And to remove the opinions you have of my niceness, or being hard to please, let me assure you I am far from desiring my husband should be fond of me at threescore, that I would not have him so at all.  ’Tis true I should be glad to have him always kind, and know no reason why he should be wearier of being my master, than he was of being my servant.  But it is very possible I may talk ignorantly of marriage; when I come to make sad experiments on it in my own person I shall know more, and say less, for fear of disheartening others (since ’tis no advantage to foreknow a misfortune that cannot be avoided), and for fear of being pitied, which of all things I hate.  Lest you should be of the same humour I will not pity you, lame as you are; and to speak truth, if you did like it, you should not have it, for you do not deserve it.  Would any one in the world, but you, make such haste for a new cold before the old had left him; in a year, too, when mere colds kill as many as a plague used to do?  Well, seriously, either resolve to have more care of yourself, or I renounce my friendship; and as a certain king (that my learned knight is very well acquainted with), who, seeing one of his confederates in so happy a condition as it was not likely to last, sent his ambassador presently to break off the league betwixt them, lest he should be obliged to mourn the change of his fortune if he continued his friend; so I, with a great deal more reason, do declare that I will no longer be a friend to one that’s none to himself, nor apprehend the loss of what you hazard every day at tennis.  They had served you well enough if they had crammed a dozen ounces of that medicine down your throat to have made you remember a quinzy.

But I have done, and am now at leisure to tell you that it is that daughter of my Lord of Holland (who makes, as you say, so many sore eyes with looking on her) that is here; and if I know her at all, or have any judgment, her beauty is the least of her excellences.  And now I speak of her, she has given me the occasion to make a request to you; it will come very seasonably after my chiding, and I have great reason to expect you should be in the humour of doing anything for me.  She says that seals are much in fashion, and by showing me some that she has, has set me a-longing for some too; such as are oldest and oddest are most prized, and if you know anybody that is lately come out of Italy, ’tis ten to one but they have a store, for they are very common there.  I do remember you once sealed a letter to me with as fine a one as I have seen.  It was a Neptune, I think, riding upon a dolphin; but I’m afraid it was not yours, for I saw it no more.  My old Roman head is a present for a prince.  If such things come in your way, pray remember me.  I am sorry my new carrier makes you rise so early, ’tis not good for your cold; how might we do that you might lie a-bed and yet I have your letter?  You must use to write before he comes, I think, that it may be sure to be ready against he goes.  In earnest consider on’t, and take some course that your health and my letters may be both secured, for the loss of either would be very sensible to