“We have taken or destroyed all the enemy’s ships or vessels on the coast, as per margin.”

General Taylor’s letters are of the same class,—­brief and to the point.

As a specimen of ultra-familiarity, see the Duke of Buckingham’s letter to King James the First, which he commences as follows: 

“Dear Dad and gossip,”

and concludes thus:—­

“Your Majesty’s most humble slave and dog,

“STINIE.”

Some letters have been distinguished for a play upon words.  The following is supposed to have been written by one Zebel Rock, a stone-cutter, to a young lady for whom he cherished a love somewhat more than Platonic: 

“Divine Flint:  Were you not harder than Porphyry or Agate, the Chisel of my love, drove by the Mallet of my fidelity, would have made some impression on thee.  I, that have shaped as I pleased the most untoward of substances, hoped by the Compass of reason, the Plummet of discretion, the Saw of constancy, the soft File of kindness, and the Polish of good words, to have modelled you into one of the prettiest Statues in the world; but, alas!  I find you are a Flint, that strikes fire, and sets my soul in a blaze, though your heart is as cold as marble.  Pity my case, pray, madam, for I know not what I say or do.  If I go to make a Dragon, I strike out a Cupid; instead of an Apothecary’s Mortar, I make a Church Font for Baptism; and, dear Pillar of my hopes, Pedestal of my comfort, and Cornice of my joy, take compassion upon me, for upon your pity I build all my hope, and will, if fortunate, erect Statues, Obelisks and Pyramids, to your generosity.”

As a specimen of alliteration the following may be considered a fair off-hand epistle of love: 

“Adored and angelic Amelia:  Accept An Ardent And Artless Amorist’s
Affections; Alleviate An Anguished Admirer’s Alarms, And Answer An
Amorous Applicant’s Avowed Ardor.  Ah, Amelia!  All Appears An Awful
Aspect; Ambition, Avarice, And Arrogance, Alas, Are Attractive
Allurements, And Abuse An Ardent Attachment.  Appease An Aching And
Affectionate Adorer’s Alarms, And Anon Acknowledge Affianced
Albert’s Alliance As Agreeable And Acceptable.  Anxiously Awaiting An
Affectionate And Affirmative Answer, Accept An Ardent Admirer’s
Aching Adieu.  Albert.”

The custom of espionage among some nations, which led the government officials’ to open all letters supposed to contain matters at variance with the plans and purposes of their masters, induced the inventive to contrive various means of correspondence.