Revised Jun 6 2021

No 103. Miss N. Heywood to Mr. P. Heywood.

Great Russel Street 18^th Oct'r. 1792

Yes! — my tenderly beloved Peter — Hope sanguine Hope is mine, & I dare yet assure myself I shall soon — very soon embrace you — My dear kind Uncle Pasley is at this Moment by me & adds the few Words you will read at the Bottom of the inclosed Letter, which was the other Day brought me by old Mr. Hayward — 'tis by my Uncle's Desire I enclose it — & now my Love — my dearest Life — allow me to say, exulting even to the Extreme of Happiness that Hope (comforter as she has been to me) now yeilds to joyful, extatic Certainty! — Certainty I say — for it wou'd be impious to doubt a Moment longer. — I was not permitted to say this Yesterday & forgive me for not writing to you on that Account. indeed I cou'd not bear to be Mistress of such a secret & yet keep you ignorant of it. — take it now therefore my Life's best Treasure & rest securely happy in the Possession of every thing that can make you blest. — entertain no Fears for your Honor my Peter which (highly as you, & let me add I, prize it) is, take my Word for it, as safe as my own — I shou'd not be so happy as I now am if I was not sure of this; for tho' I love you ten thousand, thousand times better than any earthly Being, yet your Honor is dearer still: — Be satisfied then my Love, again I repeat it, be satisfied on that Subject, & give up your Mind to every sensation of Delight which the near Prospect of Love & Liberty can convey! — you had better my dearest Peter conceal as much as possible what I now tell you — 'tis Mr. Graham's & my Uncle's Desire & you know their Wishes are our Commands — you will however do it I know from Delicacy to your unhappy Companions — Alas! wou'd to Heaven I cou'd communicate the same pleasing Intelligence to them all! — you have no Idea how happy we now are — how happy then shall we soon be! — Oh! gracious Powers! — 'tis almost too much to support, for I am half bewitched already — I don't know what I have written — for indeed in the present state of my Intellects, Connection in my Discourse is not to be expected & what is ten times worse, Mr. Graham insists on this scrawl being sent to Mr. Delafon's — open to him and Mr. Delafons I beg to say every thing the most grateful Heart in the World can dictate for Obligations infinitely too great for Payment were I to live for ever — he will of course pardon the Nonsense this contain. — Adieu my dearest Peter — Love to James, who will read this & be happy — May God preserve & protect you till you are once more embraced by your impatient

& most tenderly affec't. Sister

  Nessy Heywood