholas?]
MEDIUM Paper, ink
PEOPLE
PLACE
EVENTS
*Original spelling retained throughout work, content appears exactly as written.
[PAGE 1]
I have availed myself of the first moment / I can steal from the bustle of moving to address you, / and tho’ I can hardly find a corner to retire to, or / a table, stool, or chair to rest myself or paper on / yet I can delay no longer my usual employment / of writing to you, which, if I omit seems to me / almost a crime _ We have been at this delight - / ful place almost a week, and I have wandered my / fill on the rocks, and Sat in Groves that seem to / have been planted by Love’s own hands _ You / know this suits exactly my soul of sentiment / and was it not for some recollections which the / frequent sight of a well - known, well - loved name / gives rise to, I think I could live only (like the / Camelion) on the Flower - scented Gale _ My eyes / to be sure sometimes when they are just about / overflowing with the effusions of my heart for a / certain wanderer, will come butt up against the very / Tree that has his name unite wth Miss G ___ S! ___ / What of that _ She has had her day _ mine will come _
What tho’ my Rover once has priz’d /
Another’s lips, anothers eyes, /
And whispered in another ear /
The tale, that I enraptured hear, /
From doubts and fears I still am free /
He loves but one - and that is me - /
What tho’ on every three I find /
[END OF PAGE 1]
[PAGE 2]
His name, and Nancy’s fondly joined /
And every Zephyr seems to say /
Twas’ here they talk’d the hours away /
Yet doubts and fears I now disown, /
He loves but me _ and me alone. /
Perhaps beneath this very shade /
My Lover and his Love have stray’d /
Has call’d the passing stream to her /
His faithful vows of love sincere, /
Yet doubts and fears I still disown /
He loves but me _ and me alone. /
Then why should it disturb my rest /
To think another has been blest, /
When I that blessing now enjoy /
Uninterrupted by alloy /
For doubts and fears I now disown /
He loves but me _ and me alone. /
But hark _ I hear the thunder break /
And Heaven’s high Arches seem to shake /
All nature shudders at the Sound /
Whilst vivid lightning curls around /
And now what fears alarm this breast, /
For whither will be Rover rest _ /
____
Whilst here in Safety I repose, /
Perhaps be, every danger knows, /
Is driven relentless by the storm, /
And death appears in every form, /
Ah me! What fears alarm my breast /
[END OF PAGE 2]
[PAGE 3]
For whither will my Rover rest! _ /
_____
Sleep _ sleep ye winds, in pity sleep /
Or waft him safely o’er the dep /
Return him to my anxious heart, /
Forever join’d _ no more to part /
And then shall peace illume this breast, /
For on it, will be Rover rest _ /
You see I am inspired by my situation _ for never / was there a more heavenly one _ The honey - suck -/ les are breathing sweet fragrance o’er head (this / I should have told you in verse) while my mossy / seat is besprinkled by little happy looking Daisys / of various hues _
The river rolls majestic by, /
Just at the foot of a _ Hog’s sty _ /
Whale little songsters coo and sing, /
And fleas skip out, and fleas skip in _ /
The Lambs with sporting almost tired, /
Have laid them down _ in mud _ and _ mired _ /
The sober Oxen homeward plod, /
And Dill throws out the stinking Cod _ /
And playful as the kitten jumps, /
From Anny gets a thousand thumps _ /
The matron cat with anger views, /
And speaks reproaches in her _ mews - /
The faithful watch -dog growls around /
And Cat and Kitten fly the Sound _ /
Sleep - sleep you dog in pity sleep /
And onward let poor pussy creep; /
For now what fears alarm her breast, /
To know where little Kit shall rest _ /
[END OF PAGE 3]
[PAGE 4]
Return then harmless to your dew, /
And let them frisk and play [again] _ /
But hark, I hear the master’s voice, /
That bids his household to rejoice, /
The mistress suns her lord to see, /
And after her, steps slip-shod me - /
He gives his wife her kisses due /
While I stoop down to fix my shoe /
Then rise in all my pride and glory, /
And get a smack _ _ _ _ _ _ /
[END OF PART A]Transcriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
EnglishTranscription
CATALOG NUMBER HF 3051 b
OBJECT NAME Letter
DATE n.d. [before 1799??]
AUTHOR EAC [?Eliza Ann Colden Laight] [copied by Ann?]
RECIPIENT [Alice Ann Hoffman Nicholas?]
MEDIUM Paper, ink
PEOPLE
PLACE
EVENTS
*Original spelling retained throughout work, content appears exactly as written.
[PAGE 1]
I have availed myself of the first moment / I can steal from the bustle of moving to address you, / and tho’ I can hardly find a corner to retire to, or / a table, stool, or chair to rest myself or paper on / yet I can delay no longer my usual employment / of writing to you, which, if I omit seems to me / almost a crime _ We have been at this delight - / ful place almost a week, and I have wandered my / fill on the rocks, and Sat in Groves that seem to / have been planted by Love’s own hands _ You / know this suits exactly my soul of sentiment / and was it not for some recollections which the / frequent sight of a well - known, well - loved name / gives rise to, I think I could live only (like the / Camelion) on the Flower - scented Gale _ My eyes / to be sure sometimes when they are just about / overflowing with the effusions of my heart for a / certain wanderer, will come butt up against the very / Tree that has his name unite wth Miss G ___ S! ___ / What of that _ She has had her day _ mine will come _
What tho’ my Rover once has priz’d /
Another’s lips, anothers eyes, /
And whispered in another ear /
The tale, that I enraptured hear, /
From doubts and fears I still am free /
He loves but one - and that is me - /
What tho’ on every three I find /
[END OF PAGE 1]
[PAGE 2]
His name, and Nancy’s fondly joined /
And every Zephyr seems to say /
Twas’ here they talk’d the hours away /
Yet doubts and fears I now disown, /
He loves but me _ and me alone. /
Perhaps beneath this very shade /
My Lover and his Love have stray’d /
Has call’d the passing stream to her /
His faithful vows of love sincere, /
Yet doubts and fears I still disown /
He loves but me _ and me alone. /
Then why should it disturb my rest /
To think another has been blest, /
When I that blessing now enjoy /
Uninterrupted by alloy /
For doubts and fears I now disown /
He loves but me _ and me alone. /
But hark _ I hear the thunder break /
And Heaven’s high Arches seem to shake /
All nature shudders at the Sound /
Whilst vivid lightning curls around /
And now what fears alarm this breast, /
For whither will be Rover rest _ /
____
Whilst here in Safety I repose, /
Perhaps be, every danger knows, /
Is driven relentless by the storm, /
And death appears in every form, /
Ah me! What fears alarm my breast /
[END OF PAGE 2]
[PAGE 3]
For whither will my Rover rest! _ /
_____
Sleep _ sleep ye winds, in pity sleep /
Or waft him safely o’er the dep /
Return him to my anxious heart, /
Forever join’d _ no more to part /
And then shall peace illume this breast, /
For on it, will be Rover rest _ /
You see I am inspired by my situation _ for never / was there a more heavenly one _ The honey - suck -/ les are breathing sweet fragrance o’er head (this / I should have told you in verse) while my mossy / seat is besprinkled by little happy looking Daisys / of various hues _
The river rolls majestic by, /
Just at the foot of a _ Hog’s sty _ /
Whale little songsters coo and sing, /
And fleas skip out, and fleas skip in _ /
The Lambs with sporting almost tired, /
Have laid them down _ in mud _ and _ mired _ /
The sober Oxen homeward plod, /
And Dill throws out the stinking Cod _ /
And playful as the kitten jumps, /
From Anny gets a thousand thumps _ /
The matron cat with anger views, /
And speaks reproaches in her _ mews - /
The faithful watch -dog growls around /
And Cat and Kitten fly the Sound _ /
Sleep - sleep you dog in pity sleep /
And onward let poor pussy creep; /
For now what fears alarm her breast, /
To know where little Kit shall rest _ /
[END OF PAGE 3]
[PAGE 4]
Return then harmless to your dew, /
And let them frisk and play [again] _ /
But hark, I hear the master’s voice, /
That bids his household to rejoice, /
The mistress suns her lord to see, /
And after her, steps slip-shod me - /
He gives his wife her kisses due /
While I stoop down to fix my shoe /
Then rise in all my pride and glory, /
And get a smack _ _ _ _ _ _ /
[END OF PART A]
[PART B]
[PAGE 1]
It is very well _ I have wearied you with my / letters _ you have thrown your old and steady cor - / respondent off and flown to a new one _ it is / very well _ you may fare the better for the change / but if your conscience in the hour of reflection / does not reproach you for it, it has become hard / as your heart _ I sing no syren song _ I boast not of eloquence to secure any one, but then / the simply and unaffected story of my unboun - / ded affection, my untired punctuality ,and the delight with which I wrote to you _ surely _ / surely might claim that letter which you so / barbarously dictated to another _ shame _ shame / are all the hours that we have made when we have chid / the hasty foot of time for partings _ Oh and is all / forgotten? There is no true friendship _ no try love _ / no true women in the world _ I had rather be / in a wilderness where I might choose one constant / one immoveable tree, and have it only to bloom / for me than dwell in the haunts of men, and their / kind, who are influenced by the moon, and turn / with her every change _ /
Oh say then, must this constant heart, /
Which only beat for you, /
Oh must it act a Rover’s part, /
And bid all truth _ Adieu _ /
In you it’s every joy was placed /
[END OF PAGE 1]
[PAGE 2]
It’s trust was fixed on you, /
But you have left it to disgrace /
And changed it for a new _ /
I fondly thought thee ‘bove all art /
And claim’d thee mine alone _ /
But you have bade me to depart /
And make my griefs my own _ /
Yes, I will go, inconstant friend, /
And this proud heart shall burst, /
This troubled life of mine shall end, /
And I be laid in dust _ /
Ere’ one intruding sigh of mine, /
Shall interrupt your peace, /
To sorrow let me be resigned, /
For oh to hope must cease. /
‘Tis death alone can constant prove, /
And death must be my friend, /
He never promises to love, /
Yet all our troubles end _ /
Come death then, truest, surest death, /
And I will bid _ Adieu _ /
To cousin Anny and to cousin Tommy, /
And all my friends _______
Now are you not ashamed of yourself, and / don’t you blush up to your eyes, when you / think how you have treated me _
Can you forget the weary mile, /
At ten ‘o ‘clock at night, /
I trudged _ the moments to beguile /
And guard you from all [torn: fright]
[END OF PAGE 2]
[PAGE 3]
Can you forget how in the bed /
Close by your side I laid? /
Because your took in your head /
That you must be afraid _
And all the pains and anxious care, /
I took to curl your lochs /
And dress your little snowy hair, /
To suit the smart stage [book?] /
Yes yes ungrateful as you are, /
These kindnesses forgot _ /
Let sister now betwig your hair, /
For I am sworn _ I’ll not _ /
Now set you down, and write away, /
To her you love so well _ /
But mark my word _ you’ll rue the day /
You caused my rage to swell _ /
Now see who’ll write you all the news /
And write you every day _ /
I used to do it _ but you chuse_ /
To fling me for away _ /
Adieu unkind, inconstant friend, /
I do not wish you ill, /
This scrawl I only mean to send _ /
To say I love you still ___
EAC_
[END OF LETTER]
Transcriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
English
