The mysteries of love & eloquence, or, The arts of wooing and complementing as they are manag'd in the Spring Garden, Hide Park, the New Exchange, and other eminent places : a work in which is drawn to the life the deportments of the most accomplisht persons, the mode of their courtly entertainments, treatments of their ladies at balls, their accustom'd sports, drolls and fancies, the witchcrafts of their perswasive language in their approaches, or other more secret dispatches ...

A Cockney to his Mistress

My Dear Peggie,

I Have here sent thee these Lines writ with my tears, and a little blacking that our Maid rubs my Fathers Shoes with, that I may unload a whole Cart-load of grief into the Ware∣house of thy bosome. Truly Peggie, I think I shall die, for I can neither eat, nor drink, nor sleep, nor wake. Nothing that my Mother can buy, either in Cheap-side or Newgate-Market will go down with me; yet, you know my mother's as pretty a H••swife as any in the Town. She seeing me look as pale as the Linen in Moor-fields, and moping in the Chimney corner, bid the Maid fetch me a Cap, and ask'd me if I would have any Sugar sops. But I cry'd no, I'de have Peggie, with that she jeer'd me, saying, What are you love-sick Tom? And then I

I cry'd, and made a noise like a C•••• upon the Tiles. But let all the world say what they will, I will pout and be sick, and my Father and Mother shall lose their eldest Son, but Ile have Peggie, that I will. I beseech thee not to omit any occasion of writting to me, that since I cannot kiss thy hand, I may kiss the Letters that thy hand did write. The Bearer hereof is our Cook-maid, one that pitties my condition, and is very trusty: I have therefore engag'd her to call and see thee every time she goes to Market. My Mothers Rings are all close lockt up, else I would steal one to send it thee: however, I intreat thee to ac∣cept of the good will for the deed, and to take in good part the endeavours of thy most faithful Servant.

Postscript

As I was going to seal, my Father came in, taken suddenly and desperately ill. The Physicians were sent for, and by their whispering, assure me that he cannot live; assoon as he is dead I shall not fail to visit thee, and make sure work between us.