Compliments to Sir William, and all friends.  Your’s very faithfully,

  Wm. NELSON.

IV.

  Sunday Morning, Sept. 6th, [1801.]

My Dear Lady,

To be sure, you did promise to write to me on Thursday last; and I was very much disappointed at not receiving a letter yesterday, and sent to the Post Office twice, to be certain there was no mistake:  and, now, this morning, comes your roguish, waggish letter, on a Sunday morning, (amidst all my meditations for the good of my parishioners) about love, courtship, marriage, throwing the stocking, going to bed, &c. &c. &c.—­quite shocking to write to a country parson, who can have no idea of such things.  It might do well enough for a King’s chaplain; or a church dignitary, who is supposed to have more learning, and more knowledge of things in general.

I wish you was here, and you should not laugh at me for nothing.  I would give you as good as you brought, at any time.

I’ll have no Emmas, at present.  Stay till there comes one or two of another sort, to keep the line of the Nelsons in the true name and blood, without being obliged to go to others to assume a name which scarcely belongs to them; and, then, as many Emmas, Elfridas, Evelindas, and Evelinas, as you please.

But, I hope to God, the present young Horatio will go on as we all wish, and transmit a long race to posterity.

I am delighted with Dr. Heath’s letter to my Brother, and the character he gives of him.  My only fear is, that we shall spoil him among us.

I have not yet heard from him, how he felt himself.  I should have liked to have peeped slyly into his room, and seen how he acted on first receiving the joyful intelligence.

I don’t know enough how to thank my Brother, for all his goodness to me and mine; my heart overflows, whenever I think of it:  but I can’t sit down, and write a formal letter of thanks; it would be too absurd for me to write, or him to read.  He well knows me; and I leave it to your Ladyship, (my best and truest friend) to say every thing to him, for and from me:  it will come best from your lips, and adorned with your eloquence.

I wish my Brother had done with this business.  I hope, a peace will soon put an end to his toils and dangers. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

V.

  Hilborough, September 8th, 1801.

MY DEAR LADY HAMILTON,

I hope you will have received my long letter of Sunday’s date, by this time.  I wonder you should accuse me of remissness, in not writing to you.  I told you then, and I repeat it now, that I would always give you “as good as you brought:”  and, upon looking back to the last week’s letters, I find I have always answered your’s, whenever I had one; and, generally, by the same post.