My dearest Lady,

I am once more, blessed be God for all his Mercies to me! enabled to dedicate to you the first Fruits of my Penmanship, on my Upsitting, to thank you, and my noble Lord, for all your kind Solicitudes formy Welfare. Billy every Day improves, Miss is all I wish her to be, and my second dear Boy continues to be as lovely and as fine a Baby as your Ladyship was pleased to think him; and their Papa, the best of Gentlemen, and of Husbands!

I am glad to hear Lady Betty is likely to be so happy. Mr. B. says, her noble Admirer is as worthy a Gentleman as the Peerage boasts; and I beg of your Ladyship to congratulate the dear Lady, and her noble Parents, in my Name, if I should be at a Distance, when the Nuptials are celebrated.

I have had the Honour of a Visit from my Lady, the Countess Dowager, on Occasion of her leaving the Kingdom for one Year, for which Space she designs to reside in Italy; principally at Naples or Florence.

Mr. B. was abroad when her Ladyship came, having taken a Turn to Gloucester the Day before, and I expected him not till the next Day. Her Ladyship sent her Gentleman, the preceding Evening, to let me know, that Business had brought her as far as Wooburn; and if it would not be unacceptable, she would pay her Respects to me, at Breakfast, the next Morning, being speedily to leave England. I return’d, that I should be very proud of that Honour. And about Ten her Ladyship came.

She was exceedingly fond of my two Boys, the little Man, and the pretty Baby, as she called them; and I had very different Emotions from the Expression of her Love to them, and her Visit to me, from what I had once before. She was sorry, she said, Mr. B. was abroad; tho’ her Business was principally with me. For, Mrs. B. said she, I come to tell you all that pass’d between Mr. B. and myself, that you may not think worse of either of us than we deserve; and I could not leave England, till I had done myself the Pleasure of waiting on you for this Purpose.