1795 May 30 (Anne)

Anne Andrews, Salisbury, to Maria Grace Andrews, Portsmouth, Saturday, [30 May 1795].

Saturday morn^g

I have risen somewhat early this morn^g with an intention to scribble a few lines to my beloved – We did not reach home till about five the past even^g & after meeting I felt too much fatigued to attempt writing –

I am sensible one of your first enquiries will be how I have been entertain’d on the preceeding days & I feel desirous of inform^g you but think I must defer it till I shall enjoy the pleasure of personal intercourse – let it suffice to declare that there was no allay to the most refined delight but that wh^h arose either from the weakness & infirmity of nature or the treachery of my own heart oh if we should ever join the general Assembly & Church of the firstborn whose names are written in heaven there shall be nothing to restrain our ardour nothing to embitter our joys – as the Poet sweetly says –

No Sin shall clog our winged zeal

Or cool our burning love.

I find it is near Seven so must close however unwillingly – do remember me with the tenderest affection to d^r M^rs Saffery tell her I should be glad if time permitted to answer her kind & welcome Letter – but as it is hope she will excuse it – M^rs Marsh who is return’d from Lymington in consequence of the late awful Providence wh^h you will learn by M^r Saffery begs love to M^rs S– & yourself other friends would be remember’d our Hannah in particular

Affectionate respects to M^rs Horsey &c

Yours affectionately

A Andrews

Text: Reeves Collection, Box 14.1.(k.), Bodleian Library, Oxford. Address: Miss Andrews | favor’d by M.^r Davis. No postmark, no location; for a fully annotated text of this letter, see Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840 (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, p. 99.